Two major milestones for Raytheon Aircraft have been reached in the space of a few weeks. The company has rolled out the 400th Hawker 400XP and has delivered its 6,000th Beechcraft King Air.

The manufacture and sale of the landmark Beechcraft King Air has been hailed a tribute to all those people who have been involved in the investment and upgrading of the aircraft since it started production in 1963. The first prototype flew January 20, 1964 and gained FAA type approval on May 19, 1964. The initial production rate of the King Air was 50 to 60 per year and it subsequently evolved into the Super King Air, with the company rolling out an average of 150 models per year.

Formerly the Beechjet 400A, the 400XP joined the Hawker family in May 2003. It features a 200lb gross weight increase over its predecessor, which means it provides customers with additional operational capability to add another passenger or operate with the same number of passengers and increase the amount of fuel onboard.