By Rebecca Rayko
AWN Editor

NEW ORLEANS - Raytheon Aircraft entered the light midsize market with the new Hawker 450 business jet unveiled on opening day of NBAA 2000.

Raytheon Aircraft chairman and CEO Hansel Tookes was on hand to take the wraps off what he says "will fly faster, fly farther, offer a larger cabin and provide a better value" than its competitors in this end of the market.

The Hawker 450 is positioned to fill the space between the Hawker 800XP ($11.9 million) and the Beechjet 400A ($6.3 million). It will feature the fiber-placed composite fuselage technology, a 71-inch stand-up cabin, double or center-club seating and a swept aluminum wing.

The same wing design is used on Raytheon's new entry level business jet, the Premier I, and the super midsize Hawker Horizon.

Range is estimated to exceed 2,000 nautical miles with a cruising speed of Mach 0.80. The Hawker 450 is priced between $7.8 million and $9 million.

Honeywell has signed on as a risk-sharing partner in the Hawker 450 program. Its Primus Epic avionics will be featured on the aircraft along with the TFE731-40 engine.

Raytheon declined to provide the certification and delivery schedules for the Hawker 450, but said that full-scale development work on the new design will be initiated following Premier I certification later this year.

Launch orders follow.

A whirlwind of orders for the newest Hawker model followed shortly after the program announcement.

Raytheon's fractional aircraft ownership arm, Travel Air, placed the first round of orders for the Hawker 450. Travel Air ordered 50 and placed options for an additional 25.

The order is valued between $585 million and $675 million, including options.