Raytheon is an American company that operated as an aircraft manufacturer before merging with other companies. Formerly Raytheon Aircraft Company (RAC), today this company specialises in aviation, space and defense systems. Let’s take a look at the history of this company that manufactured the Raytheon Premier private jet for business aviation.
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The history of Raytheon
- 1993: Raytheon Company was founded in Massachusetts, USA. It was founded after the takeover of British Aerospace. The following year in 1994, two companies, Beech Aircraft and Raytheon Corporate Jets, merged. The result of this merger was Raytheon Aircraft Company (RAC). The RAC then managed the maintenance and marketing of business jets for private aviation, and also for commercial and military aviation.
- 1995: The U.S. Air Force used a military aircraft manufactured by Raytheon, named T-6A Texan II. It made its first flight in 1998.
- 1995: Alongside the aircraft created for the army, Raytheon manufactured its light business jet: the Raytheon Premier. It was Raytheon’s only business jet of its own. The company joined forces with Beechcraft in the design of aircraft. Together they manufactured business aircraft such as the Hawker 800XP and the King Air B200.
- 1998: The Raytheon Premier made its first flight of exactly 62 minutes. Its next objective was to obtain the certification to fly in business aviation.
- 2001: The Raytheon Premier was certified. It became the main private jet with a fuselage made of composite materials. This jet was closely followed by another business jet manufactured by the company, the Hawker Horizon. Likewise, this medium-sized aircraft had a fuselage made of composite materials.
- 2003: Raytheon provided avionics systems for the King Air range of jets.
- 2004: The 40th anniversary of the Beechcraft King Air. It was very private in business aviation. Today, the King Air private aircraft range remains strong and reliable. That same year, Raytheon delivered its 100th Raytheon Premier private jet.
Raytheon also created new avionics systems and installed a Garmin G1000 system in several of the company’s jets.
- 2005: After announcing the arrival of several aircraft on the market, Raytheon Aviation equipped its new jet King Air C90GT, with new Pratt and Whitney engines. These improved the speed of the private jet and allowed the aircraft to reduce their take-off distances.
- 2006: The Hawker 4000, announced the year before by the company, obtained its certification. It remains to this day a very competitive aircraft because it is fuel-efficient and capable of making transatlantic flights without stopovers.
That year, the RAC had hundreds of authorised service points around the world and as many as 8,500 employees under its wing.
- 2007: Raytheon Aircraft Company lost its name and became Hawker Beechcraft Corporation after the merger of other companies. This company has become one of the most reliable companies in business aviation.
To find out more, visit the Beechcraft aircraft manufacturer page.
Raytheon Technologies today
In 2020, the Raytheon company partnered with the United Technologies industrial group. The name Raytheon Technologies then came into being. The CEO of the company since 2020 is Gregory J. Hayes. Today, the company is part of the major companies in the aviation and aerospace sector, like Dassault.
Although the company is no longer directly involved in the manufacturing of aircraft, it does produce a large number of spare parts, Pratt & Whitney engines, as well as equipment and technologies for air combat and defence, including fighter aircraft.
The company today has several subsidiaries, hence the variety of its initiatives. This American company combines Raytheon technologies, Pratt & Whitney, Collins Aerospace, Raytheon Intelligence & Space and Raytheon Missiles & Defense.
The private jet Raytheon Premier
In 2001, Raytheon announced the arrival on the market of its business jet, the Raytheon Premier. It is a light, fast and spacious private jet. Created with composite materials, this private jet is lighter and therefore more fuel efficient. This makes it an aircraft with great value for money, which is a big advantage in the business aviation market. The interior of the cabin is very comfortable, with wide, reclining leather seats. This business jet also offers in-cabin entertainment. The Raytheon Premier can carry up to 6 passengers with a range of up to 2100 km. It is fast and ideal for short distances.
Examples of price per route:
From Paris to Ibiza is from €13,000
From Nice to London is from €13,000
The equivalent private jets: Learjet 60, Citation CJ2.
Are you interested in booking a private jet flight from a particular manufacturer? For any additional information or business jet flight requests, please contact AEROAFFAIRES at +33 (0) 1 44 09 91 82 or fill in our online quote.
