Founded in 1932 by Walter and Olive Ann Beech as the Beech Aircraft Company, Beechcraft is a storied name in the general-aviation sector that today is owned by Textron Aviation and manufactures piston single, piston twin, and turboprop aircraft.
Read More (About Beechcraft)Founded in 1932 by Walter and Olive Ann Beech as the Beech Aircraft Company, Beechcraft is a storied name in the general-aviation sector. The company is known for such early business traveler-centric aircraft as the Beechcraft Model 17 Staggerwing and Model 18 Twin Beech. Beechcraft’s iconic, single-engine Beechcraft Bonanza has been in production for roughly 75 years, and has spawned numerous subsequent models, including the current single-engine Bonanza G36 piston.
Following Walter Beech’s death in 1950, Olive Beech assumed leadership of the company, making her the first woman to lead a major aircraft company. Before retiring in 1982, she helped grow the company from 10 to 10,000 employees. In 1980, the Raytheon Company purchased Beech Aircraft. In 1993, Raytheon purchased Corporate Jets, manufacturers of the Hawker Aircraft lineup. A year later, Beech Aircraft and Hawker Aircraft were merged to form Raytheon Aircraft Company, which revived the Beechcraft and Hawker brand names in 2002.
In 2006, a Goldman Sachs-affiliated consortium purchased Raytheon Aircraft Company, eventually renaming it Hawker Beechcraft. After emerging from bankruptcy in 2013, the company was renamed Beechcraft. That same year, Textron Aviation purchased the company, which is now headquartered in Wichita, Kansas. Textron Aviation also owns the Cessna and Hawker brands.
In 2021, Textron announced that Premiair Aviation, a maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) provider Textron acquired in 2020, received Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) approval to service and support all in-country Beechcraft, Cessna, and Hawker aircraft. Premiair Aviation has service stations in the Gold Coast, Melbourne, and Perth.
Beechcraft’s lineup now includes new and pre-owned King Airs such as the nine-passenger King Air 260 introduced in December 2020, which has a 3,185-kilometre (1,720-nautical-mile) range and top cruise speed of 574-km/h (310-ktas). Other King Airs include the flagship 11-passenger King Air 360 and 15-passenger King Air 360 ER (extended range) twin-engine turboprops introduced in August 2020 with cockpit, cabin, and technology updates over the previous King Air 350 and 350ER.
Beechcraft also produces the six-passenger Baron G58 piston twin and six-passenger Bonanza G36 piston single. In July 2019, Textron celebrated the 50th anniversary of the first flight of a prototype of the Baron 58, a variant of the popular Baron 55 originally billed as the “industry’s fastest light twin.” Textron claims more than 18,000 Bonanzas have been delivered since entering the market.
You’ll find a big selection of new and used Beechcraft piston single, piston twin, turboprop, and jet aircraft for sale every day on AviationTrader.com.au, including Bonanza 36s, Beechjet 400s, King Air 90s, King Air 200s, King Air 350s, Baron 55s, and Baron 58s.
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