Beechcraft Be-400

Twin Jet

The Beechcraft Beechjet 400 is a light business jet that emerged from Mitsubishi's Diamond II design, which Beech acquired and refined into one of the most successful small corporate jets of the late 1980s and 1990s. Certified in 1986 and powered by twin Pratt & Whitney JT15D turbofans, the Beechjet 400 seats six to eight passengers and carved out a niche as an economical entry-level jet for corporate flight departments and charter operators. Raytheon later upgraded the type into the Hawker 400XP with improved engines and avionics, extending its production run into the 2000s. With a maximum cruise speed around 450 knots and a range of roughly 1,500 nautical miles, the Beechjet 400 competes directly with the Cessna Citation series in the light jet category. Its relatively low operating costs and docile handling made it popular for pilot training programs, including the U.S. Air Force's T-1A Jayhawk variant used to train tanker and transport pilots. More than 900 Beechjet 400 and Hawker 400XP aircraft were built before production ended in 2009, and the type remains a common sight at regional airports and corporate aviation facilities worldwide. SkyMeter has tracked flights across airframes and operators, with the largest observed operator.