Writer

Amy Laboda

Nextant Aerospace expects to deliver more than 30 <a href="http://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/nbaa-convention-news/2011-10-10/nextant-gets-400xt-stc-looks-next-project">remanufactured 400XTs</a> by year-end, company CEO Ken Ricci said yesterday at EBACE. To date, the company has delivered 10 Nextant 400XTs, and it expects to financially break even on the program when it ships the 14th aircraft in about two months.
Seeking to differentiate the Nextant 400XT from the competing <a href="http://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/ainalerts/2012-05-03/upgraded-hawker-400xpr-takes-flight">Hawker 400XPR</a>, Ricci said his company “remanufactures” Hawker Beechcraft 400A/XPs, rather than simply re-engining them. “That’s truly the difference between us and what Hawker Beechcraft has contracted Sierra Industries to do to create the 400XPR,” he said.
The remanufacturing process entails a complete teardown, with the end product being a zero-timed aircraft with more efficient Williams FJ44-3AP engines, Rockwell Collins Pro Line 21 avionics and several aerodynamic refinements. This results in a 2,005-nm aircraft that outperforms its progenitor and several other competing aircraft and has a lower cost both to acquire and operate, according to Nextant.
“We think we have the formula for determining whether an airframe is ripe for remanufacture,” Ricci said. “Even with 605 Hawker Beechcraft 400A/XP airframes out there, we’ve got plenty of depth to this project to sustain us for a while. We have identified another airframe that we think is a good candidate for remanufacturing.” Nextant plans to announce this next aircraft project at the NBAA Convention in October, he added.
<a href="http://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/audiocasts/ainaudiocast-kenn-ricci-state-bizav-industry">Bonus AINaudiocast</a>: Ricci offers a candid view of the bizav industry.

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