The Model 390 Premier I was the first all-new, in-house product of the Raytheon Aircraft Beech/Hawker engineering department since the Beech Duke 60 in 1966. It is an entry level corporate jet designed to compete with Cessna’s highly successful CJ1 series.
Design work on the Premier I began in early 1994 and was first called the PD-374. It is a new generation of business jet that is slightly smaller than the Mitsubishi designed Beechjet 400.
The Premier I was designed using CATIA computer aided design. It takes advantage of the composite manufacturing technology learned on the Beech Starship. The Premier is powered by two Williams FJ44 engines, which give it a long-range cruise speed of .80 Mach.
The composite fuselage allows advanced production techniques to be used. The Premier I fuselage can be constructed in just one day compared to a conventional airframe that requires from one to two weeks to complete.
The Premier IA was introduced in 2005. It features an enhanced Pro Line 21 avionics suite with integrated flight information system (IFIS) incorporated into the avionics. This upgrade offers pilots a wide range of safety and situational awareness information that includes map overlays. The Premier IA also has a redesigned interior configuration that includes a sound dampening acoustical liner that creates a quieter cabin. The Premier IA has a standard five-year warranty, as well as an improved hydraulic brake and anti-skid system.
The Premier IA entered production in 2005.
