Operator Survey: Beechjet 400A

fuel than either of the Citations. The Beechjet 400A’s cruise speed is closer to that of a 30-series Learjet, but its Pratt & Whitney Canada JT15D-5 engines burn more fuel than the miserly AlliedSignal TFE731 turbofans of the Learjets. Comments of many operators reflect their previous business aircraft operating experience. Former users of smaller airplanes raved about the 400A’s Collins Pro Line 4 avionics. They especially liked the large format EFIS displays. One said tongue in check, “The [primary flight] display ruins my instrument scan. Everything I need to watch is in one place.” (The Beechjet 400A’s standard avionics package is fitted with a two-tube EFIS that has a combination Elec- tronic Attitude Director Indicator/Horizontal Situation Indicator flanked by separate altimeter and airspeed instruments. The optional three- and four-tube configura- tions come with left- and right-side Primary Flight Dis- plays with integral air data read-outs.) Respondents also liked the Collins FMS 850 flight management system and the hand-eye coordination design of the Pro Line 4 avionics package as config- ured for the Beechjet 400A. Cockpit engineers, accord- ing to Beech, were well aware of the need to place knobs, switches and buttons close to the displays and functions they control. “We just couldn’t get anything like this avionics package in other light jets we consid- ered,” explained one operator. KUDOS AND CRITICISMS Most of these operators also praised Beech for high standards of assembly quality, systems dependability, and climb and cruise performance. One relatively low utilization operator said, “We could fly this airplane 1,000 hours per year.” Operators with larger airplane experience had differ- ent impressions of the 400A. They appreciated its oper- ating economy, high maximum landing weight that permits fuel to be tankered from stop to stop, and over- all aircraft climb and cruise performance. Almost all operators liked the Beechjet’s stability, especially in IMC. Praise for the aircraft’s handling characteristics wasn’t so uniform. “It has bomber-like handling characteristics” said one former Falcon Jet pilot. “It seems to not have enough roll authority at slow speeds in turbulence.” said another. “It’s no Learjet [in roll response],” echoed a third operator. Such comments are to be expected because of the aircraft’s roll control design. It doesn’t have ailerons, Operator Survey COPYRIGHT 1995 THE MCGRAW-HILL COMPANIES, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED relying solely on manually actuated spoilers for roll con- trol. Eliminating ailerons reduces adverse yaw tendency during brisk roll maneuvering, but gives the airplane a heavier feel than a combination of ailerons and spoil- ers, or ailerons alone. Beech officials responded that the airplane was designed to have the feel and stability of a larger air- plane. There are no plans to change the flight control system of the airplane. (The spoilers-only roll control sys- tem caused no problems during the original certification of the airplane and no accidents or incidents have been linked to deficiencies in roll control.) Operators lauded Beech for the level of support and service provided by the factory and dealers. That was the good news. Then came the bad news. Some survey respondents thought that such superb support was the minimum necessary to keep their airplanes flying. For example, one operator said, “Our pilots packed overnight bags for one-hour flights. They didn’t know when they next would be stranded because the air- plane might break.” Another operator rebuked Beech for failing to secure the brackets of a bleed air piccolo tube in a wing lead- ing edge. And another said that metal shavings left in the console after manufacturing caused electrical short circuits. Yet another airplane had cockpit switches that were miswired. The operator remarked, “How could the factory test pilot have flown the airplane without noticing such obvious problems?” Beech acknowledged that some early airplanes were the victims of poor quality control. The company responded by reorganizing its manufacturing process into work teams, not unlike quality circles, that have greater autonomy and more power to make changes to iron out such inconsistencies in assembly quality. New airplanes should be much less susceptible to such manu- facturing maladies because of such process changes, claims Beech. INHERENT DESIGN GRIPES Three prominent Beechjet 400A inherent design prob- lems are beyond the control of folks on the assembly line. First, operators reported that hot and cold weather extremes tax the environmental control system beyond its heating and cooling capacity. Additionally, there is insufficient airflow to the cockpit, they griped. Opera- tors also noted that the AlliedSignal air cycle machine (ACM) hasn’t been all that reliable. Beech and AlliedSignal recognize these as legitimate concerns. The companies are looking at reliability enhancements for the ACM. However, Beech has no plans to increase the volume of the air flow by enlarg- ing the air ducts or installing recirculation fans. United Beechcraft, Incorporated (UBI) at Atlanta-Fulton County Airport currently offers Supplemental Type Cer- tificated (STCed) heating and cooling packages for Beechjets. UBI can install an electric cabin heating package and also a vapor cycle (freon) air condition- ing system. Beech will offer an optional vapor cycle air conditioner, similar to the UBI kit, in early 1994. The reliability of pitch trim actuators was a second major concern of operators. Beech now is stocking replacement units with a more robust design, but there is no early exchange program to preempt such failures before they occur. The third frequently heard gripe was the loudness of the cockpit aural warning system. Beech officials com- mented that the high background noise levels in early Diamond and Beech 400 airplanes required relatively loud aural warnings to meet the minimum sound con- trast level for certification. But, Beech installed much more effective soundproofing in the 400A, dropping the interior noise levels by five to eight decibels. That resulted in much more audible aural warnings—from one end of the airplane to the other. Variability in the warning sound volume from system to system is another problem, according to Beech. The firm is exploring changes to the system to resolve the annoyance. Beech responded to operator complaints about the cost of maintaining and repairing the Shinko Electric Company starter-generators that were originally fitted to the Beechjet 400A. Beech switched to a Lucas design that costs less to retrofit than the Shinko units cost to overhaul. UTILITY AND OPERATING COST Most operators in our survey said they fly their Beechjet 400A’s 350 to 400 hours per year, but a few fly 550 to 700 hours annually. The crew multiple for the average operator is 1.0 to 1.5 people. The 600- to 700-hour-per- year operators have a crew multiple of 2.0 or more, which is more appropriate for such high utilization. Most operators thought that the flight manuals and maintenance documents were well-written. A few opera- tors commented that high density altitude airport opera- tions brought out a weakness in the flight manual performance data. If they had their druthers, the flight manual would have included more detailed information on ECS off (environmental control system) on takeoff performance, especially in the second segment climb charts and it would have included flaps up takeoff charts. One previous Beechjet 400 operator remarked that the earlier aircraft’s manuals had more complete performance charts. But, such piqued comments were not heard from most operators. Maintenance people had plenty of opinions about the 400A. The airplane is sold with a one-year subscription Operator Survey COPYRIGHT 1995 THE MCGRAW-HILL COMPANIES, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED Operator Survey COPYRIGHT 1995 THE MCGRAW-HILL COMPANIES, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED to the Computerized Aircraft Maintenance Program (CAMP) System with which most operators were satis- fied. Some opted not to use a computerized records system and at least one uses a program written by the operator’s own personnel. Mechanics thought the Beechjet 400A could have been better designed for access to parts. They say they bruise knuckles and strain muscles reaching for components and wished for Western logic in the lay- out of systems. Relatively high parts costs was another frequent com- plaint. This was heard from a broad range of opera- tors, including firms that operated fleets with heavy jets. One company said, “We ordered a specially config- ured interior cabinet from Beech’s own supplier and paid $2,600 for it. The factory wanted $12,000 for the original part. Beech said that it is aware of this concern and that an attempt is being made to hold down price increas- es. Company officials, however, have not announced plans to lower the cost of replacement parts. Most Beechjet 400A airplanes are still covered by the factory warranty—five years/5,000 hours on the airframe and Beech manufactured components, two years on the avionics, 1,000 hours on the engines and one year/1,000 hours on other airframe or system parts not made by Beech. Most operators report a direct operating cost of $650 to $800 per hour, although a few boosted this number to more than $1,000 to build a reserve for unforeseen maintenance. PROGRESS VS. PERFECTION Beechjet 400A operators freely expressed their dis- pleasure with some aspects of owning and operating their aircraft, but most of them also were enthusiastic proponents. Would they advise another firm to buy a Beechjet 400A? “You would be hard pressed to beat this airplane,” said one. “We are very pleased,” said another. A half dozen respondents just said, “Buy it!”. Beech faces formidable competition when the Learjet 45 arrives in little more than two years, according to some 400A operators. But, today Beech owns a specif- ic niche in the light jet market that no other manufactur- er can challenge. For now, the Beechjet 400A offers the biggest cabin cross section in its class plus sprightly cruise performance that rivals the most spirited light jet contenders. And as Beech continues to improve the 400A, customer loyalty will only become stronger. B/CA