Business & Commercial Aviation - Beechcraft Premier I

pedal force during one-engine-inoperative operations. A movable horizontal stabilizer and ele- vator tabs both provide pitch trim in pri- mary and secondary electric trim modes. Primary roll trim is provided by an electri- cally powered left aileron trim tab. Late in development, Raytheon fitted the aircraft with an electrically powered, se p a r at e l y operated, auxiliary roll trim tab on the right aileron to meet certification requirements for han d s - o ff level flight dur i ng one - engine-inoperative conditions. Rudder trim is provided by a conventional electrically powered tab. LCD light-bar pitch, roll and ru d d er trim position indicators indicat e approximate tab positions. All fuel is contained in wet wing tanks h a v i ng a us ab le fuel capacity of 3, 611 pounds. An optional SPPR port is available, but it reduces usable fuel capacity by 73 pounds. Anti-icing fuel additive is required. Jet pumps su pply fuel to the eng i ne s under most conditions. Left- and right-side electric boost pumps provide fuel pressure for engine starting. A cross-flow system, using a third electric pump, alleviates fuel imbalance between the tanks if needed. S t a rt er- g ener ators, a con v ent ional 44 - a m p / ho ur le ad - a c id bat t ery and a five- amp/hour standby battery provide electrical DC power to virtually all aircraft systems, including the avionics. The only systems ne e d i ng AC are the elec t ro l u m i ne s c ent panel lights in the cockpit and the laptop electrical outlets in the cabin. Engine-driven hydraulic pumps supply 3,000 psi power for operating the landing g e a r, inside main lan d i ng gear doors, spoilerons and wheel brakes. The system uses trad i t ional, non - c o rrosive MIL-H- 5606 red hydraulic fluid — not Skydrol. The landing gear can be lowered by man- ually releasing the uplocks. In that instance, the inside main landing gear doors free fall. In the event of a hydraulic failure and prior to engine start, an accumulator provides e m erg ency brake power and parking brake function. M ec h anical links to the ru d d er pe d a l s provide nosewheel steering. The linkage has positive feedback, in contrast to the spongy feel on some light jets. Engine bleed air is used for cabin pres- surization, cabin heating, wing leading edge and engine anti-ice. Bleed air from the left eng i ne normally furni s hes cockpit heat. Bleed air from the right engine normally supplies the cabin with heat. No t ab l y, when us i ng eng i ne and wing anti-ice bleed air, the two-engine climb gra- dient drops 3.2 percent and the climb rate is reduced by 1, 200 fpm, accord i ng to the A pproved Flight Manual. One - eng i ne - i n o per ative perf o rm ance with ble e d - ai r anti-ice systems in use shrinks by 1.5 per- cent in gradient and 400 fpm in climb rate. The Premier I is the first business aircraft to be fitted with an electromagnetic expul- sive deicing (EMED) system fitted to the leading edge of the horizontal stabilizer. Conventional electrical heaters are used for windshield, probe and ice detection sen- sor anti-icing. A large capacity, vapor-cycle air-condi- tioner cools the cabin when both generators FlightSafety International Simulator Training The Premier I simulator is Level C qualified, enabling pilots to earn add-on type ratings without having to fly the actual aircraft. Level D qualification is expected late this year, thereby enabling pilots to earn initial type ratings and Airline Transport Pilot ratings in the simulator. 46 Business &CommercialAviationn October 2001 are on the line or when the aircraft is linked to an external power cart. Separate thermo- stats are provided for the cockpit and cabin. Partially cooled engine bleed air is used for windshield de-fogging. A digital, set-and- forget cabin pressurization controller mod- ulates the 8.4-psi cabin pressurization sys- tem, pro v id i ng a maximum 8,000 - f o o t cabin altitude at FL 410. Passenger Accommodations T he Pre m ier I’s strongest asset is cab i n comfort. There is 315 cubic feet of volume in the cabin. Just aft of the entry door, there are four chairs in club configuration with fold-out work tables on each side. These chairs are fully articulating, allowing them to be folded down into a full berth on each side. Aft of the club section, there are two fixed position chairs, better suited to occa- sional use because of limited legroom and the inability to move the backrest. The full width, aft lavatory is separated from the cabin by an aft cabin partition and its volume appro a c hes that of a mid s i z e business jet. The potty seat is not certified for full-time occupancy. The flushing toilet is internally serviced. While the Premier I’s cabin is roomy, it’s also re l atively noisy. The rigid fuse l a g e seems to resonate every sound source, be it the engine sound through the air gap in the cabin door or the rush of air at high cruise s peed. The ai rcraft would benefit from heavier acoustical insulation. Internal and external baggage volume is generous. A three-cubic-foot closet aft of the right side, standard refreshment center holds 60 pounds of hanging bags. A second 19.9-cubic-foot luggage bay in the aft lava- t o ry accom m o d ates 140 pounds of gear. Ou t s ide, there is a 10-cubic-foot, 150 - pound capacity baggage compartment in the nose. There is a second 44-cubic-foot aft, left-side external baggage compartment t h at will hold long items. Cabin option s include a choice of five refreshment centers, a B & D flat-panel cabin display, articulat- ing aft chairs, heavier carpet, and various trim/finish upgrades and cabin entertain- ment systems. Up front, the cockpit is roomy, although legroom is not generous for tall crewmem- bers. There is ample navigation chart man- ual storage. The side arm rests are wid e enough to accommodate small note pads, but they must be folded up to gain access to the cockpit circuit breakers. Flying Impressions Pilots can earn either single or dual pilot type ratings for the Premier I. The aircraft’s integral 3-D FMS-3000, plus its avionics and systems sophistication, add in essence an extra, albeit com p u t erized, flight crewmember to the cockpit. Once the pilot masters the aircraft’s automation, after take- off, it’s gear up, flaps up, autopilot on and monitor the flight progress until short final. B/CA asked Raytheon to load the aircraft so that we could fly it at its 12,500-pound maximum takeoff weight during our evalu- ation flight in late August. The outside air t e m per at ure at Wi c h i t a ’s Beech Fie l d “(elevation 1,380 feet) was 32°C, resulting in a density altitude of 3,608 feet. De m on s t r at ion pilot Mark Loyacan o walked us around the aircraft. Most external preflight checklist items are in easy reach, especially if the aircraft is fitted with the optional remote oil - le v e l c hec k i ng panel. To check the eng i ne fan condition and exhaust duct, though, a lad- der is required. For the flight, Loyacano took the right se at and we strapped into the left. The cockpit’s ro om i ness and human-centered design immediately became apparent. RB-6 is equipped with the optional SPPR system, Collins TCAS-4000, Honeywell EGPWS, and various options, resulting in an empty o per at i ng weight of 7, 982 pounds. Wi t h two crew, a safety pilot, two passengers and 3,530 pounds of fuel, the ramp weight was 12,550 pounds. The standard-day, no-wind range under those conditions would have been 1,346 miles, assuming a long-range cruise speed of 0.60 to 0.67 IMN, depend- ing upon aircraft weight. Takeoff V speeds were 115 KIAS for V1 takeoff decision speed, 117 KIAS for rota- tion and 123 KIAS for the V2 one-engine- inoperative takeoff safety speed. Takeoff field length was 5,616 feet. The pre-start checklist, while 47 items long, goes quickly because the checks flow around the cockpit, Loyacano explained. Turning on the battery switch powers the MFD, thereby allowing the crew to moni- tor engine indications and fuel quantity. Starting is simple. The FJ44-2A engines are fitted with basic electronic control units (ECUs). Pushing the engine start button on the center console initiates the sequence. The ITT redlines on the MFD automati- cally readjust to the start limits. At 12-per- cent N2, we advanced the thrust lever and the ECU kept the ITT well within the safe range. At 43.5 percent, the starter disen- gaged and the generator function became available. The crew must manually reset the g ener ator switches to get the gener at o r s online. With both engines running, generators on l i ne and avionics powered, we com- m enced the pre-taxi checklist, us i ng the electronic checklist on the MFD. This is a lengthy list and takes five to 10 minutes because of the associated BIT checks with v a r io us digital systems. Un less the cre w performs each item, some digital systems will not be operational during the flight. T he FMS-3000 is almost as powerful as s ome boxes in he a v y - i ron bus i ness jet s . That translates into plenty of head-down time both on the ground and in the air. Once the checklist was complete, we tax- ied for takeoff. The wheel brakes do not have a positive feel. Mechanical links from the rudder ped- A n a l y s i s www.AviationNow.com/BCA B/CA Equipped Price . . . . . . . $5,258,015 Characteristics Wing Loading . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55.6 Power Loading. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2.72 Noise (EPNdB). . . . . . . . 78.8/87.9/92.0 Seating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1+6/7 Dimensions (ft/m) External Length . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46.0/14.0 Height . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15.7/4.8 Span . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44.5/13.6 Internal Length . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13.5/4.1 Height . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5.4/1.6 Width. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5.5/1.7 Thrust Engine . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Wms/RR FJ44-2A Output/Flat Rating OAT°C . . . . 2,300 lb ea/ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ISA+13°C Inspection Interval . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2,500 Weights (lb/kg) Max Ramp. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12,590/5,711 Max Takeoff . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12,500/5,670 Max Landing . . . . . . . . . . . . 11,600/5,262 Zero Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10,000/4,536c BOW . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8,240/3,738 Max Payload . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,760/798 Useful Load . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4,350/1,973 Executive Payload . . . . . . . . . . . 1,200/544 Max Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3,612/1,638 Payload With Max Fuel . . . . . . . . . 738/335 Fuel With Max Payload . . . . . . 2,590/1,175 Fuel With Executive Payload . . 3,150/1,429 Limits M MO. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0.800 FL/VMO . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . FL 280/320 PSI . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8.4 Climb Time to Climb/Altitude . . . . . . . . 18/FL 370 FAR Part 25 OEI rate (fpm/mpm) . 586/179 FAR Part 25 OEI gradient (ft/nm) . . . . . 298 Ceilings (ft/m) Certificated . . . . . . . . . . 41,000/12,497 All-Engine Service. . . . . . 41,000/12,497 Engine-Out Service . . . . . . 25,700/7,833 Sea Level Cabin . . . . . . . . 21,400/6,523 Certification . . . . . . FAR Part 23 A 52, 2001 Raytheon Premier I Business &CommercialAviation n October 200147 als to the power brake control unit activate the wheel brakes. RB-6 exhibited plenty of play in the linkage and it was difficult to modulate braking action smoothly. T he ECUs make it easy to set take o ff thrust. Initial takeoff acceleration was mod- est, especially in light of the 3,600-foot-plus density altitude. Initial pitch rotation was a bit light, but much improved over the first time B/CA flew the Premier I during flight test development in 1999. After takeoff, we pulled the thrust levers back to the max continuous detent in the q u ad r ant and the ECUs set the pro per thrust. Air Traffic Control constraints pre- v ented a direct climb to FL 410, but the delays provided an opportunity to check h an d l i ng characteristics. Yaw and ro l l damping were excellent. Roll effort is pro- p o rt ionate to speed and there is plenty of roll authority available at slow speed, no doubt a result of the spoilerons. Short-peri- od pitch damping was acceptable. We had no opportunity to check long-period pitch damping. Thirty-three minutes after takeoff, we leveled off at FL 410. There was no need to adjust the thrust during the climb because the ECUs kept the engines within fan and turbine speed, as well as ITT, limits. At a weight of 11,500 pounds, the aircraft stabilized at 0.75 Mach and 427 KTAS while b urni ng 880 pph in ISA - 3°C con d i t ion s . T he speed was spot on Raythe on ’s book predictions, but the fuel flow was 50 pph higher than forecast. T he Pre m ier I has exceptionally wid e low- and high-speed buffet boundaries at FL 410. Low-speed stall, according to the flight manual, was less than 110 KCAS. At 220 KIAS and 0.75 Mach, the aircraft easily sustained a 60 - d eg ree bank turn without high-speed buffet. Indeed, high-speed buf- fet margins peak at 0.75 Mach at FL 410. T he se buff et margins mean a safe rid e should high-altitude clear air turbulence be encountered. In addition, the wing loading is re l atively high, giving the ai rcraft a smooth ride in rough air. De s c en d i ng to FL 310 for a top spe e d check, the Premier I stabilized at 272 KIAS and 0.73 Mach, resulting in 442 KTAS, at a weight of 11,200 pounds while burning 1230 pph in ISA + 11°C con d i t ions. Again, the speed was spot on, but the fuel flow was about 50 pph higher than forecast. After descending to 15,000 feet for some basic air work, we perf o rmed a ser ies of stalls. During any of the stall maneuvers, the aircraft recovered almost immediately, and with complete composure, if recovery was initiated at the first sign of stall-warn- ing stick shaker. If the crew were to choose www.AviationNow.com/BCA The Premier I has the most completely integrated Pro Line 21 avionics system yet installed in a busi- ness jet. The standard package includes two large flat-panel displays on the left side of the panel, including a left-side PFD and MFD with “smart” engine gauge indications. In between the two large screens, there is an EFIS display control panel with highly intuitive controls. The MFS has an electronic checklist feature, but lacks a second-flight-of-day quick turn checklist and pop-up abnormal and emergency procedures checklists. There is a flight guidance control panel mounted in the glareshield. However, it lacks lighted mode annunciator buttons and numerical read-outs for the heading, course, speed and altitude knobs. The heart of the system is Collins’ Integrated Avionics Processor System (IAPS) box into which nav, sensor, system and engine indications flow and out from which comes flight guidance commands, EFIS data and engine operating parame- ters. The IAPS also has dual flight guidance computers controlling a single autopilot. Rudder boost is incorporated into the autopilot’s yaw damper system. The standard package includes Collins Pro Line 400 radios, dual air data computers, dual AHRS, single ADF and DME radios, one radio altimeter, a solid-state WXR-800 weather radar and single, full- feature FMS-3000 with integral GPS receiver. A back-up nav/com radio control head controls the pilot- side radios and serves as a clearance delivery radio prior to turning on the master power switch. Seventy percent of buyers,though, are opting for the three-screen system, a $109,210 option that includes left- and right-side PFDs, along with standby flight instruments. Other options include second FMS-3000 with GPS ($82,645), Collins TCAS 4000 ($152,450), Honeywell EGPWS ($77,565), Collins TWR-850 Doppler turbulence detection weather radar ($32,940), Honeywell KHF-950 HF trans- ceiver ($38,530), dual TDR-94D Mode-S diversity transponders ($41,745), and a variety of cabin entertainment and communications equipment. Rockwell Collins Pro Line 21 Avionics The cabin has three windows on each side, mounted for eye-level viewing from the seated position. Dual cup holders, air outlets and reading lights are provided for each seat. An overhead light also is provided for each foldout work table. A n a l y s i s www.AviationNow.com/BCA These three graphs are designed to be used together to provide a broad preliminary view of the Premier I’s performance. Do not use these data for flight planning. For a complete operational analysis, use the Approved Aircraft Flight Manual, Pilot’s Checklist, Pilot’s Operating Handbook and other flight planning data supplied by Raytheon Aircraft. Time and Fuel vs. Distance — This graph shows the performance of the Premier I at long-range cruise between 0.58 and 0.67 IMN depending upon weight,distance and cruise altitude and high-speed cruise, ranging between 0.73 and 0.78 IMN, depending upon weight, distance and altitude. The numbers at the hour lines indicate the miles flown and the fuel burned for each of the two cruise profiles. Each of the hour points is based upon specific mission data contained in the Premier I Pilot’s Operating Handbook. While flying the Premier I for this report, we found Raytheon Aircraft’s projections for cruise speed to be highly accurate, but fuel flows were slight- ly higher. Specific Range — The specific range of the Premier I, the ratio of miles flown to pounds of fuel burned (nm/lb), is a measure of fuel efficiency. The lines are flat between two points because the Pilot’s Operating Handbook only contains data for (1) long-range cruise and (2) high-speed cruise. There is a wide range between the Premier I’s long-range and high-speed cruise points at FL 410, suggesting the aircraft could cruise more efficiently if its service ceiling were higher. Range /Payload Profile — The purpose of this graph is to provide simulations of various trips under a variety of payload and airport density altitude conditions, with the goal of flying the longest distance at long-range cruise. The four payload lines are plotted from individual mission profiles with several data points, ending at the maximum range for each payload. The time and fuel burn dashed lines are based upon the long-range cruise profile shown on the Time and Fuel vs. Distance chart. The runway distances are computed using flaps 20 degrees for sea-level standard day runways and flaps 10 degrees for B/CA’s 5,000 foot, ISA+20°C airport. Raytheon Premier I 48 Business &CommercialAviationn October 2001 Business &CommercialAviation n October 200149 to ignore the shaker and pusher in violation of the flight manual, the aircraft’s post-stall characteristics would become considerably more colorful. Configuration changes produce almost no pitch trim change, in ke e pi ng with Raytheon’s high standards of aircraft han- dling characteristics. The only perceptible pitch change associated with cycling the speed brakes, landing gear and wing flaps was related to airspeed change. The engines, though, are mounted well above the cent er of gravity. Incre a s i ng thrust causes the nose to pitch down slight- ly and mild pitch up occurs with thrus t reduction. I t ’s aero d y namically cle an, so lan d i ng approaches must be planned as though one were flying a larger, heavier business jet, such as a Learjet 31A. This aircraft doesn’t go down and slow down simultaneously. At 10,500 pounds, the landing reference speed was 114 KIAS and the landing dis- tance was 3,100 feet. Smooth touchdowns take practice in the Premier I. Its straight- leg oleo struts don’t soak up imperfection in pilot tec h nique. We found that smooth t o u c h d own and sho rt lan d i ng distan c e s were mutually exclusive. The crew has to put weight on the nosewheel promptly in o rd er to activate the lift-dump, gro u n d spoilers. After landing, we found brake energy is another challenge for the Premier I. The cool down times after a maximum effort, he a v y weight lan d i ng stop are as long as 90 minutes. And the flight manual charts only provide landing to landing brake cooling intervals — not last-landing to next-takeoff intervals. Overall impression? The Premier I is a nice airplane to hand fly, but mastering all its systems and automation, along with learning to use its full potential, will take considerable time. Price and Value Raytheon plans to recalibrate the Premier I ’s stall speeds and that could shave off some of the required runway length. In the interim, operators would benefit from a performance management upgrade to the FMS that would automatically com- pute V- s peeds, runway length and one - eng i ne - i n o per ative climb perf o rm an c e computations based on aircraft weight, c.g. and airport density altitude. This would enable operators to extract peak perform- ance out of their aircraft and not fret over possibly overloading the aircraft prior to departure. Seventy percent of Premier I aircraft will be flown sing le pilot, usually by ow ner operators who typically carry light payloads on most missions. On two-ho ur, bre ad - and-butter hops, the Premier I can operate out of 3,400 foot runways with four passen- gers, assuming standard day conditions, and fly more than 800 miles at nearly Learjet speeds. Plan on 5,000-foot-plus runways on hot summer days in the Midwest. The Premier I indeed faces strong com- pet i t ion from Cessna ’s Citat ion CJ2, its a rchrival. The CJ2, a der i v ative of the CitationJet, offers more tanks-full payload, more range with max payload and consider- ably better runway performance. It’s also less complex, making it easier to fly single pilot. But, the CJ2’s cabin size and cruise speed are no match for the Premier I. Tradeoffs are a reality of aircraft design. The Premier I has no match in the entry- level market for cabin comfort and cruise speed. If runway performance and tanks- full payload issues aren’t a problem for buy- ers, it will become a strong niche player in the light business jet market. B/CA www.AviationNow.com/BCA Tradeoffs are a reality of aircraft design, although engineers attempt to optimize the blend of capabilities, performance and passenger comfort. In order to portray graphically the strengths and compromises of specific aircraft, B/CA compares the subject aircraft to the composite characteristics of other aircraft in its class, computing the percentage differences for the various parameters. We also include the absolute value of each parameter, along with the relative ranking, for the subject aircraft within the composite group. For this Comparison Profile, B/CA included the Cessna CJ1, CJ2 and Citation Bravo and the Bombardier Learjet 31A because they are the closest competitors in price. The Premier I’s retail price is within two percent of the composite average. The Comparison Profile illustrates the Premier I’s advantage in cabin size and cruise speed. It also shows that the Premier I’s competitors have runway and range/payload cruise performance advantages. Premier I Comparison Profile (Percent Relative to Average) Seventy percent of Premier I aircraft will be flown single pilot, usually by owner-operators. 50 Business &CommercialAviationn October 2001 Before Raytheon set off to produce the Premier I, the company had to break down some of the old corporate philosophies. Overcoming the greatest obstacle — the traditional design team composition itself — was accomplished when manage- ment added a contingent of full-time maintenance technicians to the group. “In the past the aircraft performance specifications were established and the engineers designed the aircraft,” said Greg Graber, manager-technical sup- port for Beechjet and Premier. “They treated a new design as though it was some sort of secret and after it was out in the field we [technical support] were left to deal with it.” In addition to technicians, the Premier team included tooling and production personnel who employed a reliability centered maintenance (RCM) format to guide their work. “We used the RCM methodology in the design process but did not have the program formally approved. However we will go through the official MSG-3 process with the Hawker Horizon project,” said Graber. The end result of this marriage between technicians and engineers is an air- craft that has a good balance between functionality and maintainability. The Walkaround The Premier I’s carbon composite fuselage construction bears close consider- ation when performing a maintenance evaluation. On the plus side, composite materials are stable, strong and you never have to buck a rivet. On the flip side, if a cold-soaked aircraft has a bird strike, you better have someone who is well- versed in composite repairs. As far as the remainder of the aircraft is concern e d ,R aytheon has created a product that is easier to maintain and service than any of its previous mod- els.“We took the best from all worlds,” said Bob Hixon, Raytheon customer sup- port systems engineer. “The landing gear is based on the Beechjet design, the fuel system on the 1900 and other systems take advantage of lessons learned on the Hawker.” To appreciate these design attributes, take a walk around the aircraft,starting just aft of the nose cone on the copilot’s side where the avion- ics bay is located. All of the LRU boxes are clearly marked and the wire bundles are packaged in order to aid point-to-point troubleshooting. “Each of the 90-degree connec- tors passes through a web-like structure and removal of the plugs shell makes it easy to read out pin numbers,” said Joe Graziosi, Raytheon’s avionics techni- cal service representative. Continuing aft, the Premier’s all-metal wing features a leading edge that uses bleed air distributed through a piccolo tube. The leading edge itself is riv- eted to the wing structure, making repairs to the surface difficult. Raytheon decided to use rivets rather than screws in order to increase aerodynamic flow, but in the future, this design may change. Even so, there are no components that a technician needs to access in the leading edge. The rest of the wing is a standard Raytheon design, including electromechanical controls and Fowler flaps. The only interesting item of note on the flaps is that both a main wheel and a nose- wheel squat switch must be tripped in order for the inboard flaps to deploy. Just aft of the wing on the copilot’s side is the access hatch to the mainte- nance bay. It is in this area where most servicing of the hydraulic, air condition- ing, brake anti-skid and other systems occurs.The hydraulic system uses a quick disconnect service port in the bay so that a mule can hook up to the system. One problem that could occur in this area is an accidental spill over some control box components. The hydraulic reservoir is located up and out of sight of the bay and the only indication that the system needs servicing is a low-level hydraulic light. The aircraft electrical system uses a sealed lead-acid battery buss tied by two engine-driven generator GCUs. Since the battery is located at waist level,repair and replacement is a relatively easy process. Raytheon also learned a valuable lesson designing the buss relay system. In the past, relays were hard-mounted to control boards. On the Premier, all of the relays are removable and they are arranged in a circuit-breaker fashion. Access to the system components appears to be acceptable and the side entry is far better than the “Hell hole” employed in the King Air series. New to Raytheon aircraft, the Premier features an electromagnetic expulsive deicing (EMED) system on the horizontal stabilizer. Raytheon techs call it the “Thumper. “ EMED has a thin electrically heated strip used to part the ice and electromagnetic transducers that rapidly (and audibly) thump surfaces to break off ice accumulations. EMED operation is automatic when linked to the Premier I’s ice detection system. The system has an initial built-in test that is performed when the STAB switch is placed in the auto position and continues monitoring afterwards. Opposite the maintenance bay on the pilot’s side is the main baggage com- partment. There is little to be maintained in this area, unless the heated compart- ment option is selected. A nose baggage compartment provides additional stor- age, although heating there is not an option. The main gear has also been designed to be maintenance friendly. It does not use a conventional down lock but, instead, incorporates an internal lock in the gear actuator. By locating the downlock mechanisms internally, the design avoids typical environmental problems such as icing, corrosion and A n a l y s i s www.AviationNow.com/BCA Premier I Shop TalkText & Photography by Dave Benoff While it is still undressed, you can see the extensive use of composites. T he no se gea r o f the Pr e m i e r includes a fully detachable link for 3 6 0 - d e g ree taxiing and a nose- gear squat switch. The ease of engine access and design of the cowl latch system improve the technician’s workspace. Business &CommercialAviationn October 200151 erosion. In addition, the brake actuating system uses a power brake control valve and because the system uses a separate parking brake accumulator, set- ting the parking brake is accomplished by merely pulling the brake handle; depressing the toe brakes is not required. Certified in 1997, the Premier I’s Williams FJ44-2A engines use a digi- tal/mechanical engine control and are easily accessed and serviced “on the pylon.” Inside, the Premier improved its window design by using a “Beechjet like” lever-actuated blind rather than polarized windows found on King Airs. The lat- ter can be difficult to see through, are susceptible to scratching and crazing, and take a considerable amount of time to replace. The seats are hard-mount- ed with four bolts and are easily remove d .H owever, removal is rarely necessary since there are no components under the floorboards, and the only time the interior needs removal is during its structural time-limited inspection. Raytheon Service In 2000, Raytheon had some rough going in providing maintenance support of its products. The company began to institute a spares availability program while simultaneously transferring its parts distribution center from Kansas, where the only carrier was FedEx, to Ryder Logistic Support Services in Dallas. “In January, everything came to a standstill, but now the technical repre- sentatives are much more efficient,” said Graber. “The problem with this was that the timing was lousy. We could have absorbed one event, but both at the same time wasn’t a good thing.” Another problem was Raytheon’s reliance on too few centrally located field reps, each of whom was responsible for the full range of Raytheon aircraft mod- e l s .N ow the company has decentralized the field force and divided them into Beechjet -Premier, Hawker-Horizon and piston aircraft representatives. “This allows us to focus on the owner and become more proactive and less reactive,” said Graber. Raytheon also picked up some new reps, all of whom have worked at the service centers for at least four to five years. However, this means that the company is robbing the centers of some good talent. Finally, they created a new service engineer position. These are technicians who track field problems from inception to conclusion and determine if there are any QA, supply or technical situations that can be resolved through writing up a service bulletin. Maintenance Programs and Costs The Premier’s maintenance program is based on the popular four individual hourly inspections (200, 400, 600 and 1,200 hours) derived from the Beechjet program. There are also Chapter 4 and 5 items that occur at different time settings — 800, 1,400 and 1,600 hours. Raytheon provided the following estimates for the maintenance labor required at different inspection periods. Maintenance Aircr aft Hours Labor Hours 200 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 400 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80 600 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115 800 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89 1,000 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 1,200 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 295 1,400 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48 1,600 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87 1,800 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115 The Premier also employs a new digital maintenance management service called Factory Aircraft Comprehensive Tracking Systems (FACTS). FACTS is an Internet-based aircraft maintenance system that is available 24/7. The system runs on Raytheon’s ERP network system and provides the maintainer with real- time scheduling and planning data. Raytheon said FACTS meets the requirements of FAR Part 91 and 135 and provides reports on main- tenance forecasting, aircraft status, aircraft maintenance history and AD/SB compliance. The standard warranty on the Premier I is five years on airframe, Raytheon parts and avionics; three years or 1,500 hours on engines; and two years on non-Raytheon parts, paint and interior. An “Elite” engine total assurance program (TAP) from Williams is available for $162.24 per flight hour and includes all maintenance, excluding FOD and compressor washes, with no pro-rata. Without the TAP plan, Williams International said that the HSI at 1,750 hours is $45,300 and estimate the 3,500-hour overhaul at $178,000. On the airframe side, Raytheon said with labor and parts (airframe/avion- ics) the cost should run approximately $152.77 per flight hour. Thus, the over- all maintenance cost for the Premier is approximately $315 per flight hour. www.AviationNow.com/BCA One-stop shopping for avionics troubleshooting The brain of the “Thumper” system, located in the tail, provides the signal needed for tail deicing. Sample prices for chart Component List Price Supplier Estimated Life* Nose Tire $391.20 Goodrich 500 Landings Main Tire $688.54 Michelin 250 Landings Brakes $7,143.00 Goodrich 850 Landings (OVH each) Starter Generator $4036.56 Advanced 1,500 Hours (OVH each) Industries Windshield $20,692.09 PPG 7 to 8 Years *Current estimated life subject to change under actual operating conditions.