Today, the Hawker 800 is one of the world’s most common business jets. It is a favorite of corporations, celebrities and charter companies alike, and has been prominently featured in a number of TV shows and movies.
In its nearly 30 years of production, the Hawker 800 has proven itself to be one of the most popular business jets, selling over 650 copies. This is more than the similarly sized Learjet 45, Falcon 900 and Challenger 300.
Development
In May 1981, British Aerospace, were looking to strengthen their BAe 125 Domini family of business jets. In particular, sales of their famed BAe 125 Domini family had begun to slow.
The introduction of newer mid and long-range business jets such as the Learjet 35 and Falcon 50, had lured many potential customers away. As, such British Aerospace began development of a superior BAe 125 variant.
British Aerospace designated this new variant as the BAe 125-800. The -800 was the largest redesign BAe had ever done on the BAe 125 family, completely redesigning the wing, giving it new engines and a glass cockpit.
The BAe 125-800 would first fly on June 26 1983, before entering service later that same year.
Within five years of British Aerospace releasing the -800, British Aerospace had sold over 200 copies. Prior to that, the entire family (then-produced for 19 years) had only sold 500.
In 1994, Raytheon bought British Aerospace’s corporate jet division. Here, they combined it with their other holding, Beechcraft, to form their commercial aircraft division, which it called Raytheon Aircraft.
13 years later, in 2007, Raytheon Aircraft would be divested by Raytheon, and reincorporated as Hawker Beechcraft Corp. Due to this, the BAe 125-800 would be redesignated as the Hawker 800.
Operational History
Originally, British Aerospace intended the BAe 125-800 (what would eventually become the Hawker 800) to be solely a business jet. However, it would not stay that way for long…
Civilian
The initial BAe 125-800s entered service in late 1983 and early 1984. Here, their initial operators were mostly larger, mid-sized enterprises and multimillion dollar corporations.
In this regard, the BAe 125-800 operated as their mainline corporate jet, as it could transport a large number of people (for a business jet of the era) and travel over long distances too.
Over time, a number of high net worth individuals and celebrities have purchased the Hawker as well. Many of these jets are held anonymously, but famed Indian actor, Ajay Devgn, is one of the few who openly owns a Hawker!
When the first private jet charter airlines emerged about thirty years ago, many of them chose to buy fleets of Hawker 800s and BAe 125s. This was mostly due to their comparably cheaper economics per seat.
Many of these charter companies still use the Hawkers today. Many of them have retired their 1980’s and 1990’s-built Hawkers, in favor of purchasing newer and more fuel efficient Hawkers built in the 2000’s and early 2010’s.
Recent years have also seen a rise in things like fractional ownership programs. Despite the Hawker’s larger size and longer range, it has become a favorite of fractional ownership companies like Warren Buffett’s NetJets.
Military
Within only a few years of entering service as a business jet, the USAF had become interested in acquiring a new combat flight inspection aircraft. After evaluating numerous aircraft, they settled with the BAe 125-800.
The USAF designated these BAe 125-800s as the C-29. Primarily, these C-29s would inspect the USAF’s airbases around the world. The C-29 made headlines during the First Gulf War, for helping to set up the USAF’s first airbases in the country.
After seeing the BAe 125-800’s success as the USAF’s C-29, the Japanese Air Self-Defense Force (JASDF) began trying to obtain a number of BAe 125-800s as maritime search and rescue aircraft.
These BAe 125-800s are designated as U-125s, having entered service in 1999. These aircraft are used primarily to help search for downed airmen and seamen. However, most commonly help to find lost ships in Japanese waters.
In the early 2000’s, the Republic of Korea Air Force also approached British Aerospace wanting to purchase the BAe 125-800. The ROKAF wanted a new aerial reconnaissance, signals and surveillance aircraft.
The ROKAF would receive their first BAe 125-800s (which they call the RC-800) a few years later. As of the time of writing, the ROKAF’s eight RC-800s are the ROKAF’s premier reconnaissance aircraft (alongside its Falcon 2000s!)
Features
Compared to most other midsize business jets, the Hawker is much smaller in both length and height, which also makes the Hawker lighter too. However, most midsize business jets have the same engines as one one another as well.
This gives the Hawker a comparably higher top and cruising speed, as well as an extended range. Throughout much of its production history, this was a focal point, used by the Hawker’s manufacturers.
When it was introduced, British Aerospace, focused on how economical it was per seat. When it was introduced, it was the cheapest jet in its class, not only to buy but also to operate, which naturally attracted many buyers.
This is something that Raytheon and later Hawker Beechcraft, would continue with subsequently produced variants of the Hawker.
Many Hawkers are also fitted with a divan, in many cases, this divan can be converted into a bed. However, this does depend on the Hawker’s configuration, as some owners do not opt for this option.
Alternatively, it wasn’t an option (usually with the older Hawkers).
Compared to most other midsized business jets, the Hawker 800 has a comparably smaller baggage hold. This gives the Hawker a larger cabin, but makes it ill-suited to many people who are travelling with overly large amounts of luggage.
Price
In 2012, one year before Hawker Beechcraft ceased production of its entire line of business jets (including the Hawker 400, 800 and 4000), the asking price for a brand new Hawker 850XP was $16.07 million.
However, the entire family had been on the market since the early 1980’s. As such, there were numerous older variants on the secondary market.
As of the time of writing, the majority of Hawkers are retailing for anywhere between $1 and $2 million. It seems that the sweet spot is between $1.6 and $1.7 million.
With that being said, if you are willing to buy on the “cheaper” end, you can buy an early 1980’s Hawker for as low as $250,000. On the more expensive end, you can buy a late 2000’s or early 2010’s Hawker for $2.5 million!
In terms of cost to operate, the Hawker 800 is in the middle of its category. According to private jet charter company EvoJets, the Hawker costs roughly $2,880 per hour to operate, including wages, fuel and maintenance costs.
This makes the Hawker cheaper to operate than the larger Learjet 60, but more expensive than the more famous Cessna Citation Excel.
A number of charter companies also offer the Hawker for charter. The cost for this varies from charter company to charter company (and trip to trip!) but will be more than the cost to operate the Hawker.
Variants
BAe, Raytheon, and later Hawker Beechcraft have seen the Hawker 800 be one of their best-selling business jets. As a result, they have developed numerous different variants of the jet, in order to keep up with the market!
Hawker 750
In the mid-to-late 1990’s, operators of the Hawker 800 family wanted a derivative of the Hawker that could contend with the much cheaper Learjet 60 and Citation Excel.
Raytheon acquiesced and produced a lighter variant of the Hawker. This newer variant had more fuel efficient engines than previous Hawker derivatives, but sacrificed range for fuel efficiency.
The wings were also partly redesigned by Raytheon. This gave the aircraft a larger reserve of fuel, which allowed it to also travel slightly faster than previous Hawker variants.
Hawker 800
Originally known as the BAe 125-800, and later known as the Hawker 800 is the most basic variant of the Hawker 800 family. The aircraft is itself a variant of the famous BAe 125 Domini family family, which first flew in 1962.
All subsequent variants of the Hawker 800 family can trace their heritage back to this variant. In total, well over 200 copies of this variant were produced, many of which are still in service today.
Specifications-wise, this variant of the Hawker is one of the weakest. The introduction of subsequent variants would see the main Hawker cease production in the late 1990’s, after over 15 years of production.
Hawker 800XP
In 1995, operators of the standard Hawker 800 began to demand a new, more competitive variant of the Hawker. This was one that was both cheaper to operate and had a superior range.
Raytheon acquiesced, producing the 800XP. This aircraft had new LED lights installed in the cabin, not to mention new touchscreens and an all new tailored interior.
Many 800XPs produced after 2000 came with in-flight WIFI as standard, being one of the first business jets to do this. Many pre-2000’s 800XPs were revamped with in-flight WIFI by Raytheon.
Hawker 800XP Pro Line
By the mid-2000’s, the avionics of the 800XP had become severely outdated. This was to the point where there were a number of safety concerns, both by the FAA, and Raytheon themselves.
As such, Raytheon began to offer an avionics upgrade for the 800XP. Raytheon would remove the previously used avionics in the 800XP, and replace it with an all-glass cockpit.
The all-glass cockpit Raytheon installed was the the Rockwell Collins Pro Line 21. The name of these new avionics would give its name to the aircraft it was installed on, which would often be referred to as the 800XP Pro Line.
Hawker 800XPi
In 2005, Raytheon wanted to create a variant of the Hawker that could be in the replace the original Hawker 800 in terms of specs. To do this, they incorporated elements from the 800 and 800XP to create a sort of middleman.
The 800XPi was given the new lighting and touchscreens, that is present on the 800XP. However, the 800XPi’s interior remained the same as the 800’s, rather than being all-new as was present in the 800XP.
On top of this, Raytheon also gave the 800XPi all-new designed front and aft baggage areas. This was much larger than it was on both the 800 and 800XP, as well as being more user-friendly.
Hawker 850XP
In the early-to-mid 2000’s, operators of the Hawker 800 and 800XP began to demand once again, a newer, and cheaper to operate variant of the aircraft. Raytheon listened to their requests and began development of a new variant.
Externally speaking, both the 800XP and 850XP are exactly the same, with the only difference being that the 850XP has winglets. This reduces drag and increases fuel efficiency, extending its range by 100 nmi.
On top of this, the 850XP also has a completely redesigned cabin interior. The 850XP’s cockpit was also completely redesigned, being given then-state-of-the-art avionics.
Hawker 900XP
A direct development of the Hawker 850XP, the Hawker 900XP was considered to be the most advanced jet in the entire Hawker 800 family. The jet was introduced in 2007, in order to keep the Hawker 800 family relevant.
The Hawker 900XP was given new and improved engines as well as new winglets. This gives it an improved max and cruising speed, as well as a much longer range.
In total, 183 Hawker 900XPs were built and delivered in a six year period. It was one of only a few Hawker 800 variants that was still in production when Hawker Beechcraft ceased production of their business jets in 2013.
U-125
In the late 1990’s, the Japanese Air Self Defense Force approached British Aerospace looking for a maritime search and rescue derivative of the BAe 125-800. Interested, British Aerospace complied and produced such an aircraft.
The JASDF would designate these BAe 125-800s as the U-125. In line with the Japanese requirements, British Aerospace designed the U-125 to have larger windows (for better observation).
British Aerospace would also design give the U-125 a life-raft dropping system, thermal imaging equipment and a marker buoy dispensing system. On top of this, British Aerospace painted the U-125s in a special salt water corrosion-proof paint.
RC-800
At the same sort of time, British Aerospace would also be approached by the Korean Air Force. The Koreans wanted a BAe 125-800 derivative that could serve as the countries primary reconnaissance aircraft (alongside two Falcon 2000s).
The ROKAF would designate these -800s as the RC-800. Most of the modifications British Aerospace did for the RC-800 are still classified, however, we do know a few things.
For starters, we know that the RC-800 has newer engines. We also know that the RC-800’s fuselage has been given a state-of-the-art radar, with the cabin being full of similarly state-of-the-art electronic warfare equipment too.
C-29
In the early 1990’s, the USAF approached British Aerospace about procuring a new airbase inspection aircraft. British Aerospace begun designing a BAe 125-800 variant that could suit this purpose.
British Aerospace gave the aircraft more powerful engines, a larger flight deck and larger windows (for observation purposes). The USAF would also have a number of extra instruments added into the cabin to aid in the C-29’s mission.
When the C-29s entered into service, they replaced the USAF’s ageing Lockheed C-140 JetStars, which had been in service since the 1960’s. The USAF begun phasing out the C-29 in the late 2000’s and early 2010’s.
Specifications
| Specifications | Hawker 800 |
|---|---|
| Length | 51 ft 2 in (15.6 m) |
| Wingspan | 51 ft 5 in (15.7 m) |
| Height | 17 ft 7 in (5.36 m) |
| Crew | 2 (plus one jump seat) |
| Passengers | 8 |
| Cruise Speed | 740 km/h (460 mph; 400 kn) |
| Range | 5,232 km (3,251 mi; 2,825 nmi) |
| Service Ceiling | 43,000 ft (13,000 m) |
| MTOW | 27,400 lb (12,428 kg) |
How Safe is the Hawker 800?
Whenever we come to look at the safest and most dangerous aircraft you could fly on, we only tend to focus on commercial aircraft.
Naturally, this is done for a number of different reasons. Primarily, this is due to the fact that sadly, only a tiny percentage of the world’s population will ever fly on a private jet.
On top of that, laws concerning the maintenance of commercial and business jets often differ greatly, not just from country to country, but also internationally speaking too.
Regardless of all of that, if you are looking at flying on the Hawker 800 anytime soon, you probably want to know how safe or dangerous it actually is.
Thankfully, the Hawker 800 is actually incredibly safe! During its 30 year production history, 650 Hawkers were built in total. Only two of them have ever crashed.
Both times, the NTSB has ruled them as pilot error (usually due to fatigue/exhaustion) and that the FAA failed to enforce its regulations on the two charter companies who operated the jets.
In total, these two crashes only had 17 fatalities, which is particularly low for any aircraft, especially a business jet!
What’s it Like to Fly on The Hawker 800?
Personally, mostly thanks to previously held jobs, I have flown on the Hawker 800 on a number of occasions. Mostly these have been chartered aircraft, being chartered through a number of different companies.
I was fortunate enough to fly on the Hawker 750, standard Hawker 800, as well as the XP Pro Line.
All in all, I actually found the Hawker to be one of the better business jets I’ve veer flown on. The cabin design of the Hawker 750 in particular, is particularly revolutionary in my opinion.
Whilst all of the variants of the Hawker (that I flew on) allowed us to easily communicate, work together and plan, I found that it was especially easy on the Hawker 750 I flew on.
This was because the layout was almost in an L-shape. There were people working on the divan at the back, on the left. On top of this, there were also people working on their individual seats in front of the divan.
In this configuration, we were working in an L-shape, which allowed us to easily ask each other questions and talk with one another. But at the same time, we could also work and relax at the same time!
With all that being said, I did often find that the Hawker’s seats weren’t as comfy as they are on other business jets. They weren’t uncomfortable by any stretch of the imagination, but they weren’t as comfortable as I was expecting.
What do you think of the Hawker 800? Have you ever flown on it? Tell me in the comments!
Featured image courtesy of Cory W. Watts via Flickr.