Founded in 1932 by Walter and Olive Ann Beech as the Beech Aircraft Company, Beechcraft is a storied name in the general-aviation sector that today is owned by Textron Aviation and manufactures piston single, piston twin, and turboprop aircraft.
Read More (About Beechcraft)Founded in 1932 by Walter and Olive Ann Beech as the Beech Aircraft Company, Beechcraft is a storied name in the general-aviation sector. The company is known for such early business traveler-centric aircraft as the Beechcraft Model 17 Staggerwing and Model 18 Twin Beech. Beechcraft’s iconic, single-engine Beechcraft Bonanza has been in production for roughly 75 years, and has spawned numerous subsequent models, including the current single-engine Bonanza G36 piston.
Following Walter Beech’s death in 1950, Olive Beech assumed leadership of the company, making her the first woman to lead a major aircraft company. Before retiring in 1982, she helped grow the company from 10 to 10,000 employees. In 1980, the Raytheon Company purchased Beech Aircraft. In 1993, Raytheon purchased Corporate Jets, manufacturers of the Hawker Aircraft lineup. A year later, Beech Aircraft and Hawker Aircraft were merged to form Raytheon Aircraft Company, which revived the Beechcraft and Hawker brand names in 2002.
In 2006, a Goldman Sachs-affiliated consortium purchased Raytheon Aircraft Company, eventually renaming it Hawker Beechcraft. After emerging from bankruptcy in 2013, the company was renamed Beechcraft. That same year, Textron Aviation purchased the company, which is now headquartered in Wichita, Kansas. Textron Aviation also owns the Cessna and Hawker brands.
In 2021, Textron announced that Premiair Aviation, a maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) provider Textron acquired in 2020, received Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) approval to service and support all in-country Beechcraft, Cessna, and Hawker aircraft. Premiair Aviation has service stations in the Gold Coast, Melbourne, and Perth.
Beechcraft’s lineup now includes new and pre-owned King Airs such as the nine-passenger King Air 260 introduced in December 2020, which has a 1,720-nautical-mile (3,185-kilometer) range and top cruise speed of 310-ktas (574-km/h). Other King Airs include the flagship 11-passenger King Air 360 and 15-passenger King Air 360 ER (extended range) twin-engine turboprops introduced in August 2020 with cockpit, cabin, and technology updates over the previous King Air 350 and 350ER.
Beechcraft also produces the six-passenger Baron G58 piston twin and six-passenger Bonanza G36 piston single. In July 2019, Textron celebrated the 50th anniversary of the first flight of a prototype of the Baron 58, a variant of the popular Baron 55 originally billed as the “industry’s fastest light twin.” Textron claims more than 18,000 Bonanzas have been delivered since entering the market.
You’ll find a big selection of new and used Beechcraft piston single, piston twin, turboprop, and jet aircraft for sale every day on Controller.com, including the Bonanza A36, Bonanza 36, Beechjet 400, King Air 90, King Air 200, King Air 350, Baron 55, and Baron 58.
*Monthly payment stated above assumes a secured commercial use loan transaction available for highly qualified commercial loan applicants. Actual loan payment amount and terms may vary. Consumer financing not available for consumers residing in Nevada. Additional state restrictions may apply. Equal opportunity lender. Click here for more state licenses and disclosures. NMLS ID: 1857954. VERMONT RESIDENTS: THIS IS A LOAN SOLICITATION ONLY. CurrencyFinance IS NOT THE LENDER. INFORMATION RECEIVED WILL BE SHARED WITH ONE OR MORE THIRD PARTIES IN CONNECTION WITH YOUR LOAN INQUIRY. THE LENDER MAY NOT BE SUBJECT TO ALL VERMONT LENDING LAWS. THE LENDER MAY BE SUBJECT TO FEDERAL LENDING LAWS. CALIFORNIA RESIDENTS: Financing provided or arranged by Express Tech-Financing, LLC dba Currency pursuant to California Finance Lender License #60DBO54873