Beechcraft is one of largest general aviation aircraft manufacturers in the world. It was founded in 1932 by Walter Beech and Olive Ann Beech in Wichita, Kansas, and has been based in Wichita since 1932. Beechcraft's aircraft line ranges from light single-engined aircraft to military trainers. Textron Aviation is home to the Beechcraft brand and has owned it since 2014.
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Jim Goodrich
Jim Goodrich is a pilot, aviation expert and founder of Tsunami Air.
What is the Beechcraft airplane brand?
Beechcraft is an American brand of civil aviation and military aircraft owned by Textron Aviation since 2014. Textron Aviation is the leading general aviation authority and home to the Beechcraft, Cessna and Hawker brands. These brands account for more than half of all general aviation aircraft flying. Beechcraft is headquartered in Wichita, Kansas. Originally, Beechcraft was a brand of Beech Aircraft Corporation, an American manufacturer of general aviation, commercial, and military aircraft. Textron Aviation produced several models under the Beechcraft brand name: the Beechcraft Bonanza series is single-engined piston general aviation aircraft; the Beechcraft Baron is twin-engined piston utility aircraft; and the Beechcraft T-6 Texan II/CT-156 Harvard II is single-engined turboprop military trainer.
A Textron brand since 2014, Beechcraft's aircraft line ranges from light single-engined aircraft to military trainers. The brand has a strong market presence in the twin-turboprop segment. Beechcraft develops and manufactures general aviation, commercial, and military aircraft. It is one of the largest general aviation aircraft manufacturers in the world. The brand is known for quality, backup systems, and robustness. Beechcraft has a legacy of craftsmanship and innovation.
Beechcraft’s focus is on piston and turboprops. The models include Bonanza, which is a piston single aircraft, and Baron, which is a two engine propeller. The large airplane line is the turboprop, and the best-selling twin-engine turboprop line is the King Air. Beechcraft services are globally available through dealers. It has a main office in Kansas, a facility in Arkansas, and a facility in Chester, England. Beechcraft runs a warehouse and has 7 shipping hubs worldwide with 17 parts rooms. The official website is beechcraft.txtav.com/en.
Who owns Beechcraft?
Beechcraft has been owned by Textron Aviation since 2014. Textron Aviation, the parent company of Beechcraft, also now owns the Cessna Aircraft Company. In March 2014, Textron finalized its purchase of Beech Holdings for approximately US$1.4 billion. Once the purchase was completed, Textron combined Beechcraft with Cessna to form Textron Aviation. Textron has kept both names as separate brands.
With unparalleled quality, low operating costs and versatility, Beechcraft products are preferred for air ambulance, utility transport, ISR, training, other special operations, aerial survey, and flight inspection. Customers in more than 170 countries depend on Textron Aviation's performance, versatility, and reliability. Hawker, Beechcraft, and Cessna owners receive the high level of quality and customer service. Cessna and Beechcraft together produced about $4.6 billion in revenues during 2013.
Where is Beechcraft located?
The Beechcraft company headquarters is located in Wichita, Kansas, United States, and has been since it was founded in 1932. Beech Factory Airport houses Beechcraft's head office, manufacturing facility, and runway for test flights. The Beechcraft factory is at 10511 on East Central street in Wichita, with postal number 672010085. Beech’s plane maker airport is 5 miles (8.05 kilometers) east of Wichita and about 4 miles (6.44 kilometers) from downtown. The company has maintenance and manufacturing locations worldwide, including Little Rock, Arkansas, Salina, Kansas, Atlanta, Georgia, Chihuahua, Mexico, and Chester, United Kingdom.
What is Hawker Beechcraft Corporation?
Hawker Beechcraft Corporation (HBC) was an American aerospace manufacturing company. It built the Beechcraft and Hawker business jet lines between 2006 and 2013. Hawker Beechcraft Inc. operated under the name Hawker Beechcraft Corporation (HBC). Hawker Beechcraft Inc. was a new company, formed by Onex Partners and Goldman Sachs Alternatives.
Hawker Beechcraft Corporation fired more than 7,000 employees from November 2008 to November 2016. Layoffs happened at locations in Arizona and involved 67 official notices from the government. The company got the highest yearly earnings of $3.5 billion but revenue fell from $3.5 billion during the recession.
Hawker Beechcraft Corporation produced 120 planes in Q4 2006 and 178 propeller planes in 2008. In Q1 2013, the company produced 59 Beechcraft planes and 6 Hawker 4000 units. It sold 135 King Air planes in 2013.
What types of airplanes does Beechcraft manufacture?
The types of airplanes Beechcraft manufactures are listed below.
- Beechcraft King Air
- Beechcraft Baron
- Beechcraft Bonanza
- Beechcraft T-6
- Beechcraft AT-6
- Beechcraft Denali
- Beechcraft 1900
- Beechcraft 99
- Beechcraft Starship
- Beechcraft Premier
Currently, Beechcraft produces the Baron, the King Air, and Bonanza lines, along with the T-6/AT-6 military aircraft. For private flying, the Bonanza G36 is a single-engine propeller plane with 6 seats and G1000 avionics, a favorite among owner-flyers. The Baron G58 is a twin-engine plane with 6 seats for general aviation. For business, the King Air series of twin-turboprop aircraft includes the 260, 360, and long-range 360ER, with pressurized cabins and seats up to 11. The new Beechcraft Denali is a single-engine turboprop for business and private use. Beechcraft made the Beechcraft 1900 commuter with 19 seats for short trips, but current commuter and training modules use the King Air derivatives. Beechcraft does not make fast planes, but does make the M346N fast plane for learning.
For defense, Beechcraft manufactures the T-6 Texan II, a combat instructor, and the AT-6 Wolverine, a light attack fighting plane. King Air derivatives serve special missions like spying, submarine-hunting, training, ocean watch, and reconnaissance. These military planes handle light attack and scouting duties. Beechcraft does not build drones.
What are Beechcraft's current aircraft models?
Beechcraft's current aircraft models are given in the table below.
| Model | Type |
|---|---|
| Bonanza | Piston |
| Baron | Piston |
| Denali | Turboprop |
| King Air | Turboprop |
| T-6 | Trainer |
| Beechjet | Jet |
| Airliner | Airliner |
| Cochise | Unknown |
| Expeditor | Unknown |
Beechcraft's current fleet includes planes from the Bonanza, Baron, Denali, and King Air lines. Four King Air variants offer travel ranges between 1,260nm and 2,692nm. The King Air 260, 360, 350i, 350C, and the special long-range 350 are in production. The Bonanza G36 is the latest Bonanza model, and the Baron G58 is the last Baron. The Denali is under the Beechcraft brand, but it has no actual shipments as of latest updates; its maiden flight occurred on November 23, 2021, and its schedule is uncertain as of July 2026. Beechcraft makes the T-6 Texan II, a single-engined turboprop military trainer. The T-6 has variants like T-6A, T-6B, and T-6C and is used for training in the United States, New Zealand military, and British air force. Due to over a thousand aircraft, the T-6 group has more than 5 million hours in the air and operates across 13 countries. The King Air models use PT6A engines and Collins Pro Line Fusion, while the Bonanza G36 has a Continental Motors IO-550-B and Garmin G1000 NXi. The Baron G58 has a Continental Motors IO-550-C and Garmin G1000 NXi as well.
