Dubai 2011: Nextant gets in on the Action

Hamish Harding, Action’s CEO, flew the twinjet into the airshow on Friday, probably enjoying the show’s best view of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner. Harding flew 2,000 feet below the show-stopping aircraft or the last leg of his journey into the UAE.

Harding said: “It was very special to track the 787 as we came into Dubai. The 400XT is so easy to fly. The Pro Line 21 avionics make it really simple, and it is such a solid airframe.”

The revamped twinjet also features the Williams FJ44-3AP turbofan engine, advanced electronics, Rockwell Collins venue cabin management system, plus completely rebuilt interiors.

Jay Heublein, Nextant’s vice president, sales and marketing explained: “Our sister company, Flight Options (a US charter operator) has been flying the 400 for many years and we knew what would work as a reconfiguration.”

He added that Nextant would offer winglets by the end of next year, which will also be retrofitable.

The 400XT on display features an optional new cabin, including a 1.5m (60in) divan with four-place club seating that offers an additional 0.3m (12in) of legroom compared to the standard design.

Heublein reckons Nextant has sold 62 of the type so far, kicking off with a large fleet order from Flight Options.

Perhaps as a response to the 400XT, this October Hawker Beechcraft Corporation announced a three-display Pro Line 4 to Pro Line 21 upgrade for the Hawker/Beechjet 400.

The new system replaces the existing Pro Line 4 displays and upgrades the flight management system to FMS 6100.

A two-year corporate aircraft service programme warranty on new and existing Rockwell Collins equipment is included with the upgrade.

Pictured below: Shake on it: Jay Heublein, Nextant’s vice president, sales and marketing (left) with Hamish Harding, CEO of Action Aviation