In April 1981, theBritish Aerospace (BAe) board sanctioned the programme to improve theBritish Aerospace 125-700 series. By May 1983 the new aircraft was ready for its first test flight.
The BAe 125-800 series has a number of modifications and changes over the 700, the most noticeable being the redesigned cockpit windscreen. Accompanying this are a modified rear fuselage fairing, as well as aglass cockpit and uprated (from 3,700 to 4,300 lb thrust)Garrett TFE731-5R-1H engines. British Aerospace incorporatedwingtips to reducedrag and improveaerodynamic efficiency.
From the first BAe 125 flight in August 1962, it took nineteen years until the 500th airframe was sold. In about five years, British Aerospace was registering the 200th sale of the 800 series.
In 1994, Raytheon (which boughtBeech Aircraft Corporation in 1980) acquired BAe Corporate Jets. The new entity was known as Raytheon Aircraft. In March 2007, Raytheon divested its aircraft manufacturing business to Hawker Beechcraft Corp., a company formed and controlled byGS Capital Partners andOnex Partners of Canada.
The final version was theHawker 850XP, which was certified for operation in March 2006. The 850XP is identical to the 800XP except that it includeswinglets, which have extended its operating range by 100 nautical miles (190 km). This version also incorporates upgradedavionics and a redesigned interior. The Hawker 850XP essentially fills the gap left behind by the Hawker 1000 when production of that aircraft ceased.In 2006, its unit cost was $13,786,100.[1]
In October 2006, two new variants were announced:[2]
TheHawker 750, in which the ventral fuel tank is replaced by an externally accessed baggage pannier, which reduces range slightly.
TheHawker 900XP, using new Honeywell TFE731-50BR engines for increased range. In 2012, its unit cost was US$ 16.07 million.[3]
After the 2013 bankruptcy of Hawker Beechcraft, the surviving company,Beechcraft, discontinued its business jet range, including the 800 series.
By 2018, a 1980s-era 700s was priced for less than $500,000, a 1995 800A at $1.02 million and a 2012 900XP at $6 million.[4]
The Hawker 800 was similar to most modern airframes in allowing sub-assemblies to be constructed away from the final point of manufacture. The fuselage sections, wings and control surfaces were manufactured and assembled in the United Kingdom in a combination of Hawker Beechcraft's own facility and those owned byAirbus UK, which inherited much ofBAE Systems's civil aircraft manufacturing capacity. These sections are partially fitted out and installed with control surfacing and major systems before being shipped to Hawker Beechcraft's main manufacturing site inWichita, Kansas for final assembly, fitting out and testing.
This article needs to beupdated. Please help update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information.(August 2025)
Japan uses (as of 2008) a maritimesearch and rescue variant of the Hawker 800. It is designatedU-125A inJapan Air Self-Defense Force service. This variant has large observation windows, aflare and marker-buoy dispenser system, a life-raft and emergency equipment dropping system, and enhanced salt water corrosion prevention. The aircraft also has a Toshiba 360-degree search radar, Melcothermal imaging equipment, and other military communications equipment for its mission.[5]
With 48 built, this lower-cost, lighter-weight and shorter-range version of the 800XP competes with theCitation XLS andLearjet 60.In November 2017, used prices range from $2.2 million for early 2008 models to 3.8 million for late 2011 models.Its larger 604 cu ft (17.1 m3) cabin is typically configured with eight seats in double club or a four chair club followed by a three-place divan facing a single seat, and is pressurized by 8.5 psi (0.59 bar) to provide a 7,500 ft (2,300 m)cabin altitude at FL 410.Its 1,500 lb (680 kg) ventral fuel tank is replaced with a 47 cu ft (1.3 m3) external baggage compartment, leaving 8,500 lb (3,900 kg) of fuel in thewet wings.The cockpit has four-screenRockwell Collins Pro Line 21 avionics andFMS-6000.[7]It takes off in 4,696 ft (1,431 m) at MTOW/Sea level.With a 20° quarter chordwing sweep, its maximum speed is Mach 0.80, it cruises at Mach 0.74 to 0.78 and long-range cruise is Mach 0.70 at 1,214 lb (551 kg) per hour midweight.First hour fuel burn is 1,900 lb (860 kg), second hour is 1,350 and 1,200 lb (610 and 540 kg) for subsequent hours.[7]B-checks are every 800 h, C-checks every 1,600 h and D-checks every 3,200 h and there are yearlymaintenance checks.Thelanding gear is overhauled every 12 years.Its 4,750 lbf (21.1 kN)Honeywell TFE731-5BR have 2,100 hMPI and 4,200 hCZI inspection intervals, extendable to 2,500 h / 5,000 h with optional service bulletins, andMSP per engine.[7]
31 July 2008: A Hawker 800 registered as N818MV and operating asEast Coast Jets Flight 81, crashed while attempting ago-around atOwatonna Degner Regional Airport nearOwatonna, Minnesota, killing all eight passengers and crew on board.[12][13] The aircraft was manufactured in 1991, and East Coast Jets began operating it in June 2003. The NTSB determined the probable cause of the accident was the captain’s decision to attempt a go-around late in the landing roll with insufficient runway remaining. Contributing to the accident were (1) the pilots’ poor crew coordination and lack of cockpit discipline; (2) fatigue, which likely impaired both pilots’ performance; and (3) the failure of the FAA to require crew resource management training and standard operating procedures for Part 135 operators.[14]
20 December 2020: A Hawker 800XP crashed near Farmingdale, New York. At 8:35 p.m. EST the aircraft faced substantial damage; the captain sustained minor injuries, and the first officer was seriously injured. The plane was a Part 91 business flight operated by Talon Air, LLC as a Title 14 CFR.[19]
21 February 2022: A Hawker 800XP skidded off Runway 33 atAspen-Pitkin County Airport (ASE) due to aborted takeoff due to lack of control pressure. Four passengers and two pilots were not injured.[20]
October 16, 2025:A Hawker 800 crashed in the Rose Lake State Wildlife Research Area, outside of Lansing, Michigan, killing all three on board.[24] The aircraft had received some maintenance work at Kellogg Field in Battle Creek, Michigan, and was reportedly undergoing testing when it crashed.[25]
Data from Jane's All the World's Aircraft 1995-96[26]
General characteristics
Crew: 2 + jump seat
Capacity: 8 / 2,000 lb (907 kg) maximum payload
Length: 51 ft 2 in (15.60 m)
Wingspan: 51 ft 4.5 in (15.659 m)
Height: 17 ft 7 in (5.36 m)
Wing area: 374 sq ft (34.7 m2)
Empty weight: 15,600 lb (7,076 kg) basic
Operating weight empty: 16,000 lb (7,257 kg)
Maximum ramp weight: 27,520 lb (12,483 kg)
Maximum zero-fuel weight: 18,000 lb (8,165 kg)
Max takeoff weight: 27,400 lb (12,428 kg) *Maximum landing weight: 23,350 lb (10,591 kg)
Fuel capacity: 1,248 imp gal (1,499 US gal; 5,674 L) total; 1,060 imp gal (1,273 US gal; 4,819 L) in wing integral tanks + 188 imp gal (226 US gal; 855 L) in rear under-fuselage tank
^Jackson, Paul, ed. (1995).Jane's All the World's Aircraft 1995-96 (86th ed.). Coulsdon, Surrey, United Kingdom: Jane's Information Group. pp. 464–465.ISBN978-0710612625.
Bibliography
Gunston, Bill.Hawker: The story of the 125. (Airworthy Publications International Limited, 1996,ISBN0-9528845-0-X)
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