The Hawker 4000 is a large jet manufactured by Hawker Beechcraft between 2008 and 2012. It is also known as the Hawker Horizon.
In this buyer’s guide, we will be learning all about the capabilities of the aircraft, along with its core features, interior comfort, cost to buy, cost to operate, and, importantly, should you buy one?
If you wish to learn about the cost to buy, operate, and the performance specifications for over 140 private jets to find the best one to buy, then you should consider our Premium service.
Hawker 4000 Overview
The Hawker 4000 can accommodate up to 12 passengers, with a maximum baggage capacity of 108.5 cubic feet.
When in its optimum configuration, the Hawker 4000 can cruise non-stop for up to 3,775 nautical miles (4,344 miles / 6,991 km). However, when configured for the fastest cruise speed, the 4000 can maintain a cruise speed of 489 knots.
The Hawker 4000 can cruise at up to 45,000 feet. Additionally, the 4000 has an average hourly fuel burn of 263 Gallons per Hour (GPH).
Thanks to its Pratt & Whitney Canada PW308A engines, the aircraft has a total thrust output of 13,800 lbs.
In terms of cost, the 4000 has an estimated hourly charter price of $5,500. Furthermore, back when deliveries of the Hawker 4000 began, the list price for a new example was $23 million.
What is the Range of the Hawker 4000?
As mentioned, the maximum range of the Hawker 4000 is 3,775 nautical miles (4,344 miles / 6,991 km).
This means that the aircraft is able to fly non-stop from New York to the rest of North America, Mexico, and the Northern portion of South America.
Additionally, this range enables the aircraft to be able to comfortably cross the North Atlantic from New York in one go.
It is always important to note that the stated range figure for any aircraft is in optimum condition. This means that weather conditions are near perfect and weight is kept to an absolute minimum.
However, the weather is seldom perfect and there are usually multiple passengers onboard, all with some form of luggage.
Therefore, it is important to calculate the range with the additional weight. Thankfully this is possible with the Compare Private Planes Premium service.
If we input six passengers to the range calculation we can see that there isn’t too much of an impact. The aircraft is still capable of flying non-stop from New York to London.
In terms of the range from other locations, the Hawker 4000 can fly non-stop from London to most of Africa, the Middle East, and some parts of Asia.
Therefore, if you are planning on flying from London to the majority of Asia, you will be stopping for fuel.
Hawker 4000 Interior
The interior of the Hawker 4000 provides its passengers with plenty of space and amenities.
Given the size of the jet, the Hawker 4000 features a flat floor throughout the cabin. Additionally, the aircraft features a toilet at the rear of the aircraft, along with inflight baggage access.
The interior of the Hawker 4000 measures 25 feet in length, 6 feet in height, and 6.5 feet in width.
As a result, most passengers will be able to comfortably stand up straight.
The wide cabin allows for wide seats that provide a lot of shoulder room and space to get comfortable.
Moreover, the wide cabin allows for a wide enough aisle that passengers can easily navigate through the cabin with ease.
Typical interior configurations for the Hawker 4000 allow for 8 passengers, arranged in a double club configuration.
The 14 windows allow for plenty of natural light to flood the cabin to give a nice, airy cabin.
Moreover, when cruising at its maximum altitude the cabin altitude remains at 6,000 feet.
While there are aircraft within its class that offers a lower cabin altitude, this will be comfortable enough to not be a problem.
Moreover, the Hawker 4000 is capable of maintaining a sea-level cabin until 25,240 feet.
Who Supports the Hawker 4000?
When buying a private jet it is critical to ensure that you can maintain it.
If you can’t easily maintain an aircraft then it won’t be flying. Simple as that.
Thankfully, Hawker aircraft is owned by Textron Inc. This is the same company that owns Cessna and Beechcraft.
Therefore, the Hawker 4000 can be maintained and serviced by Textron facilities.
The majority of these facilities are based around the United States, with a 4 facilities in Europe and one in Singapore.
Additionally, the Hawker 4000 has access to two Textron Authorized Service Centers in Mexico.
There are also two Textron Mobile Service Units in the Eastern United States that are able to support the Hawker 4000 in an AOG (Aircraft on Ground) event.
How Many Pilots Does the Hawker 4000 Require?
Like all large jets, the Hawker 4000 requires two pilots.
If you wish to fly and operate this aircraft by yourself then you are out of luck. The largest aircraft that is certified to be flown by a single pilot is the Pilatus PC-24.
You will, therefore, need to source a co-pilot if you wish to fly this aircraft by yourself.
Read all about the certified single-pilot aircraft here.
How Much is the Hawker 4000 to Buy
Back when the Hawker 4000 was new it had a list price of $23 million. Adjusted for inflation that price would be just over $30 million.
Unfortunately for long-time Hawker owners, the 4000 has not held its value particularly well over the past 15 years.
A 2008 Hawker 4000 is currently estimated to be worth $2.5 million.
Moreover, the depreciation rate is quite high, with Hawker 4000 aircraft losing around 8% of value year-on-year.
Therefore, if you were to buy a 2008 Hawker 4000 today and run it for 5 years, it is estimated to be worth around $1.6 million.
Now, there are many private jets that will lose you more money in 5 years of ownership. And the Hawker 4000 benefits from having a low entry price. Therefore, the actual monetary loss isn’t too bad.
Of course, the newer the aircraft the more it’s going to cost, with a 2012 model estimated to be worth around $3.5 million.
If you were to own a 2012 example for 5 years then you are estimated to lose around $1.2 million in depreciation.
However, the newer example will likely have fewer maintenance issues.
Hawker 4000 for Sale
There aren’t a lot of Hawker 4000s in the sky. Production of this aircraft took place just as Hawker Beechcraft was winding down.
Therefore, finding a Hawker 4000 is not an easy process.
Typically, there are one or two aircraft on the market at any one time.
Moreover, these aircraft are normally quite slow to move. This provides more negotiating power when looking to buy one, however, you will be in a weaker position when it comes to sell.
You can search for a Hawker 4000 for sale on Controller or AvBuyer.
Cost to Operate a Hawker 4000
Our latest data suggests that the Hawker 4000 has annual fixed costs of over half a million dollars and a variable cost per hour of just under $4,000.
Therefore, if you were to fly the Hawker 4000 200 hours per year, your total cost to operate the aircraft for the year would be around $1.2 million.
You can calculate your exact ownership costs using the Compare Private Planes Premium service.
As with many large jets, one of the most significant fixed costs is the crew. This is because you need two full-time pilots, along with training them. Additionally, generally speaking, the larger the aircraft, the higher the crew salary.
When it comes to the hourly cost to operate the Hawker 4000 the most significant cost is the fuel, along with moderately high maintenance demands.
Cockpit
The Hawker 4000 is typically equipped with Honeywell Primus Epic Avionics with 5 8×10 LCD Displays.
The cockpit is made of carbon fiber, reducing the weight of the aircraft and therefore increasing its efficiency.
Moreover, the cockpit is more spacious that a lot of the competition at the time.
Initial reports of the Hawker 4000 suggested that it is somewhat harder to fly due to the reduced weight. However, with upgraded avionics, a lot of these problems went away.
Performance Specs
As mentioned, the Hawker 4000 has a maximum range of 3,775 nautical miles.
The Hawker 4000 is powered by two Pratt & Whitney Canada PW308A. Each engine is capable of outputting up to 6,900 lbs of thrust. This, therefore, results in a total thrust output of 13,800 lbs.
As a result, the Hawker 4000 has a maximum cruise speed of 489 knots (0.85 Mach).
In order to extract the maximum range out of this aircraft the cruise speed needs to be reduced to 447 knots (0.78 Mach).
This aircraft is relatively efficient with an hourly fuel burn figure of 263 gallons per hour.
The Pratt & Whitney engines are capable of pushing the Hawker 4000 to its maximum cruising altitude of 45,000 feet.
Ground performance is moderately impressive with a minimum take-off distance of 5,321 feet and a minimum landing distance of 2,624 feet.
How Many Hawker 4000s Are There?
As mentioned earlier, finding a Hawkier 4000 isn’t easy due to the lack of them around.
Additionally, the aircraft was built towards the end of Hawker Beechcraft’s life.
Only 79 Hawker 4000 private jets were produced during the 4-year production run. However, there are currently only 68 of them in service and this number will only decrease.
The Hawker 4000 is not the most reliable aircraft in the world. Parts can be hard to find and these aircraft require parts quite often.
Therefore, we are entering a time when the cost to maintain these aircraft and keep them in service will not be viable. It is therefore highly likely that we are entering a time of decline for the Hawker 4000.
Should You Buy a Hawker 4000?
Purchasing a private jet does not have a one size fits all approach. All owner’s missions are different and the demands always vary, meaning that finding the right private jet is a very specific process.
Therefore, without knowing the exact mission parameters, advising on purchasing the Hawker 4000 can’t be done with a blanket statement.
Finding an aircraft with the same performance capabilities as the Hawker 4000 and in the same price range isn’t easy.
The options are all older aircraft that will have the same difficulties as the Hawker 4000.
So, if you want a private jet that costs around $3.5 million that can cross the North Atlantic, then the Hawker 4000 is the most modern aircraft for the job.
Whether that is a sensible decision or not is up to your ability and effort in keeping the aircraft well-maintained and operational.
Therefore, from a pure numbers point of view, the Hawker 4000 makes sense, however, you will likely have some issues keeping it in service, so be prepared for a lot of downtime waiting for parts if you go ahead with your purchase.
Alternative Aircraft
If you are looking for a private jet to buy that costs less than $4 million to buy and can fly over 3,500 nautical miles that aren’t the Hawker 4000, there are just 4 alternatives.
All of these options are older and have been easily found using the filter function on Compare Private Planes Premium.
The alternatives are the Bombardier Challenger 601-3AER (1988 – 1993), Dassault Falcon 900 (1986 – 1991), Gulfstream GIII (1979 – 1987), and Gulfstream GII (1967 – 1979).
As you can see with the years of production, all these aircraft are much older than the Hawker 4000.
However, the two Gulfstreams had much longer production runs and are generally more popular. Given their age, they will require more maintenance and upgrades (e.g. hush kits).
The other options of the Challenger and Falcon 900 are both on solid, popular, and well-tested platforms. Therefore, you will likely have a better experience with these aircraft.
