Nextant Aerospace has completed the first flight of its G90XT business turboprop at its Cleveland, Ohio headquarters.
The aircraft, which is a remanufactured King Air C90A featuring new GE H75 engines, an updated cockpit fitted with the Garmin G1000 avionics suite and a refitted cabin, took off for its first flight on January 15.
Nextant expects the flight test program to run for about six weeks, with certification forecast for the second quarter of 2015.
“We announced this program just twelve months ago and we are on schedule for certification,” Nextant chief executive Sean McGeough said in a statement.
Captain Nathan Marker, the chief test pilot and vice-president of flight operations at Nextant, said the G90XT performed well.
“The increased power was very noticeable during the take-off run,” Captain Marker said.
“I was also impressed by the lower noise levels in the cockpit. The change in position of the propellers relative to the fuselage combined with the new engine makes for a much quieter and more comfortable flight experience for passengers.”
Sydney-based Nextant Pacific is the local sales agent for Nextant Aerospace in South East Asia, Australia and New Zealand.
