Nextant Aerospace is expecting to fly the first example of its G90XT early next month. The aircraft is a remanufactured Beechcraft C90 that integrates Garmin’s G1000 avionics, General Electric H75-100 engines and other new features into a re-lifed airframe. Nextant has been taking orders for the model since the book was opened at the EAA AirVenture show this summer and has recorded keen interest in the Americas.

For some time Nextant has been flying a King Air C90A with Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-135 engines to act as a baseline against which the G90XT can be compared. Now the first FAA conforming article is virtually complete and ready to fly in about two weeks. Nextant has set an aggressive certification program that should see the G90XT available in the first quarter of next year. STCs already held by Garmin and General Electric should help speed the process.

Here at the NBAA static display Nextant is showing off the flight deck of the G90XT, featuring two primary flight displays and a large central multifunction display. Among the features that will significantly reduce pilot workload are a digital pressurization system that automates cabin pressure control by integrating it with the flight management system, and the Unison electronic engine control, which combines the operations of engine and propeller pitch into a single-lever operation. Other new elements in the cockpit include digital fuel control, synthetic vision and underspeed protection.

Thanks to the H75-100 engines and other refinements the G90XT is expected to offer improvements in performance and economics. The engines allow a higher gross takeoff weight and hold their power ratings at higher altitudes. Specific fuel consumption is reduced by between 10 and 15 percent, leading to operating cost savings. Maximum cruise is expected to be 273 knots, while range is expected to be 1,240 nm with four passengers and reserves.

Nextant’s first aircraft will fly with test equipment instead of a fitted interior. The company has designed a new composite cabin shell that maximizes internal space; acoustic insulation will be available as an option. A range of interiors are offered, from three- and five-seat executive layouts to an air ambulance interior.

In the meantime, Nextant remains busy delivering its initial remanufacturing program, the 400XTi. Nextant delivered 11 aircraft in the first half of 2014, and by the end of the year 50 are due to have been handed over. Total orders now stand at 120, representing a penetration of 20 percent into the Hawker Beechjet 400A/XP fleet, upon which the 400XTi is based. The company has just appointed Piedmont Aircraft as exclusive sales agent for the U.S. Northeast/Mid-Atlantic, covering states from South Carolina to Maine.

Last week the 400XTi fleet surpassed 33,000 flight hours. Nextant’s maintenance network is achieving an average return-to-service time of around nine hours. Here at NBAA Nextant is holding its first international operators conference to discuss operational issues.

As for Nextant’s next remanufacturing product, the company has nothing to say right now. However, it has established a customer advisory group with TAG Aviation, Jet HQ, Avic of China, Flight Options and Guardian Jet as founder members. Nextant will consult this group on market issues, which will assist the company in selecting the aircraft types that would be best suited for forthcoming remanufacturing programs.