In article , says...


Raytheon has been trying to unload its general aviation / business
aircraft business for years and the Boston Globe is now reporting that a
buyer has reportedly been found and negotiations are in final stages.



It's true they have been trying to off-load RAC for years, turning their backs
on a profitibale division, with prodigious growth potential. The Hawkers are
one of the most successful lines of business aircraft, even if less visible
than the ubiquitous Citations from rival, Cessna. Add to this the KingAir
series, perhaps on their way out, but today the most successful business
aircraft in history, and it's a bit difficult to understand why Raytheon has
been struggling so hard to get rid of it all, rather than developing something
to compete directly with the Mustang and Honda. It seems they cannot put their
faith in anything that doesn't kill large numbers of people!

In view of the way things are going for schedued airlines these days, the
growth potential for business aviation seems assured. They'll probably be
better off without Raytheon anyway, assuming they find an acquisition deal that
allows them to develop a real growth strategy, and not to be broken up and sold
off for scrap metal.