Textron has taken steps to speed up its buy-out of Beechcraft.
On 4 March, the US Federal Trade Commission granted Textron an early end to the waiting period under the Antitrust Improvements Act. This means the intended "merger" of Textron and Beech Holdings could be completed by the end of March.
Once all regulatory approvals and conditions are met, the company will be able to complete the merger.
Exactly what form the merger will take is currently the subject of much industry speculation, including the future of some Beechcraft products, in particular, the Baron and Bonanza.
Comment
Whilst the Baron has had no counterpart at Cessna since the C310 ceased production, the Beech 36 Bonanza was originally designed to compete with the Cessna 206, which is still in production. In the last year the T206H and the G36 were neck-and-neck in terms of sales, giving Textron little evidence as to which aircraft to retain.
With the Cessna Corvalis TTx already in their range, Textron has the high-speed single market covered also, leaving the Bonanza swinging in breeze. Deliveries of the new TTx have only just started, so comparative sales between the two are no indicator of how to rationalise the range.
There is always the chance that all products will be retained. The Bonanza is a good utility aircraft that can fulfill a lot of the mission roles of both the 206 and the TTx, effectively creating a bridge between the high-speed single and the powerful hauler.
And you can never underestimate the value of brand loyalty, which may desert Textron should they scrap one of the world's favourite GA aircraft.