In April 1981, the British Aerospace Board sanctioned the program to improve the BAe 125-700 series. By May 1983 the new aircraft was ready for its first test flight. The 800 series has a number of modifications and changes over the 700, the most noticeable being the redesigned cockpit windscreen. Accompanying this are a modified rear fuselage fairing, as well as a glass cockpit and uprated Garrett TFE731-5R-1H engines. British Aerospace also improved the wing by incorporating new outer wing sections. This helped to reduce drag and improve aerodynamic efficiency. The 800 series would become a sales success. From the first BAe 125 flight in August 1961 it took nineteen years until the 500th airframe was sold. In a little over five years British Aerospace were registering the 200th sale of the 800 series. In 1994 Beech Aircraft (which was also controlled by Raytheon) merged with Raytheon Corporate Jets to form Raytheon Aircraft.
In March 2007, Raytheon Aircraft Company was sold to Hawker Beechcraft."
