N550HB

The airframe bearing tail number N550HB is an Israel Aircraft Industries-built IAI 1125 Astra SPX, serial 106, constructed in 1998. The aircraft is registered in the United States and is recorded as owned by DODSON INTERNATIONAL PARTS INC, a corporation based in Rantoul, KS, US, which represents the most recent known change of custody. As a late-1990s Astra SPX example with documented systems common to retrofitted SPX/G100 examples, the airframe is typically valued at $2,000,000 in the available record. Registry entries and valuation notes indicate the aircraft is maintained as a fixed-wing multi-engine business transport and operates from a US operator base.

This specific Astra SPX is commonly fitted with a typical executive cabin layout accommodating 2 crew and 6–9 passengers with a forward galley, club seating options, and a full-width aft lavatory; higher-density configurations reported up to mid-teens seating are noted in operator records. Avionics for SPX/G100 examples are frequently updated, and this airframe is associated with the Collins Pro Line 4 retrofit as a typical installation. Operational use for this airframe would center on medium- to long-range executive transport missions out of its US base, taking advantage of the type’s transcontinental radius and cruise speed; maintenance considerations reflect the twin TFE731 turbofan commonality and retrofit avionics lifecycle.

The IAI 1125 Astra SPX occupies a mid-size business jet niche offering transcontinental range, high cruise speed and a 45,000 ft service ceiling, competing historically with light-medium jets offering similar capacity and performance. Demand among corporate owners and parts firms favors airframes that have undergone avionics retrofits such as the Collins Pro Line 4; resale considerations for this airframe hinge on maintenance records, interior configuration flexibility (executive vs. higher-density), and the health of the TFE731 engine program. As a 1998-built example owned by a parts corporation in Rantoul, the aircraft may be evaluated both as an operational jet and as a source of component assets.