Since 1964, over 7,300 Beechcraft King Air turboprops have been sold to customers around the world, making it the bestselling turboprop family in the world. The worldwide fleet has surpassed 60 million flight hours in its first 50 years, serving roles in all branches of the US military, and flying commercial missions ranging from traditional passenger and cargo transport to electronic and imagery surveillance, air ambulance, airway calibration, photographic mapping, training and weather modification.

The King Air family comprises King Air 250; King Air 350i; King Air 350ER and King Air C90GTx.

Launched in 2011, the King Air 250 is a next-generation turboprop which features composite winglets and lightweight composite propellers, delivering improved runway performance, range, speed and enhanced climb. The turboprop which can seat 10 passengers allows them to travel in quintessential King Air comfort, easily moving about in the spacious squareoval cabin over long-distance journeys. It further defines mission reliability with a ram air recovery system that maintains peak performance when the anti-icing system is activated, resulting in a high-performance, all-weather aircraft.

 

Business icon and more

The King Air 250 is more than just a business icon, having taken the proven and popular Model 200 series to a new level of performance. Compared with its predecessors, the twin-engine 250 gives you more of what you buy a turboprop for: the ability to haul bigger loads out of shorter runways and fly longer distances. The Model 200 debuted in 1974 and a remake of the 1960s Model 100. The 200 quickly became a mainstay of business aviation, particularly in the Great Lakes and eastern US. There, its twin-engine redundancy, easy flying characteristics, ruggedness and economy made it a good choice for short hops across the big cold ponds separating what were then the nation’s industrial hub cities.

The launch of the King Air 250 was announced in 2010 and the first delivery took place the following year. The tremendous versatility of the King Air family has made them popular with private individuals, corporations and private jet charter operators.

Comfort seating

Four passengers are accommodated in a ‘club-style’ seating arrangement and two in front, in rear-facing seats. There is generous legroom and all seats swivel and recline for even greater comfort. The legendary comfort of the King Air’s square-oval interior offers generous head and shoulder room, unmatched by conventional cabin cross sections. The King Air 250 interior is furnished with finely crafted seats that are able to laterally track, swivel and recline.

The light, spacious and well-appointed interior includes stowable tables, refreshments cabinet, thoughtfully designed storage and a private WC at the rear of the aircraft. There is also a large in-flight accessible baggage area, unlike most jets of a similar size. The proven, rugged design, new aerodynamic enhancements and powerful Pratt & Whitney PT6A-52 engines propel the King Air 250 to 35,000 feet and on to a maximum cruising speed of 310 ktas. A range of 1,184 nm enables the aircraft to fly from London to Ibiza, an island in the Mediterranean Sea without refuelling. Short runway capability provides access to many airports that larger jets cannot reach. And this is a good proposition for corporate houses which have their manufacturing and other facilities in the hinterland. For the corporate traveller it takes them to places never been before.

This airplane can land on and take off from the proverbial postage stamp. At maximum weights, the 250 can take off over a 50-foot obstacle in 2,111 feet at sea level—that’s 400 feet less than a GT requires. At high-altitude airports, this airplane also shines. At a 5,000-foot elevation airport, it takes off in just 3,099 feet. And it can use 1,100 more of the world’s airports than a GT.

Connected passenger experience

Beechcraft has made enhancements to the King Air’s cabin technologies, which offer an improved and connected passenger experience. The personal device-centric cabin includes international or domestic Wi-Fi as standard on the King Air 350i and King Air 250 aircraft and optional on the King Air C90GTx, allowing customers to stay connected on the ground and in the air. Also standard on all three models will be electronically dimmable window shades, offering a simple interface that provides clearer views and darker shading at the touch of a button.

• King Air 250 is a nextgeneration turboprop
• The personal device-centric cabin includes international or domestic Wi-Fi
• King Air 250 tak es the corporate traveller to places never been before.

Pro Line Fusion avionics

Only on July 20 2015, Beechcraft announced that it has received type certification from the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for the latest version of its new production Beechcraft King Air 250 turboprop, allowing deliveries to commence this quarter. The upgraded King Air is equipped with the Pro Line Fusion avionics system and new cabin enhancements.

“We are pleased to put the upgraded King Air 250 in the hands of our customers so quickly after announcement two months ago,” said Christi Tannahill, Senior Vice President, Turboprop Aircraft and Interior Design. “This aircraft brings the latest technology to the cockpit and cabin allowing pilots and passengers alike to experience the Beechcraft King Air in a whole new way. EAA Airventure is a great venue for attendees to experience first-hand the investments we are making in this proven platform.”

Certification for the Pro Line Fusion-equipped King Air 350i/ER is expected to occur in the fourth quarter of this year, followed by the King Air C90GTx in the first half of 2016.

Pro Line Fusion can be managed either through buttons on the FMS controller between the seats or by touching the 14-inch screens. The system includes the latest technologies, such as graphical touch screen flight planning, split screen options, electronic checklists and synthetic vision with Rockwell Collins’ own airport dome graphics. Traffic and weather can be overlaid on the HSI on the PFD. The King Air 250 has a three-screen configuration and, while the left and right screens generally act as PFDs and the middle screen as an MFD, each screen is interchangeable making for an easy transition in case of a failure.

The King Air 250 delivers by incorporating Raisbeck Engineering’s Ram Air Recovery System, BLR winglets and lighter and more efficient all-composite Hartzell propellers. The Raisbeck system keeps foreign objects from being sucked into the engine during ground operations and during flight which helps prevent engine icing and makes engine airflow more efficient. It has been a popular aftermarket option for King Airs for years.