Australian Aviation — January 2018

72 AUSTRALIAN AVIATION

S

ome aircraft don’t merely carve

a niche for themselves, they

create a legacy. This comes about

through the successful mating

of a quality airframe and powerplant,

through sound design philosophy and

through longevity. The King Air range

is very much one such aircraft with

more than 7,300 of its many variants

taking to the skies over more than 50

years.

Standing tall

The first King Air was introduced in

1964, back when Sir Robert Menzies

was the Prime Minister and The

Beatles were on tour in Australia.

From its genesis as the smaller Model

65-90, the twin turboprop King

Air has grown in both dimensions

and reputation. Through the highly

successful 200 series, which was

originally known as the Super King

Air, the aircraft was ultimately

developed into the 350 and to date

over 1,200 of the model have been

built.

Sitting on the ramp outside

Hawker Pacific’s FBO at Sydney

Airport, Textron’s Beechcraft

King Air 350i demonstrator is

having a rare stationary moment

on its extensive tour to the region.

Appropriately registered N350KF,

it cuts an impressive pose in its red,

white and black scheme, highlighted

by the towering T-tail rising to 4.37m

and the winglets that rise at each end

of the 17.65m wingspan.

The King Air has always had a

proud stance, although the practical

aspect behind the aesthetics is

that standing tall on its tricycle

undercarriage provides propeller

and engine intake clearance on the

unprepared runways that the versatile

King Air may be called to operate

from. Away from the ground, the

aircraft has a maximum ceiling of

35,000ft and a maximum cruise

speed of 312kt, although the latter is

achieved at 26,000ft.

Not obvious to the eye are the

performance figures that underpin the

350i. While certified for single-pilot

operations, it is also certified under

the Part 23, or ‘commuter category’,

requirements. Firstly, this means

that pilots require a specific type

endorsement to fly it and secondly, it

conforms to the rule set that calls for

A proud

tradition

AIR TEST Beechcraft King Air 350i

The timeless lines of the King Air

350i.TEXTRON AVIATION

WRITER: OWEN ZUPP

Flying the Beechcraft King Air 350i