T-Ta il
However, more was to come as the company looked at further
ways to improve the already hugely successful aircraft. Even
with continuous development work on both the series 90 and
100, Beechcraft had been working on a potentially massive
enhancement in the background.
The Model 200 or Super King Air was the most capable of
King Air to date with a ceiling of 35,000ft while cruising at an
impressive 275kts. The model’s maximum take-off weight was
12,000lbs compared to just 9,000lbs available from the KingAir 90 just ten years before. (Any further modifications to the
variant pushing the aircraft past the 12,000lbs mark would lead
to Beechcraft having to work for a new type certification in the
next category, FAR Part 25 of the Transport aeroplane category.)
Up until this point the majority of the King Air variants
looked somewhat similar to the original 90 Series. The 200,
however, broke that tradition with a T-Tail configuration which
had been developed over four years. Beechcraft also redesigned
the entire wing, increasing the span to 54ft 6ins (16.61m) - some
nine feet longer than the first of the King Airs. It also dialled in
more improvements to the aircraft’s high altitude capabilities
and characteristics – including a cruising altitude of just over
30,000ft was now possible. The increased wingspan also
permitted fitment of larger engines, giving the type higher cruise
speeds and further range.
Powered by two Pratt and Whitney PT6A-41s, the aircraft
had an impressive cruising speed of 275kts. As well as the
advantages of fitting larger powerplants, the increase in the
span also allowed the engines to be moved further away from
the fuselage, reducing the noise in the aircrafts cabin, therefore
enhancing the comfort, while the T-Tail also allowed for a
smoother cruise and enhanced pitch control.King Air C90 OK-BKS
was delivered to
Germany’s Autoklub
Bohemia Assistance
in January 1996 and
was later reregistered
as F-HDGC and
N178J M with
Manaco-based
Boutsen Aviation.
King Air 350 N2317N
was operated by
various US owners
until 2005 when it
was sold to a Brazilian
in estment company
as PR-MOZ. On May
22, 2009 it clipped
a tree while trying
to land at Porto
Seguro-Terravista
Golf Club in Bahia,
Brazil in heavy rain.
The two crew and 14
passengers were killed
in the resulting crash.
Inside the latest
King Air. Today
glass cockpits and
advanced avionics
replace the traditional
instrumentation but
the aircraft retains ist
half century heritage.
J E http://www.airlinerworld.com 81