Full Fuel Payload Doubled In New Model

By Robbie Culver

In more than 45 years of continuous production, more than 6600 King Air's have rolled off the production line. Now, Hawker Beechcraft has a new entry-level King Air model positioned as an alternative to the light-jet market. With sales doubling from 2003 to 2008, and Hawker-Beechcraft used customer-focused product development efforts to implement the features their customers wanted. The result is a brand new model of King Air, based on the popular C90GTi. According to Hawker Beechcraft, this marks the 8th major upgrade to the King Air line since 2003.

Shawn Vick

On opening day at EAA's Airventure 2009, the company announced the new King Air C90GTx, which expands the operating capabilities of the legendary King Air even further, with expanded useful load, increased rates of climb, and higher fuel efficiency which the company labels as "impressive enhancements to both payload and performance while remaining one of the greenest and most efficient aircraft available." The new King Air is positioned as having the "go anywhere capability, versatility and quality turboprop that VLJs can’t match." Through the use of composite winglets, which are also available as an STC retrofit on older C-model King Air's, the new C90GTx will carry 4 passengers 1000 nm with full NBAA IFR reserves, with an increase in full-fuel payload of 385 pounds.While the aircraft is not on display at Airventure, the full line of other King Air and Premier aircraft models on view at the corporation's display in AeroShell square. Orders were being taken at Airventure with deliveries planned for early 2010.

“The C90GTx is the latest example of our commitment to keeping the Beechcraft King Air family the most successful turboprop lineup in aviation history,” said Bill Boisture,HBC Chairman and CEO in a company press release.“We took an outstanding product, the C90GTi, and made it even better in the new C90GTx.”

According to Hawker Beechcraft, the maximum ramp weight and maximum takeoff weight of the C90GTx have been increased by 385 pounds to 10,545 and 10,485 pounds respectively, and it is this increase in maximum weight which provides the new C90GTx with a full-fuel payload capability almost double that of the C90GTi and ahead of any entry-level jet.

At the press conference, Hawker Beechrcraft's Shawn Vick reviewed the aircraft's capabilities, explaining the new model has the Rockwell-Collins integrated Pro-Line 21 avionics suite typically found in larger aircraft, upgraded, turbulence-detecting Doppler weather radar and WAAS GPS as standard equipment, and a cabin width that exceeds most very light jets by 50%. With seating for up to 7 passengers, including a private aft lavatory, and an in-flight accessible pressurized heated baggage area.

King Air's are reknown for their reliability, rugged operational experience, and ease of operation. The new model builds on the heritage and continues to offer a known economic operational envelope with capabilities of using smaller rural airports that jets may not be capable of utilizing.

Hawker Beechcraft also reports strong business activity with the March 2009 first delivery of the USAF's King Air 350ER special mission aircraft as part of "Project Liberty," ongoing growth of the T-6A trainer program, and ongoing special mission warfighting solutions for the US military.

FMI: www.hawkerbeechcraft.com