The debut and announcement of new airplane models often dominate the headlines at the annual National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) Convention & Exhibition, but this year there was also plenty of news regarding Beechcraft King Airs at the Nov. 17-19 event in Las Vegas. Among the estimated 26,000 attendees, 1,100 exhibits and 100 aircraft on static display at NBAA 2015 were companies announcing updates on products and modifications to improve in-service models of the King Air.
Beechcraft Corporation provided an update on its progress toward making Rockwell Collins’ Pro Line Fusion suite the standard avionics package for its entire line of new production King Air models, a move it announced earlier this year.
The company has received type certification from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for the new Pro Line Fusion-equipped King Air 350i/ER and said deliveries for those models, as well as the King Air 250, will begin before the end of the year. In addition to the avionics change, factory King Air 350i/ER and King Air 250 aircraft now come standard with Wi-Fi and electronically dimmable window shades. Certification for the Pro Line Fusion-equipped King Air C90GTx is expected in the first half of 2016.
“Our product roadmap is focused on satisfying our operators’ requirements, and making Pro Line Fusion standard on our production King Airs is in direct response to customer feedback,” said Christi Tannahill, Textron Aviation’s senior vice president, Turboprop Aircraft and Interior Design. “Offering the latest technology in the cockpit and cabin has resulted in great market reaction; our owners and operators clearly appreciate that these new features improve the overall flight experience and value of the King Air.”
According to Rockwell Collins, Pro Line Fusion features the industry’s only certified touch screen primary flight displays and is also available as an upgrade for Pro Line II or Pro Line 21 avionics-equipped King Airs.
The following is a roundup of other King Air news from NBAA 2015:
Sandel Avilon avionics
Vista, California-based Sandel Avionics, Inc. introduced Avilon, a retrofit flight deck for the King Air 200 with a guaranteed price of $175,000 fully-installed. The company said it will begin shipping the King Air 200 systems in June 2016 and eventually will offer Avilon for all King Air models.
Designed to enhance safety, affordability, and installation efficiency, Avilon arrives assembled from the factory as an integrated panel replacement. Sandel said this eliminates the complex and time consuming task of building custom wire harnesses, racks and assemblies. Nearly all legacy avionics and associated wiring are completely removed from the aircraft, allowing installation centers a clean replacement of the old panel with a weight savings between 100-150 pounds.
The system includes all the components of a NextGen flight deck, including radios, Flight Management Computer (FMC), sophisticated audio control, ADS-B capable Mode S transponder and high performance flight director/autopilot. Information is displayed to the pilot in an easy-to-consume format, and highlights the data that is most relevant to the current phase of flight. The patent-pending Avilon Path Guidance Panel, which integrates tactical aircraft control with the FMC, provides a continuous displayed path, making single-pilot operations, in particular, safer and less stressful, the company said.
Certified dealers for selling and installing Avilon are Cutter Aviation, Landmark Aviation and Stevens Aviation in the United States and Rocky Mountain Aircraft in Canada. “We have handpicked dealers who understand King Air owners and operators, and also have an appreciation of the enormous change Avilon brings to the retrofit avionics industry,” said Gerry Block, president and CEO of Sandel. “Our dealers have all committed to a fixed fly-away price which guarantees our customers a predictable upgrade experience.” sandelavilon.com
Commuter Air Technology 350ME
Commuter Air Technology, headquartered in Oklahoma City, introduced its CAT 350ME (maximum endurance), which brings carrying capacity and endurance upgrades to the King Air B300 through two supplemental type certificates. The company secured the CAT 350 operational gross weight increase STC in July and expects final approval of the CAT 350ME fuel tank STC in the first quarter of 2016.
“CAT’s 350 gross weight increase and 350ME fuel tanks enable our customers to fly their King Air from coast to coast: Los Angeles to Miami, or internationally across the Atlantic, without the need to refuel. This has been unprecedented – until now,” said Darryl Wilkerson, Commuter Air Technology’s president.
CAT 350ME fuel tanks have the largest capacity in the market, adding a total of 280 gallons of fuel and achieving flight time of 12-plus hours with a range of 2,760 nautical miles. This accounts for a 15-plus percent improvement over industry leading solutions currently in the market, the company said.
The operational gross weight increase provides an overall increase in operating weights for the B300 aircraft with increased ramp weight to 16,600 pounds, take-off weight of 16,500 pounds and landing weight of 15,675 pounds. The upgrade also supports the additional weight of the CAT 350ME fuel tanks and minimizes the impact to the carrying capacity for full fuel load operations. commuterair.com
BLR Aerospace Whisper Prop
BLR Aerospace announced that 10 Whisper Prop systems have been sold for King Air 90, 200 and 350 aircraft, and that operators are verifying the effectiveness of the ultra-quiet, low-vibration propeller system.
“The jury is in,” said Dave Marone, BLR’s vice president of Sales and Marketing. “Whisper Prop is incredibly smooth and quiet providing a step change in cabin comfort.”
BLR introduced the fully certified five-blade, carbon fiber propeller in May. The system has a natural composite core and is manufactured by MT-Propeller of Germany. It is available for installation on King Airs individually or as a package with BLR Winglet Systems, which increases wing aspect ratio to reduce induced drag to provide improved speed, climb, fuel efficiency and handling qualities.
The company said its King Air C90GTi flight test data shows that Whisper Prop provides between 30 and 50 percent reduction in noise measured in dba, depending on audible frequency, when compared to the standard King Air C90GTi propeller. The data shows performance gains too, with BLR reporting that King Air 350 operators who install Whisper Prop can expect a six percent reduction in takeoff time from brake release to VR speed. blraerospace.com
Raisbeck/Hartzell swept-blade props
Two of Raisbeck Engineering’s newly designed
King Air 350 swept-blade propellers manufactured by Hartzell Propeller Inc, in Piqua, Ohio, have reached the order-taking stage, the companies announced at NBAA, where both propellers were on display. The four-blade aluminum propellers will begin delivering in January 2016 and the five-blade structural composite propellers in April 2016. Both have completed FAA certification flight tests and documentation, with STCs expected soon.
The new King Air 350 propellers are an extension of the Hartzell/Raisbeck swept-blade technology already developed for the King Air C90 and King Air B200 series. The companies said the upgrades offer increased across-the-board performance, lower cockpit and cabin sound levels and a striking ramp presence.
“We have greatly advanced the technology of propellers by taking advantage of the aerodynamic effect of blade sweep, the strength of lightweight structural composites and robotic manufacturing technologies for both composite and aluminum blades,” said Joe Brown, Hartzell’s president. “As a result we can offer across-the-board performance improvements in all phases of flight.” hartzellprop.com, raisbeck.com
CenTex saddle tanks
Waco, Texas-based CenTex Aerospace, Inc. exhibited its newest saddle tank for King Air 90, 200 and 300 series aircraft. The ST72 provides 72 gallons of additional fuel capacity plus a 55-inch long by 28-inch wide cargo compartment. CenTex’s saddle tank line already includes the ST190 and ST120.
The company also highlighted its HALO 250 conversion for King Air 200 series aircraft that increases payload capability by moving the airplane into commuter category and approving a MTOW of 13,420 pounds. The conversion also adds safety features found only on commuter and transport category airplanes. Textron Aviation is offering the Halo 250 conversion as the enhanced payload option on new King Air 250s, and according to CenTex, one-third of new owners selected the enhanced payload option during the past year. Aircraft with HALO 250 are operating in North America, Central America, Europe, Australia and the Middle East. centex.aero
Nextant Aerospace’s G90XT
Nextant Aerospace announced it has received FAA certification for the Nextant G90XT, a remanufactured Beechcraft King Air C90.
Assembled at the Nextant facility in Cleveland, Ohio, the G90XT features General Electric H75-100 engines that Nextant said improve high-altitude performance along with an approximate 10 percent improvement in specific fuel consumption. The airplane’s fully-integrated Regent flight deck is based on the Garmin G1000 and also incorporates a series of safety features designed to significantly enhance single-pilot operations, including what the company said is the first of its kind, digitally controlled, single-lever power control technology. There’s also a new interior and a new environmental cooling system that Nextant said moves 300 percent more air in the cabin.
in the industry.
“Our goal was to deliver an entry-level, twin-engine turboprop that offered the best combination of overall value, performance and cabin comfort in the category. We specifically focused on creating the safest single-pilot operating platform in the industry, and the G90XT has exceeded our expectations,” said Jay Heublein, Nextant’s executive vice president. nextantaerospace.com
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