Beechcraft King Air
The U-21 Ute used by the US Army was the most common version. Most U-21s were unpressurized Model 87 derivatives, but there were also five U-21Fs based on the A100 King Air; and three U-21Js, which Beechcraft designated Model A100-1, but were actually the first three production Model 200 Super King Airs (C/Ns BB-3, BB-4 and BB-5, after prototypes C/N BB-1 and BB-2 had been built). With a 275 kt (509 km/h, 316 mph) cruise speed, the C90GT was highly competitive with the new generation of Very Light Jets over short to medium distances, while providing a larger and more luxurious cabin.This article is about 90 and 100 Series King Airs. One was a Model 65-A90 operated by the US Army and serialled 66-15361, the other a B90 operated by the United States Air Force as Air Force One. During the administration of President Lyndon Johnson, the United States Air Force acquired a Model B90 King Air off-the-shelf .
This engine change increased performance due to lower operating temperatures, improving both cruise speed and climb rate. The B100 was introduced in 1976 and was produced concurrently with the A100 for several years; manufacture ceased in 1983 after 137 were built.
On 14 July, Beech announced a new type, and a month later began accepting orders for the King Air , with deliveries to commence in Autumn 1964. In 1966, after 112 65-90s were completed, Military versions built during these years included the 65-A90-1, 65-A90-2, 65-A90-3, and 65-A90-4, all being unpressurised models based on the Model 87. The TC-90s and the UC-90 comprise the 202 Kyoiku Kokutai (Training Squadron) based at Tokushima, while the LC-90s are attached to various Lockheed P-3 Kokutai (Squadrons) and a NAMC YS-11 Kokutai The U.S.
C90GT deliveries commenced at the beginning of 2006. The Model 100 is a stretched derivative of the Model 90 featuring five cabin windows instead of the Model 90 s three; MTOW increased by 1,300 lb (590 kg) over the 90, to 10,600 lb (4,810 kg). It has outsold all of its turboprop competitors combined and is the only small twin-turboprop business aircraft in production.
It now faces competition from jet aircraft such as the Beechcraft Premier I and Cessna Citation Mustang as well as newer single-engine turboprop aircraft, namely the Piper Malibu and Socata TBM. The Model 90 King Air was conceived as the Model 120 in 1961. The Model 200 Super King Air was developed from the Model 100, with the same fuselage design (with some differences, mainly associated with the different tails) being used for both models.
A total of 61 were delivered to the US Navy between 1977 and 1980. These have been given various designations by the JMSDF and consist of 34 TC-90 trainers, five LC-90 transports and a single UC-90 which is configured for photographic aerial survey.
The Model 200 had different wings and a T-tail and entered service in 1974. The Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) has operated a total of 40 C90 and C90A King Airs, with deliveries beginning in 1973. A total of 157 A100s were built by the time production of this model ceased in 1979.
With the military designation VC-6A, the aircraft, serialled 66-7943, was used to transport President Johnson between Bergstrom Air Force Base (near Austin, Texas) and the Johnson family ranch near Johnson City, Texas. These were used as multi-engine trainers and flew with Canadian civil registrations.
For 200 and 300 Series King Airs, see the Beechcraft Super King Air article. The Beechcraft King Air family is part of a line of twin-turboprop aircraft produced by the Beech Aircraft Corporation (now Beechcraft Division of Hawker Beechcraft). The C90A model was in production until 1992, by which time 235 had been built, all but 74 with the increased MTOW. Only two C90As were built in 1992, the Model C90B followed that year with airframe improvements, four-bladed propellers, and propeller synchrophasing, In July 2005, during the Oshkosh Airshow, Beechcraft introduced the C90GT.
military has used King Air 90s in various roles, primarily VIP and liaison transport, with designations including the VC-6A, the T-44 Pegasus, and the U-21 Ute. A total of 162 of these were built between 1967 and 1971. A total of 184 B90 models were produced before the Model C90 was introduced in 1971, The F90 prototype was re-engined with Garrett AiResearch TPE-331 engines to test the feasibility of a Model G90, but this model was not put into production. The Model C90-1 entered production in 1982 after 507 C90s and 347 E90s had been built, The C90-1 was soon followed by the Model C90A, which featured the redesigned engine cowlings of the F90-1.
The King Air line comprises a number of models that have been divided into two families; the Model 90 and 100 series are known as King Airs, while the Model 200 and 300 series were originally marketed as Super King Airs, with Super being dropped by Beechcraft in 1996 (although it is still often used to differentiate the 200 and 300 series King Airs from their smaller stablemates). The King Air was the first aircraft in its class and has been in continuous production since 1964. In May 1963, Beechcraft began test flights of the proof-of-concept Model 87, a modified Queen Air with Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-6 engines.
In August 2006, the Navy announced that after 29 years of operation, the T-44A fleet would be upgraded with modernized avionics systems, and redesignated T-44Cs. Two VC-6A aircraft were operated by the US military. These were produced for the US Army which designated them U-21s of various sub-models; many were fitted out for electronic battlefield surveillance.
The C90A received an increase in MTOW in 1987, being certified to 10,100 lb (4,580 kg). The C90GT was fitted with 750 shp (560 kW) PT6A-135As, flat rated to the same 550 shp (410 kW) as the earlier King Airs.
Two of the former RFDS C90 King Airs are now operated by the New Tribes Mission in Papua New Guinea. A total of more than 3,100 King Air 90 and 100 series aircraft have been delivered as of August 2008: The ICAO designator, such as might be used in a PIREP or a flight plan, for the various King Airs are BE90 (various model 90s), and BE10 (model 100). 89 Model 100s were built before it was superseded by the Model A100 in 1972, with a further increase in MTOW to 11,500 lb (5,220 kg), fuel capacity increased by 94 US Gallons (357 litres), and four-bladed propellers.
The RU-21Es (except one written off) were later converted to U-21Hs and RU-21Hs, with two U-21Hs and an RU-21H being further converted to JU-21Hs. The T-44A Pegasus is a trainer version, designated the Model H90 by Beechcraft, used to train United States Navy, Marine Corps, Coast Guard, and Air Force pilots to fly multi-engine aircraft. This aircraft is now on display, with other presidential aircraft, at the National Museum of the United States Air Force at Wright Patterson Air Force Base near Dayton, Ohio. A number of aftermarket modifications and upgrades are available for 90 and 100 Series King Airs. Among the numerous airframe modifications available; a cargo conversion for the 90 model, the CargoLiner, which replaces the rear door with a large pallet accessible cargo door, a heavy duty floor structure and cabin cargo liner, also a crew hatch for cockpit access for the crew in the 90, 100, and 200 Eight C90A King Airs were operated by Bombardier on behalf of the Canadian Air Force.
The next in the series was the B100, which featured 715 shp (533 kW) Garrett AiResearch TPE-331 engines as an alternative to the Pratt & Whitneys offered on other King Airs, and another increase in MTOW to 11,800 lb (5,350 kg). All entered service in 1992. The Department of Civil Aviation of Papua New Guinea operated a C90 King Air for a number of years, but now operates a Model 200 Super King Air. The Royal Flying Doctor Service of Australia previously operated a large number of 90 Series King Airs, but retired the last example in 2006, standardising on the King Air 200 Series and the Pilatus PC-12 for its fleet requirements.
The 100 used the wings, tail, and engines (two PT6A-28 engines rated at 620 shp) from the Model 99 airline, itself a development of the Queen Air (as was the Model 90). The Model 100 was flown for the first time on 17 March 1969 and unveiled to the public in May. The majority of U-21s were delivered as U-21As (102 65-A90-1s), but there were also four RU-21As (65-A90-1s), three RU-21Bs (65-A90-2s), two RU-21Cs (65-A90-3s), 18 RU-21Ds (65-A90-1s), 16 RU-21Es (65-A90-4s), and 17 RU-21Gs (65-A90-1s).
When Johnson was aboard, the aircraft used the callsign Air Force One. With the exception of the F90 and F90-1, all 90 Series King Airs have been produced under the same Type Certificate (Number 3A20) used for Queen Air production. Specifications obtained from the FAA Type Certificate and the Hawker Beechcraft website General characteristics Performance Specifications obtained from The International Directory of Civil Aircraft, 1997/98 Edition. General characteristics Performance Related development Comparable aircraft 17 · 18 · 19 · 23 · 24 · 25 · 26 · 28 · 33 · 34 · 35 · 36 · 38 · 40 · 45 · 50 · 55 · 56 · 58 · 60 · 65 · 70 · 73 · 76 · 77 · 80 · 85 · 87 · 88 · 90 · 95 · 99 · 100 · 101 · 120 · 200 · 300 · 390 · 400 · 1074 · 1079 · 1300 · 1900 · 2000 XA-38 · AT-7 · AT-10 · AT-11 · C-43 · C-45 · C-6 · C-12 · F-2 · L-23 · T-34 · XT-36 · T-42 · T-44 · T-1 · T-6 · U-8 · U-21 · GB · JB-1 · JRB · SNB · CT-128 · CT-134 · CT-145 · CT-156 · C-90 · LR-2 QU-22 · AQM-37 · MQM-61A · MQM-107 AT-1 • AT-2 • AT-3 • AT-4 • AT-5 • AT-6 • AT-7 • AT-8 • AT-9 • AT-10 • AT-11 • AT-12 • XAT-13 • XAT-14 • XAT-15 • AT-16 • AT-17 • AT-18 • AT-19 • AT-20 • AT-21 • AT-22 • AT-23 • AT-24 BC-1 • BC-2 • BC-3 BT-1 • BT-2 • YBT-3 • XBT-4 • YBT-5 • BT-6 • Y1BT-7 • BT-8 • BT-9 • Y1BT-10 • BT-11 • BT-12 • BT-13 • BT-14 • BT-15 • XBT-16 • XBT-17 PT-1 • XPT-2 • PT-3 • PT-4 • XPT-5 • YPT-6 • YPT-7 • XPT-8 • YPT-9 • YPT-10 • PT-11 • PT-12 • PT-13 • PT-14 • YPT-15 • PT-16 • PT-17 • PT-18 • PT-19 • PT-20 • PT-21 • PT-22 • PT-23 • PT-24 • YPT-25 • PT-26 • PT-27 • T-28 • T-29 • XT-30 • XT-31 • XT-32 • T-33 • T-34 • T-35 • XT-36 • T-37 • T-38 • T-39 • T-40 • T-41 • T-42 • T-43 • T-44 • T-45 • T-46 • T-47 • T-48 • T-50 • T-51 Note: Tri-service designations re-started at T-1 in 1990 C-1 · C-2 · C-3 · C-4 · C-5 · C-6 · C-7 · C-8 · C-9 · C-10 · C-11 · C-12 · (C-13 not assigned) • C-14 · C-15 · (C-16 not assigned) • C-17 · C-18 · C-19 · C-20A/B/C/D · C-20F/G/H · C-21 · C-22 · C-23 · C-24 · C-25 · C-26 · C-27 / C-27J · C-28 · C-29 · (C-30 not assigned) • C-31 · C-32 · C-33 · C-35 · (C-36 not assigned) • C-37 · C-38 · C-40 · C-41 · (C-42 to C-44 not assigned) • C-45 U-1 • U-2 • U-3 • U-4 • U-5 • U-6 • U-7 • U-8 • U-9 • U-10 • U-11 • (U-12 to U-15 not allocated) • U-16 • U-17 • U-18 • U-19 • U-20 • U-21 • U-22 • U-23 • U-24 • U-25 • U-26 • U-27 • U-28 • U-38 .
