Textron Aviation has announced another new Beechcraft King Air model, the King Air 260 turboprop.
The 260 comes hot on the heels of a similar upgrade for the bigger King Air 360. Assembly production for the King Air 260 is already underway, and certification and deliveries are expected in early 2021.
The King Air 260 has state-of-the-art upgrades and next-generation capability, offering a greater ease of flying, says Textron.
Key enhancements are the addition of the Innovative Solutions & Support (IS&S) ThrustSense Autothrottle, along with a new digital pressurization controller. The cockpit also offers the Collins Aerospace Multi-Scan weather radar system as a standard feature on every King Air 260.
“These investments reflect our commitment to providing superior upgrades and engineering innovation that create the best flying experience for Beechcraft King Air 260 owners and operators around the world,” said Ron Draper, president and CEO.
“We place an immense value on our conversations with our customers, and the investments we make in our aircraft are a direct result of listening to their input. I’m proud of the impressive effort by our team for taking a legendary aircraft and adding technological advancements that will allow customers to achieve their varied missions.”
Beechcraft King Air 260
The King Air 360 has an occupancy of up to nine, a maximum range of 1,720 nautical miles and a top cruise speed of 310 ktas.
The ThrustSense Autothrottle supports pilots by automatically managing engine power from the takeoff roll through the climb, cruise, descent, go-around and landing phases of flight. This enhancement reduces pilot workload and is designed to prevent over-speed or under-speed, over-temp and over-torque conditions.
Another key update in the cockpit is the new digital pressurisation controller, which automatically schedules cabin pressurisation during both climb and descent, reducing pilot workload and increasing overall passenger comfort. The pressurisation gauges have been integrated with the Collins Aerospace Pro Line Fusion flight deck.
The Collins Multi-Scan RTA-4112 weather radar provides pilots with a fully automatic system optimised to detect short, mid and long-range weather. The system is designed to present an accurate picture of the weather around the aircraft, further reducing pilot workload.
“The Beechcraft King Air line-up is the most popular business turboprop in the world,” said Rob Scholl, senior vice president, Sales and Flight Operations for Textron Aviation.
“It’s essential for us to continue exploring ways to bring innovation to such a renowned aircraft, and these enhancements will allow owners and operators to accomplish their various missions with greater comfort, technology and ease.”
The IS&S ThrustSense Autothrottle is also available as an aftermarket upgrade through Textron Aviation Service facilities on all Pro Line Fusion-equipped Beechcraft King Air 200 series aircraft.
Nearly 7,600 Beechcraft King Air turboprops have been delivered to customers around the world since 1964, making it the best-selling business turboprop family in the world. The worldwide fleet has surpassed 62 million flight hours in its 56 years, serving roles in all branches of the U.S. military and flying both commercial and special mission roles around the world.