Beechcraft Super King Air

This article is about the Model 200 and 300 Series. For the Model 90 and 100 Series, see Beechcraft King Air.
"B200" redirects here. For the automobile, see Mercedes-Benz B-Class.
Super King Air
A King Air B200 of No. 45 Squadron Royal Air Force
General information
TypeCivil utility aircraft
ManufacturerBeechcraft
StatusActive service
Primary usersUnited States Air Force
Number built4,361 at end of 2023[1][2]
History
Manufactured1972–present
Introduction date1972 (military)
February 1974 (civil)
First flightOctober 27, 1972
Developed fromBeechcraft King Air
VariantsBeechcraft C-12 Huron
Beechcraft 1900

The Beechcraft Super King Air family is part of a line of twin-turboprop aircraft produced by Beechcraft. The Model 200 and Model 300 series were originally marketed as the "Super King Air" family; the "Super" designation was dropped in 1996.[3] They form the King Air line together with the King Air Model 90 and 100 series.[4]

Beechcraft currently offers the 250 (design. B200GT[5]) and the larger 350i (B300[5]) models.[6] The 350ER (B300CER[5]) is available to government, military and commercial customers for special mission operations[7] such as aerial survey, air ambulance, flight inspection and surveillance.[8] The Beechcraft 1900 regional airliner was derived from the Model B200 King Air.[9]

The Super King Air family has been in continuous production since 1974,[10] the longest production run of any civilian turboprop aircraft in its class. It outlasted all of its previous competitors, and even its intended replacement, the Model 2000 Starship. The only other pressurized multiengine turboprop utility aircraft now in production is the Piaggio P.180 Avanti.[5]

  1. ^ "Beechcraft and Hawker Serialization List: 1945 thru 2023" (PDF). Textron Aviation. 2024.
  2. ^ Simpson, R.W. (1995). Airlife's General Aviation: A guide to Postwar General Aviation Manufacturers and their aircraft (2nd ed.). Airlife Publishing. p. 76. ISBN 1-85310-577-5.
  3. ^ "Raytheon Beechcraft King Air 200." airliners.net., July 30, 2006.
  4. ^ Phillips 1992, p. 7-10.
  5. ^ a b c d "2016 Business Airplanes Purchase Planning Handbook" (PDF). Business & Commercial Aviation. Aviation Week. May 2016.
  6. ^ "Beechcraft turboprop Aircraft". Textron Aviation.
  7. ^ "King Air 350ER". Textron Aviation.
  8. ^ "Special Missions". Textron Aviation. Archived from the original on May 8, 2017. Retrieved April 27, 2017.
  9. ^ Phillips 1992, p. 70.
  10. ^ Cite error: The named reference HBPL was invoked but never defined (see the help page).