The Beechcraft King Air C90GTx Medium Turbo-prop has been manufactured by Beechcraft Corp. since 2010. The cabin measures 12.5 feet long by 4.5 feet wide by 4.8 feet high, giving it a total volume of 267.2 cubic feet, allowing it to comfortably accommodate up to 5 passengers. The baggage compartment can hold up to 6.9 bags if your average bag is less than 5 cubic feet. The Beechcraft King Air C90GTx has a maximum range (not including headwinds, high altitude, warm temperatures, or greater capacity) of 1,292 miles and a top speed of 307 mph. Common names and abbreviations: BE-C90GTx, King Air C90GTx, Beechcraft King Air C90GTx, BE-C90GTx.
The Beechcraft King Air family is part of a line of twin-turboprop aircraft produced by Beechcraft. The King Air family of aircraft includes a number of models that have been divided into two families; the 90 and 100 series are known as King Airs, while the 200 and 300 series were originally marketed as Super King Airs. Since production began in 1964, over 3,100 aircraft have been built. Production is currently ongoing, making the Beechcraft King Air the longest continuous production run of any civil aircraft in its class. Beechcraft has created several variations of its original design. The C90GTx model was developed in 2010.
Beechcraft King Air C90GTx Technical Specifications
Performance
* Rate of climb: 1900 fpm
* Maximum speed: 226 kts
* Normal cruise: 272 kts
* Cost per hour: $1261
* Avionics: Collins Aerospace Pro Line Fusion
Distances
* Take-off distance: 1984 ft
* Landing distance: 2100 ft
Use
* Crew: 1
* Passengers: 8
Scope
* Normal range: 1152 nm
* Maximum range: 1260 nm
* Service ceiling: 30,000 feet
Power
* Engines: 2
* Engine manufacturer: Pratt & Whitney Canada
* Engine model: PT6A-135
* Rated power: 550 shp
Production
* 2021 Price: $3.8M
* Year of launch: 2010
* End of production: Still under construction
The King Air C90GTx was designed as a direct development of the C90GTi model with added winglets and full-throttle payload flexibility. It is powered by two Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-135A turboprops rated at 550 shp each to provide a range of 1,152 nm. The addition of standard winglets helps increase MTOW by 10,485 lbs, reduce drag and accelerate climb rates. The 227 cubic-foot interior allows passengers to comfortably reach their destination with more head and shoulder room than previous models, while its 26 tuned vibration dampers significantly reduce cabin noise.
Inside the C90GTx cockpit, the instrument panel features Collins Aerospace Pro Line Fusion avionics, providing simplified single-pilot operation, a touchscreen graphical flight plan, a high-resolution synthetic vision system and precision NextGen GPS capabilities. Integrated touchscreen checklists and automatic wireless map downloads also make flying and navigation easier for pilots.
The King Air C90GTx is still in production, with a total of 168 aircraft currently being built. North America is the region that operates the largest percentage of the fleet at 42%, while South America follows with 32%. An additional 10% are operated in both Europe and Asia. Currently, 4.8% of the fleet is for sale in the market, and an average of 2 aircraft are sold per month.
Beechcraft Company
Beechcraft develops and manufactures commercial, military and general aviation aircraft. A Textron brand since 2014, Beechcraft’s aircraft portfolio spans from light single-engine aircraft to military trainers, with a strong presence in the turboprop market.
In 1932, Walter Beech founded the Beech Aircraft Company in Wichita, Kansas. The company’s initial offering, the Model 17 Staggerwing, was first flown in November 1932, and over 750 civilian aircraft were sold in its production run. For the first time in commercial aviation, the Model 17 had a top speed of 200 miles per hour.
Since Beechcraft was founded in the years leading up to World War II, Walter Beech quickly got his company involved in the production of military aircraft. The company would eventually produce over 7,400 aircraft for the U.S. military and its allies, including the AT-11 Kansan. About 90 percent of the 45,000 USAAF bombers that flew during World War II trained on AT-11s.
After the war, the civilian aircraft market continued to expand. Beechcraft replaced the aging Model 17 Staggerwing with the revolutionary Bonanza in 1947. The aircraft holds the title of the longest production run in history, and is still manufactured today.
Olive Ann Beech, Walter’s wife, took control of the company after Walter’s death in 1950. Over the next three decades, Beechcraft would launch the legendary Baron (1960) and King Air (1964) aircraft, which are still in production. In February 1980, the company was acquired by Raytheon, and the appointment of Linden Blue as CEO of Beechcraft in 1982 marked the end of 50 years of Beech family management. Raytheon merged Beechcraft with the Hawker product line in 1994, and the brand was renamed Hawker Beechcraft after Raytheon sold its Raytheon Aircraft brand to Goldman Sachs in 2006.
Lawsuits stemming from the 2008 recession and past mistakes forced Hawker Beechcraft to file for bankruptcy protection in 2012. Textron, the parent company of longtime competitor Cessna, bought the reconstituted Beechcraft Corp. in 2014.
Beechcraft currently produces the King Air, Baron and Bonanza lines, with four King Air variants offering ranges between 1,260 nm and 2,692 nm. Cessna and Beechcraft make up the Textron Aviation division.
Official website: Beechcraft King Air C90GTx