Page 8 - Volume 16 Number 9

Experience Counts
Thirty five years of serving General Aviation
Photo courtesy of Pilatus Business Aircraft LTD / Photo by Jon Youngblut Photography

Member of
National Aircraft Finance Association National Business Aviation Association
cross-section of its fuselage yielded a roomy cabin, the cockpit was suitably enclosed by a divider, the boarding stairs were solid and inspiring, and folding worktables encouraged executive activity. Beech always remembered to take care of the people in the back of the plane, who usually pay the bills. At the expense of some superlatives in the performance department, the King Air used the Queen Air’s attributes to continue soliciting the passengers’ confidence.
Thus, the 90-series King Air has endured through the ages, even though it was sometimes passed up by faster and higher-flying competitors. Part of the reason has been Beech’s support; buyers knew they could get the airplane worked on and that it wouldn’t require a lot of down-time. And it was, after all, a Beechcraft, and that always counted for something.
Linking the big Queen Air airframe to the little PT6A turbines was a match made in heaven. Beech was able to handle the extra fuel needed by incorporating 60-gallon nacelle tanks, used to provide a constant flow to the engines by continual replenishment from four wing fuel cells. A total of 384 gallons are provided. Even if the transfer pump fails, gravity will feed all but 28 gallons of fuel in each wing into the nacelle tank. This somewhat labyrinthine system is simplified for management purposes by giving the pilot on, off, or crossfeed options. When no more fuel is being transferred to the nacelle tanks, it’s time to be considering where you’re going to land.
Evolution
From the Model 65-90’s introduction as a 1965 model, following certification on May 19, 1964, the A90 came along in mid-year 1966 with -20 engines for reversing props and a gross weight bump from 9000 to 9300 pounds. The B90 of 1968 brought 5-feet, 2-inches more wingspan and a gross weight increase
Mike McCracken President 727-796-0903 info@hawkeye-aircraft.com
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6 TWIN & TURBINE
SEPTEMBER 2012