Page 31 - July19TNT

But also unique and advantageous with the King Air series is the number of creative outside companies that have capitalized on opportunities to improve aspects of the world’s most popular tur- boprop to suit different needs. I recent- ly visited one such company in Waco, Texas named CenTex Aerospace. The core of their focus: carrying capability.
The Why
The King Air 200/250 series was spe- cifically built to nestle right up to the 12,500-pound limitation for an airframe flown by a pilot without a type rating. With a max gross weight (MGW) of 12,499 pounds, the early King Air 200s can carry a lot yet still be flown by a pilot who did not want to go through the gauntlet of obtaining a type rating.
But, as the years have progressed, the King Air 200/250 series have gained weight. As airplanes often do, they get heavier as the years of manufacturing progress, causing the useful load (UL) to decrease. So, a King Air 200 from the late 1970s will likely have a greater UL as compared to a recent model, mainly because of improvements to the design. While the improvements are certainly beneficial, they can be heavy while the MGW ceiling of 12,500 lbs remains the same.
This often leads to two options for the buyer in the market for a King Air 200/250 series. Buy an older King Air 200 with a higher UL and a lesser price point – but with fewer upgrades, high- er airframe time, smaller engines and higher maintenance costs. Or purchase a newer King Air 250 with a gob of cool upgrades and a higher price point – but carry much less fuel, people and bags. There is little middle ground.
Enter CenTex Aerospace with the Halo Series of gross weight increase kits. CenTex Aerospace is nestled in a cool WWII-era wooden hangar at the Waco Regional Airport (KACT). During my visit, I learned a lot about their op- eration, specifically how they increased the MGW of the King Air 200 by an in- credible 1,500 lbs. That’s a huge jump in capability whether a King Air operator needs to handle larger passenger/bag loads (and still carry tons of fuel), or
requires space for heavy special mis- sion equipment.
National Flight Simulator
CD Management Inc.
July 2019 / TWIN & TURBINE • 29