LAS VEGAS (Nov. 17, 2015) – Beechcraft Corporation, a subsidiary of Textron Aviation Inc., a Textron Inc. (NYSE:TXT) company, today announced at the NBAA’s Business Aviation Convention and Exhibition it has received type certification from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for the new Pro Line Fusion-equipped Beechcraft King Air 350i/ER turboprop. Deliveries are scheduled to begin before the end of the year.
Pro Line Fusion-equipped King Air 350i and King Air 250 turboprops are making their NBAA debuts at Textron Aviation’s static display this week at the Henderson Executive Airport.
“Our product roadmap is focused on satisfying our operators’ requirements, and making Pro Line Fusion standard on our production King Airs is in direct response to customer feedback,” said Christi Tannahill, senior vice president, Turboprop Aircraft and Interior Design. “Offering the latest technology in the cockpit and cabin has resulted in great market reaction; our owners and operators clearly appreciate that these new features improve the overall flight experience and value of the King Air.”
Deliveries of the Fusion-equipped King Air 250 are expected to begin before the end of the year. Certification for the Pro Line Fusion-equipped King Air C90GTx is expected in the first half of 2016.
Avionics
Pro Line Fusion for the King Air brings one of the most trusted avionics architectures to the first full touchscreen flight display system. The new avionics system improves how operators aviate, navigate and communicate through a one-of-a-kind intuitive flight deck interface. Its three 14-inch displays are interchangeable, high-resolution and touch controlled. Other performance-enhancing capabilities include:
- Integrated touchscreen checklists
- Intuitive graphical touchscreen flight planning
- High-resolution Synthetic Vision System with patented airport dome graphics
- Convenient presets to reconfigure all three displays with a single touch
- Full multi-sensor flight management system
- Available automatic wireless database and chart uploads
- Open and scalable architecture for future upgrades and mandates
- Flexibility through multiple avionics input controls
Cabin upgrades
In addition to new Pro Line Fusion avionics, the cabin now offers an enhanced passenger experience. With Wi-Fi as standard on the King Air 350i/ER and King Air 250 aircraft, the personal device-centric cabin environment allows customers to stay connected and productive throughout their flight experience. Also standard are electronically dimmable window shades, offering a simple interface that provides more effective shading and faster dimming at the touch of a button.
Segment leadership
More than 7,300 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 60 million flight hours in its first 50 years, serving roles in all branches of the U.S. military and flying commercial missions ranging from traditional passenger and cargo transport to electronic and imagery surveillance, air ambulance, airway calibration, photographic mapping, training and weather modification.