Hawker Beechcraft King Air C90GT Specs and Description

Background/History

The King Air C90GT is an evolutionary development of the original short-bodied King Air. The King Air C90GT was introduced in July 2005 during the Oshkosh air show. The aim of Raytheon was to replace the C90B with a more high-powered aircraft without sacrificing the best mix of cabin and comfort, performance, and excellent reliability that Beechcraft is famous for. The Model 90-series rolled off the production line on September 9, 1964. By the end of 1968 more than 400 aircraft had been delivered with the original Pratt and Whitney PT-6A turboprop engines, rated at 500 shaft horsepower. Further refinement of the 90-series resulted in various design differences. Most design differences are variations in the engine. The C90GT was upgraded to the 750shp PT6A-135A rather than the 550shp that are produced by the -21 engines. The engine design was then flat rated to 550shp, the same as the C90B. This offers cooler temperatures and better performance during takeoff, climb, and cruise. On May 21st 2007, Beechcraft announced the introduction of the King Air C90GTi. The King Air C90GTi is an upgraded version of the King Air C90GT and features Rockwell Collins Pro Line 21 avionics.

Power

The King Air C90GT is powered by a pair of Pratt and Whitney Canada PT6A-135A turboprop engines rated at 550shp each. The inspection intervals on the engines is 3,600 hours.

Avionics

The C90GT cockpit is essentially unchanged from the previous model with Collins Pro Line avionics, including the EFIS 84 electronic instrument system as standard equipment. The King Air remains a toggle switch airplane with rows of switches to control the various systems. Each of the important switches is easy for a single pilot to see and reach. The 4 inch electronic flight instrument display and a Garmin GPS 400 allow for easy tracking and navigation. The C90GTi features an upgraded Rockwell Collins Pro Line 21 avionics package. The upgraded avionics are intended to serve the needs of single pilots. Three 8x 10 inch LCD displays provide flight information and can be configured to display weather or electronic Jeppesen charts. GPS, TCAS, and TAWS+ are also included.

Design Features

The King Air C90GT is a pressurized, short to medium range, twin turboprop business aircraft. The structural design is very similar to the C90B with a conventional tail and retractable tricycle landing gear with a single wheel on each mount. An electrically heated windshield comes standard with wipers to clear rain, which is an improvement from the C90B that uses engine bleed air for heating. The 90-inch four-bladed Hartzell propellers provide substantially better performance and are dynamically balanced to reduce vibration and noise levels.

Accomodations

The King Air C90GT is designed for five to six passengers arranged in a club style. The King Air passengers will appreciate the sense of size and sturdiness as they climb down the airstair. There is room for a lavatory in the rear of the cabin and baggage space is internal. This allows for easy access to the passengers’ items in flight. Vibration dampeners and acoustic insulation offer a quiet flight even at the highest rpm setting. Internal cabin dimensions are 4.75ft in height, 4.5ft in width, and 12.6ft in length