Beechcraft King Air The Beechcraft King Air family is part of a line of twin - turboprop aircraft produced by the Beech Aircraft Corporation ( now Beechcraft Division of Hawker Beechcraft ) . The King Air line comprises a number of models that have been divided into two families ; the Model 90 and 100 series are known as King Airs , while the Model 200 and 300 series were originally marketed as Super King Airs , with " Super " being dropped by Beechcraft in 1996 ( although it is still often used to differentiate the 200 and 300 series King Airs from their smaller stablemates ) . The King Air was the first aircraft in its class and has been in continuous production since 1964 . It has outsold all of its turboprop competitors combined . It now faces competition from jet aircraft such as the Beechcraft Premier I and Cessna Citation Mustang as well as newer turboprop aircraft including the Piaggio P180 Avanti , and single - engine Piper Malibu Meridian , Pilatus PC - 12 , and Socata TBM . Development . Model 90 series . The Model 90 King Air was conceived as the Model 120 in 1961 . In May 1963 , Beechcraft began test flights of the proof - of - concept Model 87 , a modified Queen Air with Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6 A - 6 engines . On 14 July , Beech announced a new type , and a month later began accepting orders for the " King Air " , with deliveries to commence in Autumn 1964 . After 10 months of test flying , in 1964 the Model 87 was delivered to the United States Army as the NU - 8F . On 24 January , the first definitive prototype , by now designated Model 65 - 90 and also fitted with PT6A - 6 engines , flew for the first time . The first production aircraft was delivered on October 8 , and by the end of the month , 152 aircraft had been ordered ; by year ' s end , seven had been built . In 1966 , after 112 65 - 90s were completed , production switched to the Model 65 - A90 with PT6A - 20 engines . As a measure of the type ' s popularity , 206 65 - A90s were built in less than two years when production switched to the Model B90 , the first of these rolling off the production line in 1968 . Military versions built during these years included the 65 - A90 - 1 , 65 - A90 - 2 , 65 - A90 - 3 , and 65 - A90 - 4 , all being unpressurised models based on the Model 87 . These were produced for the US Army which designated them U - 21s of various sub - models ; many were fitted out for electronic battlefield surveillance . A total of 162 of these were built between 1967 and 1971 . A total of 184 B90 models were produced before the Model C90 was introduced in 1971 , with wingspan increased over earlier models by to 50 ft 3 in ( 15 . 32 m ) , Maximum Take - Off Weight ( MTOW ) increased by to 9 , 650 lb ( 4 , 378 kg ) , and PT6A - 20A engines . The broadly similar Model E90 was introduced the following year , with PT6A - 28 engines ; the two were produced in parallel . Further refinement of the 90 series resulted in the Model F90 and follow - on Model F90 - 1 . The F - models featured the T - tail of the Model 200 King Air mated to the fuselage and wings of the E90 , with PT6A - 135 engines of 750 shp ( 560 kW ) driving four - bladed propellers . The F90 prototype flew on 16 January 1978 and 203 production versions followed between 1979 and 1983 , when the F90 was superseded by the F90 - 1 . The F90 prototype was re - engined with Garrett AiResearch TPE - 331 engines to test the feasibility of a Model G90 , but this model was not put into production . The Model C90 - 1 entered production in 1982 after 507 C90s and 347 E90s had been built , and featured PT6A - 21 engines and improvements to the pressurization system . 54 were built . The following year the F90 - 1 was put into production with redesigned engine cowlings , upgraded PT6A - 135A engines , hydraulic landing gear , and triple - fed electrical bus ; only 33 were built by the time production terminated in 1985 . The C90 - 1 was soon followed by the Model C90A , which featured the redesigned engine cowlings of the F90 - 1 . The C90A received an increase in MTOW in 1987 , being certified to 10 , 100 lb ( 4 , 580 kg ) . The C90A model was in production until 1992 , by which time 235 had been built , all but 74 with the increased MTOW . Only two C90As were built in 1992 , the Model C90B followed that year with airframe improvements , four - bladed propellers , and propeller synchrophasing , all in an effort to reduce cabin noise . This model also had PT6A - 21s ; the first production C90B was fitted with the 10 , 000th PT6 engine delivered to Beechcraft . In 1994 a cheaper version was introduced as the C90SE ( Special Edition ) , with three - bladed propellers , standardised interior and mechanical instruments instead of the Electronic Flight Instrument System ( EFIS ) fitted to the C90B . A total of 456 C90Bs and C90SEs were delivered by the time production of these models ended in late 2005 . In July 2005 , during the Oshkosh Airshow , Beechcraft introduced the C90GT . The C90GT was fitted with PT6A - 135As , flat rated to the same as the earlier King Airs . This engine change increased performance due to lower operating temperatures , improving both cruise speed and climb rate . With a 275 kt ( 509 km / h , 316 mph ) cruise speed , the C90GT was highly competitive with the new generation of Very Light Jet s over short to medium distances , while providing a larger and more luxurious cabin . C90GT deliveries commenced at the beginning of 2006 . On 21 May 2007 , during the 7th Annual European Business Aviation Convention & Exhibition in Geneva , Beechcraft announced the Model C90GTi updated version of the C90GT , featuring the Rockwell Collins Proline 21 avionics package previously only offered for the B200 and B300 King Airs . Deliveries commenced in 2008 after 97 C90GTs were delilvered to customers over the previous two years . Model 100 series . The Model 100 is a stretched derivative of the Model 90 featuring five cabin windows instead of the Model 90 ' s three ; MTOW increased by 1 , 300 lb ( 590 kg ) over the 90 , to 10 , 600 lb ( 4 , 810 kg ) . The 100 used the wings , tail , and engines ( two PT6A - 28 engines rated at 620 shp ) from the Model 99 airline , itself a development of the Queen Air ( as was the Model 90 ) . The Model 100 was flown for the first time on 17 March 1969 and unveiled to the public in May . 89 Model 100s were built before it was superseded by the Model A100 in 1972 , with a further increase in MTOW to 11 , 500 lb ( 5 , 220 kg ) , fuel capacity increased by , and four - bladed propellers . A total of 157 A100s were built by the time production of this model ceased in 1979 . The next in the series was the B100 , which featured Garrett AiResearch TPE - 331 engines as an alternative to the Pratt & Whitneys offered on other King Airs , and another increase in MTOW to 11 , 800 lb ( 5 , 350 kg ) . The B100 was introduced in 1976 and was produced concurrently with the A100 for several years ; manufacture ceased in 1983 after 137 were built . The Model 200 Super King Air was developed from the Model 100 , with the same fuselage design ( with some differences , mainly associated with the different tails ) being used for both models . The Model 200 had different wings and a T - tail and entered service in 1974 . Military King Air versions . The Japan Maritime Self - Defense Force ( JMSDF ) has operated a total of 40 C90 and C90A King Airs , with deliveries beginning in 1973 . These have been given various designations by the JMSDF and consist of 34 TC - 90 trainers , five LC - 90 transports and a single UC - 90 which is configured for photographic aerial survey . The TC - 90s and the UC - 90 comprise the 202 Kyoiku Kokutai ( Training Squadron ) based at Tokushima , while the LC - 90s are attached to various Lockheed P - 3 " Kokutai " ( Squadrons ) and a NAMC YS - 11 " Kokutai " as liaison aircraft . In late 2005 the JMSDF marked 500 , 000 accident - free flying hours of the TC - 90 trainer fleet . The U . S . military has used King Air 90s in various roles , primarily VIP and liaison transport , with designations including the VC - 6A , the T - 44 Pegasus , and the U - 21 Ute . The U - 21 Ute used by the US Army was the most common version . Most U - 21s were unpressurized Model 87 derivatives , but there were also five U - 21Fs based on the A100 King Air ; and three U - 21Js , which Beechcraft designated Model A100 - 1 , but were actually the first three production Model 200 Super King Airs ( C / Ns BB - 3 , BB - 4 and BB - 5 , after prototypes C / N BB - 1 and BB - 2 had been built ) . The majority of U - 21s were delivered as U - 21As ( 102 65 - A90 - 1s ) , but there were also four RU - 21As ( 65 - A90 - 1s ) , three RU - 21Bs ( 65 - A90 - 2s ) , two RU - 21Cs ( 65 - A90 - 3s ) , 18 RU - 21Ds ( 65 - A90 - 1s ) , 16 RU - 21Es ( 65 - A90 - 4s ) , and 17 RU - 21Gs ( 65 - A90 - 1s ) . The RU - 21Es ( except one written off ) were later converted to U - 21Hs and RU - 21Hs , with two U - 21Hs and an RU - 21H being further converted to JU - 21Hs . As of August 2008 , only the three surviving RU - 21As remain in military service . The majority of the U - 21 series were retired in the second half of the 1990s and most are now owned by Dynamic Aviation of Bridgewater , Virginia . Some have been modified as spraying aircraft and are used on insect control work . The T - 44A Pegasus is a trainer version , designated the Model H90 by Beechcraft , used to train United States Navy , Marine Corps , Coast Guard , and Air Force pilots to fly multi - engine aircraft . A total of 61 were delivered to the US Navy between 1977 and 1980 . In August 2006 , the Navy announced that after 29 years of operation , the T - 44A fleet would be upgraded with modernized avionics systems , and redesignated T - 44Cs . Two VC - 6A aircraft were operated by the US military . One was a Model 65 - A90 operated by the US Army and serialled 66 - 15361 , the other a B90 operated by the United States Air Force . Air Force One . During the administration of President Lyndon Johnson , the United States Air Force acquired a Model B90 King Air " off - the - shelf " . With the military designation VC - 6A , the aircraft , serialled 66 - 7943 , was used to transport President Johnson between Bergstrom Air Force Base ( near Austin , Texas ) and the Johnson family ranch near Johnson City , Texas . When Johnson was aboard , the aircraft used the callsign Air Force One . This aircraft is now on display , with other presidential aircraft , at the National Museum of the United States Air Force at Wright Patterson Air Force Base near Dayton , Ohio . Modification and upgrade programs . A number of aftermarket modifications and upgrades are available for 90 and 100 Series King Airs . An engine upgrade involves earlier - build 90 Series aircraft being re - engined with the PT6A - 135A engines of the C90GT . A more radical re - engining program involves the replacement of the PT6s in C90 and E90 King Airs with TPE - 331s . Among the numerous airframe modifications available : a cargo conversion for the 90 model , the CargoLiner , which replaces the rear door with a large pallet accessible cargo door , a heavy duty floor structure and cabin cargo liner , also a crew hatch for cockpit access for the crew in the 90 , 100 , and 200 ; a Wing Front Spar Reinforcement Kit for both 90 and 100 Series aircraft , ; a modification for the entire King Air line that entails reworking and extending the nose to house a baggage compartment as well as the avionics normally found in the noses of King Air aircraft . Modifications available for the King Air 100 include a belly cargo pod similar to those fitted to the Beech 99 and the Model 1300 version of the King Air 200 series . Eight C90A King Airs were operated by Bombardier Aerospace as civil - registered trainers on behalf of the Canadian Armed Forces between 1992 and 2005 . Since 2005 the Allied Wings consortium has operated seven civil - registered C90B King Airs on behalf of the CAF / RCAF . The Department of Civil Aviation of Papua New Guinea operated a C90 King Air for a number of years , but now operates a Model 200 Super King Air . Operators . Civil operators . The King Air is used by many corporate and private users , it is also used as a light transport liaison aircraft with both government and non - government organizations . It is also used by air - taxi and air charter companies . The Royal Flying Doctor Service of Australia previously operated a large number of 90 Series King Airs , but retired the last example in 2006 , standardizing on the King Air 200 Series and the Pilatus PC - 12 for its fleet requirements . Variants . A total of more than 3 , 100 King Air 90 and 100 series aircraft have been delivered as of August 2008 : Other information . The ICAO designator , such as might be used in a PIREP or a flight plan , for the various King Airs are BE9T ( F90 and F90 - 1 ) , BE9L ( all other model 90s ) , and BE10 ( model 100 ) . With the exception of the F90 and F90 - 1 , all 90 Series King Airs have been produced under the same Type Certificate ( Number 3A20 ) used for Queen Air production . All 100 Series King Airs were produced under the same Type Certificate ( Number A14CE ) used for Model 99 production . Specifications . King Air C90GTi . " Specifications obtained from the FAA Type Certificate and the Hawker Beechcraft website " King Air B100 . " Specifications obtained from " The International Directory of Civil Aircraft " , 1997 / 98 Edition " .