Beech Super KingAirB2OOGT

All-time best-selling business aircraftnowhas 30GplusKTAS cruisespeeds andjet-class avionics.

By Fred George
daylsfere u,eflewthe Beech Super I King Air B200GT in earlyJanuary I crudeoil pricesreached $100per barrel.That eventsooncouldcause the orice ofjet fuelm soarto $5.00or $6.00per ga.llon, a price that could sendshockwaves through pam ofthe bwinessjet community. By contrast,that per-barrelbenchmark ratdedturbopropadvocates comiderably less. Their slower,but substantiallymore fueleficient aircraftlong havebeendismissed by fanjet advocates as"so yesterday," but with jet fuel pricesnow sky high, many business
38 B*ins & Cnmercial Af iniot a Febfl.ury 2008

rFrc

aircraft operators aretaking a ftesh look. The timing is perfectfor the introducnon into serviceofHawker Beechcraftt new SuperKing Air B200GT, thelatest andfastest version of thefirm'svenerable SuperKing Air 200.which madeits Droductiondebutmore than threedecades aso. Poweredby a pair ofPratt & \4/hitney Canada's newPT6A-52engines, the B200GT cancruiseasfastas309KD\S atmid-weighs, enablingit to fly a 900-nm tdp in just ove! tl-rree hours. It also can fly four passengers moredmn 1,150 nm at anaverage blockspeed of 270KT{S. T h e S u p e rK i n g A i r B 2 0 0 G Ti s n i n e minutesquickerthan its predecessor, the

B20Qon a gpical 600-nmbusiness trip. But the B200GT still takes30minuteslonEerro fly that trip dun a comparably sizedliglt jer, assuming both aircraftfly idealverticalclimb, . profiles. cruiseanddescent 5 The light jet'sspeed advaaage c.oTT .atthe $ priceof a 20-percent greaterblock fuel bum, E evenifboti aircraftuseperfectflight pro6les.B But how often canATC accommodate an $ almos,tparabolic flight plan? In r.eality,$ controllers seldom authorizea directclimb to i FL 390or FL 410on 600-nm missions in E congested airspace.Such clearances are I increasingly rare on trips betweenbusycity i p pairssudrasNew YorkandChicago, SanJose andSeatde or Sr Louisand\.I6shingmn, D.C. s
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The result? If dreB200GTanddrelight jet to cruisingin the mid-twendes, arerestricted the turbofarrwill bum more dml 50percent morefuel than the SuperKing Air on a 600there's simplylessof nm trip. Thatt because penalty if theB200GT is a fuelconzumption ofFL restricted to flvins at FL 250instead its optimumiruise altitude,on sucha 350, 23 mission.Fuel consumptionincreases oercentat maximumcruisepowerandabout whencruisingatharimum rang" il percent power.So the fuel savings achieved on trips may-beconsiderable iveryday business when flying the 8200GT insteadof a turbofanaircraft. The B200GT alsohasmuch improved high-altitudeclimb and cruiseperformance ofis -52 engines, soit routinely can because on nips longerthan 500nm, AfC useFL 350 the new restrictionspemitting. In essence, engines traruform it into a B300SuperKing feetandabove. ofabout26,000 Air ataltitudes theB200GTcanclimb directlyto FL Indeed, .150 in 27 minutesat MTOW. That'snine minutesfasterthan a -42 powered8200.and reouiresab-out 12percentless the climb a.lso are 30 to 43 knots faster fuel. Cruise speeds at FL 350than they would be in a 8200. Climbine to FL 150insteadofFL 250on a only costs 600-nmhission, for instance, another nineminutesenroute,but you'll save fuel prices. about$200at today's The latestSuperKing Air 200carriesover the previousmodelt Rockwell Collins Pro package, including is quite Li; 2l avionics system. capable FMS-3000 3-D navigation (Please The sidebar.) seeaccompanying enables the aircraft to fly standardpackage providingvertical 3-D FMS approaches, guidance on virtually all non-precision lt alsoincludes an automatic aooroaches. two tMs to ll-s transrnon tearure.I hese capabilitiesprovide hands-off autopilot guidanceon virtually any instrument a p p r o a c hu n t i l r e a c h i n g p r o c e d u r e nluumuns. such Continuousproduct improvements, andPro Line 21 asupgrading to -52 engines havehelped avionics. amongmanyothers, make the Super King 200/8200 the single turbine aircrafth the history of best-selling business aviation.Today'sB200GT is far It incorporates differentfrom earliermodels, , ut low-risk, dozens o f i n c r e m e n t a lb improvementsthat add value and utility without jeopardizingthe aircraft's99-pluspercent The inqrediens dispatch reliabiUtv. rhatmake uo thatformulaaredescriSed in the remainder of this report, Structure and Systems work on the Beech Aircraft starteddesiEn asanevolutioru'y SuperKing Air 200in 1970 King Airs that outgrowthofthe 90-series would fly faster,farther,higherand carry
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Similarto earlierBeech more passengers. monoplanes datingbackto the 1947 \B5, all models ofthe SuperKing Air havea semiprimarily monocoqueairframeconstructed from high-strengthalurninumallols. Also similar to earlier Beechmodels,the NACA 23000-senes SuperKirg Air 200uses oftheir excellenr airfoilsfor the wine because immunity high lifi characteriitics andreiative by icing. to aerody'namic degadationcaused 18Engineers chose a consantcross-section, percentthick 23018 airfoil for the wlng betweenthe enEine nacelles and sections with idrooped leading fuselage modified

higherangle edgethat stallsat a considerably This is of atuck than the outboardsections. anrmusual design feature because mostwings are desisnedto stall at the root first so that the outSoard sectionremainsflfng at the preserves stall.This arrangement aileron But Beechelectedto stall the effectiveness. outboard sectionfirst, thereby keepingthe inboard section flfng at the maximum lift coefficienrThis feature is intended to orevent overthe deepsall by maintainingdownwash horizontal tail at maximum4ngleofattack, t}ruspreventingit ftom being blankedin the leeofthe wing.

A rctr$rrment centet locatad bcttlnaltha cockoft butkha l has a water tati<, heated bevoage conaalnt vtfth overboaratcormter dnln, two cup db,nsers, tfuee stonEo ahaweB anata atouble

Each chdr h6 ad ah,te-ctde armreg'- fha oaher a|,'rc't b bdlt lnto te s/.lewa , 'eeutth'd' ln tg lnch6 ol net aaat wLfth. Seat cttshlons arc m lnches long, ptovk ng goott ngh Bupport, Sedt backs arc 28 lnches ta,l, Includlng hoe.tr36E.

wo*tabl63 ate enctoaeclln sue pockets between the faclnE! chtlrs of the ctub Stutdy 2w-2z51nch seallnE sectlon. AC power otr ek erc prorLldt on both sLtes ot the ctub sectlon,

Burinett & Comnercial A|,iation a FeblMry 2008 39

Inflight Report

graphs KingAir B2OoGT undera varietyof range,payload, speed and of the Super to illustrate the performance These are designed purposes because theyaregrossapproximatjons of actualaircraft conditions. Donot usethesedatafor flightplanning density altitude payload numbers fromthe B200GT FlightPlanning andPerformance performance usingfour-passenger we computed or extrapolated Guide. - This graph flown, block timeandfuelconsumption forthe B200Gl relationship between distance showsthe Tlme andFuelw.Dlstance cruise isJlown at bestL/D.Bothprofiles useoptimum allitude torque and1,800rpm, andlong-range is flown at maximum HigfEpeed cruise profiles. -This graph forthe B2O0GT (MktRange between cruise speed andfuelconsumption shows the relationship Weight,ISA) Specific Range Flight Planning andPerformance Guide. based upon datain the B200GT for an 11,ooopound aircraft, cruisealtitudes at representative projections performance based upon ourdemonstration flighi areaccurate, ifnot slightly conservative, Hawker Beechcraft's Webelieve observations. - Thepurpose of payload andtwo airport simulations ofvarious trips under a variety of this graphis to provide P.ofile Range,/Payload Weplotted eachofthe fourpayload/range distance at long-range cruise. withthe goalofflyingthe longest conditions, density altitude pubiished inthe B200GT Flight or extrapolating four-passenger cruiseperformance based on interpolating multiple datapoints linesfrom for eachpayload condition. Onlythe four-passenger or 80G range Guide. Eachlineendsat the maximum andPerformance Planning performance. length distances FAR Part23 allngine scfoot obstacle takeofffield pound payload lineis representative of actualaircraft ISA+20"C airport. 5,ooofootelevation, for sealevel standard dayandfor ourstandard areshown

vs.Distance Time andFuel

Condltlons: IFR NBAA @serues {100nm), passenge6, wind, lSA, four zero

Ilne (hi

(nAsl Speed

Range/Payload Profllc
ft GrcssTakeoff 5,000 (rb) ISA+20cC vergnt

13,000
2,519 2,550 2,450 2,350 2,250 2,150 2,O75 2,000 1,408 2,415 3,875 3,725 3,558 3,390

12,500 12,000 11,500 11,000 10,500 10,000 9,500 9,000

(nn) Range
Payload as depicted, Condltlons: (100 nm), NBAA IFR resrues high-speed c rise,zero wind,ISA

&

40 B si"ets dt Comncrcin! Arintioh a Febnwry 2008

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aerocontoun are The outboardsection There almostidenticalto tiose ofa Bonanza. tuist.a Beechis4.55 degrees o[geornetric and modiEed)301o.5 rirfoil nearrhenacelle NACA 21012 airfoil at the tip. Overall,the ofdihedral,303square winghassixdegrees ratioandno sweep. feeto[area, a 4.8:l aspect arewellwing'saerodlnamics The legacy thereis plenty suitedto the B200GTbecause cruise between theaircrafiihigher of rnarEir , . , , . i speeds andthewingi criticalMachnumber, sharplyon the speed at which dragincreases airfoils. unmodifi ed23000-series with Beechopted for a T:tail empennage The rertical surfaces. andhorizontal swept keeps thehorizontalstab ourof conFguration the prop washto reducevibration and its improves aerodynamic high.aft posirion marketers effectivenesr. HawkerBeechcrafi improvesramp alsoadmit the arrangement aswell. All luel Is stored ln the outboad maln ancl lnboaftt auxl ary wlngtank and enEln nacelld tanks, att of appeal is sturdy, havingno published the frrcwalk. RetuelhE ls accomplkhed thrcuelt overwlng pot'6 ln each wlng" The airFame protectlon. A pneumatasymmetry All theprimaryflight contols aremrnually porates valueof King Airs, life limits. The resale manualtrim and ically poweredrudder boost systemuses with three-axis lowerfor aircraftthat actuated, drough,is considerably from the bleed-airpressure electricpitch trim. The horizontalstab differential hours. haveflown more 10,000 powerboost to provideproponionate All fuel is storedin the outboardmain and positionis fixed.Pitch trim is providedby engines a n de n g i n e trim tabson eachelevator.The single-slot, to reducerudder effort in the eventofan inboard a u x i l i a rw y i n gt a n k s in failure or large-scale difference four-section Fowlerflapsare engine rLacelle anks, aft ofthe firewalls.Refuelingis trailing-edge, through over-wingports tn elecuically poweredand tie systemincor- enginepower output. An angle-of-attack accomplished w i n g . F u e lt o o i l h e a te x c h a n g e r s each eliminate the need for anti-icing fuel occasionally additives. But manyoperators to purgesmallaccumuusesuchadditives lMax Landing ,AlEqulpFd Pllcr:.......$5,268,800 lationsofwater {iom the tanks. Zero Fuel 11,000c/4,990c The left and right main wing tank groups Cfianctod!d6 anda wet wing consist offour bladders each Seating The the main wing spar. tank that straddle MaxPayload Wing Loading into the main wing tank group gravity feeds u s e f1 u0 l a. d .......... . . .3,830/1,737 tank for whichacs asa feeder nacelle tanJ<, Loading Power E \ e c u t P i v a e y l o.a .d .........1,400,/635 is 2,586 engine. Totalmain tankcapacity each (EPNdB) Noise It4ax Fuel pounds. Fuel Payload With[4ax The left and right aur tankshold an addiDl.llgolglvr) _ pounds of fuel.lf theauriliary rional1.054 i.,lar Payload .......1,590/721 FuelWith External tankscontainfuel, jet pumpsin the tanks Exec. Payload . ... .2,430/ 1,102 Fuel With automaticallytransferthe contentsinto the gravitytransfer nacelle tanks,preempting Urrlti fiom the main tanla until the auxanks are completelyempry Electric boost pumps pressure act for cross-feed, supplydifferential for tie engtne-drive boostpumps asa backup PSI iIavgas is firelpressure andar:ureadequate gln[ fuel. beingusedasan emergency Widk(Hoor) is supplied The 28-VDC elecnicalsystem Time 250 to FL banerymounted by a42-amplhourlead-acid Poror in the inboardright wing and a 250-amp cllwb (a/m) Ground on eachengine. starter-genemtor Engine Cenificated by rneans of an power may be connected ea.) output {shp e x t e r n ap l o w e rj a c ki n t h e r i g h t e n g i n e .......35,000/10,668 All-Engine Service is fed by equipment nacelle. Most electrical oElService (hr) rB0 four sub-buses left andright main DC buses, SeaLevel Cabin Thereis a 60-Hz,115bus. anda hot-battery rrbEtrrs {rblrg) VAC inverterin the inboardright wing Codlic{don It4ax Ramp power outletsin the sectionthat supplies 23,2007 FAR Part equipmentor eleccabin.No other avionics requireAC power trical cornponents
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I n f l i g h tR e p o r t

provides triggered stallwarningsystem an rural alen prior to actualwing stall. The landinggeararehydraulically actuated powered pump.A by means ofan electrically h a n d - o p e r a t ep d u m p i s p r o v i d e df o r Eachlandinggearhas emelgency erftension. actuatethe dual wheels.Spring bungees nosewheel through the rudder steering pedds,with 14degrees ofleft and 12degrees of right steeringaudrority.Up to,l9 degrees of steeringis available using differential brakingand power The rnain wheelbrakes arehydraulically actuated tlrough the rudder pedals. The bleed-air brakedeicing system now is standard eouioment. Bleedair from ihe left andright engines, routeddirecdvto the cabinfor heatinE and heatexchangers in r-he inboard'wing through leading edges for cooling, supplies the 6.5psid pressurization system. That's sufficient to maintainan 8p00-footcabinaltitudeatFL 297.Maximumcabinaltitudeis 10,,100 feetat FL 350. pneurnatic pressure A conventional, analog controller usesvacuumcontrol air to modulate thenormaloudlowvalveto achicvc the desiredpressurization differential.A separate safety oudlowvalve,alsoactuated by vacuum. depressurizes the cabinon the ground and alsowhen the crew manually rctuates thedumpvalve. Boththenormaland safetyoutflow valvesautomaticallyopen to preventover-pressurizing the cabin. There is a 77-cubic-footcapacity, supplernental orygensystem with quick-donning nrask mounted in theceiling ofthe cockpitr passenger orygen masks automatically drop downin the cabinat cabinaltitudes abcrvc 12,500 feet. The SuperKing Air B200GT hasdual zonecocl?i/cabin temperature conffol, but both thermostasarein the cockoit.A vaor.rrq.ntem, powered cycleair-conditioning by the right engine, provides supplemental cabrn cooling. Notably, air-conditioningis not

availableprior to starting the right engine. And cabin heatinsis not availableur essat leastone engine ii rururing. Bleed-air flow rateshavebeenincreased to boost cabin heating,Standard equipmentalsoincludesa 20,500-BTUauxforced-airelectric heating system. tlat uses eirheraircraftor ground power. Pneumatic boos, supplied by engine bleed air,providedeiceprotectionfor the wing and horizontalstabilizerleading edges. The pitot probesandstallwamingvaneareelectrically. heated for ice protection.The engine intakes usehot exhaust gases to providecontinuogs h e a t i n gt h a t p r e v e n t si c e a c c r e t i o n . Electricallyactuated diverterdoorsin the engine air inles usecentrifugal forceto expel super-cooled waterdrooles andice from the arlulukeuowpatn.I neglass wlndstuelds are electricallvheated for ice orotectionand are equipped with wipersfor iain removal. An engine fire detection q'stemis standard. but halonengine 6re extinguishing is a 23pound, option. $6,700 Passenger and Baggage Accommodatlons The B200GTis equipped with apassive cabin sound suppression systemthat the firm (seeBusinusdt developed in tlre early 1990s Commercial Aaiation,November 1992, page ,18), providing considerably lowercabinsound levelsin cruise.Thirtv-trvo tuned. mass vibrationdampers sopup soundat 1,700 pnrp rpm, therebyreduchg noiselevelsby 3.4 to 5,41dBA in the centerofthe cabinanduo to 16dBA in thecockpit.Bagged fiberglass insulationandshn-stiffeninE soundblankesalso helo ouiet the cabin.Altual interior norse Ievils werenot available, but cabinsound werequitecomforubleduringcruise levels according to a third-partyobserver on our demofliEht. Cabin furnishings,leathers, upholstcry fabricsand cametall weretoo notch.The

cabinets are coveredwith satin-finishwood veneers. The seats usehigh-grade leather and offer excellent lumbarsuppon. The fuselage's souared ovalcross-section makesthe m6st of the ar,railabte cabinwidth because ofis relatively flat sidewalls. HawLer Beechcraft advenises overallB200GT cabin lengthas 16.7feegbut the main seating area in the cabinis 10.4feet andit's shared bv ux chairs.We measured cabinheiEhtat 4.7 feet andwidth at 4.4 feet, about one inch shy of Beech's ouotednumbersfor eachdimensron. Eachchair hasafi aisle-side armrest.The other armrestis built into the sidewall, resultingin l8 inchesof net seatwidth. The seatcushions are20 inches long,providing good thigh support.The seatbacks are28 inchestall, including the headrests. The forwardtwo seats areaft facingandtheyhave l5-inch pitch to the next row ofseatsin the centerclubsection, The four club chairsofier 54 inchesof seatpitch shared by facing passenge$. AC power outletsare providedon both sides of the club seatingiectionto supply laptops andcellphonechargers, amongother omceeauDment. )turov lJ-bv-ll.)-rnch worktables are enclosed in sidepockes betweenthe facing chairsofthe club section. Eachseatin the cabin hastwo cup holders built into the sidewall armresg alongwith overhead reading lights, adjustable overhead air outletsand drop-downoxygenmasks. A relieshmentcenteris locatedon the left sideof the cabin,just behind the cockpit bulkhead. It hasawaterunk, heated beverage conrainer with overboard counrer drain,rio cup dispensers, dree storagedrawersand a doubleice chestdrawer Standard eouioment alsoincludesa slim-line, right-side-p1'rarnid storage cabinetthat cartbe mountedbehind the right aft club seator in the forwardright sectionof the cabin.direcdvacross from the reFeshment center. An aft, ieft-sideslim-line

42 Brcincs lt Connmial Ariitioi

a Febnury 2008

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pyramidstorage cabinetis a 30-pound, option. $10.300 The lavatory is 2.1feetwideanditt located from the left-sidemain entry direcdyacross fully a beltedseat, door at the rear It features certified for takeoffand landing,alongwith privacy fully closingpocketdoon that assure from the main cabin. Aft of the lavatorythereis a 55.3-cubicwiti luggagecompartment fooq 550-pound the net. Being inside the fuselage. a cargo during flight is firlly accessible compartrnent Ifyou wantto tradeextra with no restrictions. volume,two aftfor baggage capacity seating asa cahinfold-down iumoseaB areavarlable oition. Notably,Hawker t-pound, $20,400 Beechcraftofficials claim the aircraft hasa thusmost widecenrerofgravity envelope. won'tput the aircraft configurations Joading outsideofits aft c.g.limit

ProLine21 Avionics Rochrell Gollins

package Thesystemuses avionics is impressively complete. TheB200GT's standard (IAPS) Avionics Processing System as hub-and-spoke architecture with an Integrated LRUS insidethe IAPSprovide flight guidance, flight the hub unit. Easilyreplaceable otherfunctions. anddataconcentration capabilities, among management portrait{onfiguration adaptive flight displays dominate the Three1G by-eight-inch, panel.otherstandard equipment includes a singleFM$3000 3D naviinstrument gationsystem inputs,dualRvsM{apable that usesbothVoR/DMEandGPSposition dualAH93000AHRS, dualProLine21CNSradiosystems digitalair datacomputers, plusdual ModeS transponders, a singleADFreceiver, Dl\4E, and dualaudiopanels, radarand TWR50Doppler turbulence detection 12{hannel radio altimeter, solidstate Enhanced alongwith an L-3Communications TCASI anda Honeywell cPS receiver, The radiosmaybe tunedeitherwith the tuning pageof the FMSCDUin the GPWS. panel. of a radiotuningunit in the instrument centerconsole or by means package Standby Instrument Thestandard alsoincludes a solidstateL-3Emergency (ESIS), updates, a digitalCVR,an ELT anda System an RJ45jackfor FMSdatabase laptopcomputer. Options include a secondFMS(16 pounds, $87,200),scondDME(ninepounds, (one pound, with SELCAL ADFreceiver $15,300),HFtransceiver $14,900),second (46 pounds, TCAS ll (15 pounds, Rockwell Collins $148,700)andXM $76,900), (two pounds, An otherequipment. satelliteradioweatherreceiver $30,600),among requiring an annual subscridion for acticapability is included, electronic chartdisplay into the standard laptopcomputerprovides the vation.Loading the chart database for paperless chart approval, according to TomSifford,senior redundancy required Beechcraft. demonstration Dilotfor Hawker

Flying lmpressions The aircraftwe flew for this report wasBY4. the fourth productionB200GT It was wittrthe sundardpackage. except equipped for minor ootionssuchasleather-covered BOW was The single-pilot controlyokes. 8,761pounds,just one pound more than quoted weight for an Hawker Beechcraft's equipped to our specs. aircraft Tom Siiford.seniordemonstration oilot for for flew in the right seat HawkerBeechcraft, the demonstrationflieht. With three passengers in the main ca6in,the computed pounds. The man zerofuelweightwas9,561 pounds, werefilled to 2,550 ren ting in tanks a 12,lll-poundrampweight. based We comoutedtakeoffperformance talieoffweight,San on a 12,0d0-pound Field's421-footfi eld Diego-Montgomery elevation, l4.C OAI, 30.12inlFlg barometer settingandflaps-uptakeoffconfiguration. were 94 KT){S for VtlVr Gkeoff speeds and ll9 KfAS for the Vz one-engine-inopspeed, according to the erativetakeoffsafery AFM. However.the Pro Line 2l system for tlnt 6keofi KIASV: speed indicated a 112 welEnt Our all-enginetakeoffgroundroll was feetand 1,850 feet,akeoffdistancewas3,100 fot wasabout3.300 feer enablinE us to usea comm transceivet distance accelerate-stop delivery while conservingbattery The takeoff field length,using FAR Part 25 clearance we feegaccording power.After we copiedthe clearance, rules,would havebeen5,775 on themain batteryandthenthe Lto use switched to theAFM. Notably,ifwe hadelected ,10 3 EmergencyStandbyInsmrment Systern. flapafor takeoff,the Pan25TOFL degree four minutesto align,sowe The ESISneeds would havebeen4,300feet Sifford commentedthat the B200GT, had plenty of time to run through the Tirming on the baneryalso beinsa Part 2l aircraft,doesnthaveto be prestanchecks, power to the navigationdisplay, But supplies with Pan25rules. ooerated in accordance instrumentindications engine ii's helpful to know that tle aircraft would which provides elected to retain h a v eb e e na b l et o d e p a r ts a f e l yf r o m for start HawkerBeechcraft existingannunciatorlight system Runway the B200's Montgomery Field's 4,600-foot-long the aircraftto Pro Line 21 inoperative an-d flapsset whenit upgraded 28Rdth oni engrne about four yearsago,so the EFIS hasno to the approach configuration. In preparation for departure, Sifford CAS fuactionality. and systems are Most other switches on the groundmodefor dreradios, switched
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SuperKing Air 200 carriedover fiom legacy models. so few functions are automatic. on the There aie lots o?itemsto accomolish including mampustart and taxi checklists, lating the three engine control leverspower.prop andcondition.Stan andignition swirches mustbetumedon andoff, generator switches mustbe mmedon at the appropriate time and the condition leversmust be adjwted. With both engines operating we began to taxi to the active.There wasolenw of thrust at idle power,so we usedrhd 'g6und fine" positionofthe propsto helpmodulate taxi keeping the engine inlet speed. Siffordadvised ice diverter doors open on the ground to
B*incs b Conmercial Aztint;on a Febn'ary 2008 43

In t l i g h tR e p o r t

minimize thechance of FOD. He saidit'sas not muchofa problemason King Air 300,/350 aircraft, which havelargerdiameter props, but itt still goodpractice. Stopped in the run-up area,we accomplished the first-flight-of-day autopilotand electric pitch trim checlc,prop over-speed govemor,engineinlet diverter door checks, rudderboostandnormalgovernor checlis, andthenauto-feather checla, noting thereare manymore requiredprocedures than one would needto accomplishin a turbofan aircraft. After beingcleared onto the runway, we electedto perfonn a rolling takeoff.As part ofthe line-upcheck. we closed rheengine inlet ice divenerdoors.During the rakeoff roll, we initially setabout2p00 foot pounds of torque because we expected inlet ram recoveryto increase the torqueto the 2,230- Art ol thelavatory, thercls a 55,3-cublc-foot, 5g'(Wun.l luggaee conpattment foot-poundmaximumlimit. wlthcaryonet. Propsound was quiteprominenr during Our intention wasto climb direcdvto FL takeoffat2,000rpm, but the cockpithasdual 270for a cruisespeed check. Using the flight Bose active noisereduction headses thatslash levelchange modeofthe Pro LinJ21 systcm, at least10dBA from the sounddnt reaches tie PFD'sairspeed bug automatically adjuss the crew'sears.Soundlevelsin the cabin to therecommended dimb speed for altitude, during takeoffwere typical of what one Hower'er. we maintaired the 1,700-rpm cruise expecs in a high-performance rurboprop. setting irstead ofthe 1.qO0-rpm climbsefting Rotatingat 9l KIAS,we immediately were for pissengercomforr, rius rome*ha'r remhdedwhy the SuperKing Air hassucha reducingclimb performance. loyalfollowirgamong operaLors. hirialpitch S O C A LA p p r o a c h a n dL o s A n s e l e s forces werelight but pitchresponse was nor Lenter,attemptlng to asstst uswtth our overlysensitive. Cntrol harmonyin all three rcquestfor an unrestrictedclimb to FL 270, a,xes wasexcellent. issued several amendments to our route Shordyaftertakeoff, we reduced torque clearance. Thesechanges easilv wereaccomslighdyandpulledthepropsbackftom 2,000 plishedusingthe FMS--3000. Siffordpoinred rpm to 1,700 rpm, resulting in generating out tlat proposed roure changes aredepicted prop noiseright in the heartofthe 111 Hz a sd a s h i dw h i t el i n e so n t - h e navisatiol resonant frequency of the runedvibrarion display, thereby providing a graphicind-icanon darnpers. Cabin soundlevelsdropped t h a t t h e a m e n d e d clearance h a sb e e n dramatically,accordingto one of the programmed properlyinto the FMS. During the climb,we alsonotedthat itt Passenge$.

Pratt& Whitney Ganada PTGA-S2 Turboprcp Engines

partsbinngiP&WC created a special neering variantofthe PT6A-42 engine f o r t h e S u p e rK i n gA i r B 2 0 0 c T b y matingthe -42's 85Gshpgearboxto gasgenerator the 1,181-shp of the 60A.The resultis a highly flat-rated 8sGshpengine that retains full power uDto 24.000feet. lmproved metallurgy, among other detailimprovements. enablesthe-52's gasgenerator to operateat 20'C hotter ITTlimits and about2.4 percenthigherspeeds with no decrease in durabitity. The52's TBOremains 3,600 hours, the sameas for the 42. The-52 engines are matedto 93inch diameter, propellers, four-blade Hartzell the samepropsusedln the latest versionof the 8200. As with all pT6A-powered civil aircraft, pitchandcondition. the -52 hasseparate controls for power, Thepowerplant power is an idealcandidate for a single leverFADEC upgrade, butthereis notimetable for sucha oroduct improvement.

bestto usethe autopilotto reduceworkload, ifyou re flfng rheaircraft asa single pilor. H a n d l l y j n g , a d J u s r i np go w e r a n d proqramming theavionics canpushtlle lrnrts ofmanypildts. The -52! hydromechanical fuel controls,for instance,require frequent adiustmenrs to maintainrhe appropiiare torque andtempIimirs.Programming the FMS alsorequires a lot ofattenrion. F{owever, the Pro Line 21hasan excellent autopilotandthe glareshield-mounted flight guidance control panelenhances situational avareness, After several re-routes and intenhediate level-offs,we reached FL 270sone 24 minutesaftertakeoff. Usingmaxirnum torque at 1,700 rpm, the aircraftaccelerated to 305 K T A S a t a w e i g h to f I 1 . 6 0 0 p o u n d si n (28,000-plus TS\+9"C conditions feer density altitude) while burninq770pph.We hadno directbasis for compiring'rhese numbers with published flight planning data. But the B200GT FlighrPlanning andPerformance G u i d ei n d i c a r e s t h a ra n | 1 . 0 0 0 - p o u n d B200GT shouldcruiseat 107K IAS at 1,800 rpm at FL 280whilebuming686pph. W e al s o i n r e n d e dr o c h e c kc r u r s e p e r f o r m a n c ea t F L 3 5 0 ,b u t H a w k e r Beechcraft didnt havean RVSM Letter of Authorizationfor this specificaircraft,sowe wererestricred to FL 280andbelow. Next,we elected to proceed direcdyto Big BearCity Airport (elevation 6,7,18 feit) witi the goal ofevaluatinghigh elevation oneengine-inoperative takeoffperformance. We flew the RNAV (GPS)Runway26 approach usingde FMS-3000. It provided 3-D naugation duringrheprocedLre, including 3.69degree g l r d e p a tg hu i d a n c e d o w nr o r h e 8,690-foot LNAV minimurn descent altitude. After landing,we rolled 5,250 feet to the endofthe runway using only ground-fine proppitchandlighr braking for moderate deceleration to enhance passenger comfon. Maximumeffort braking,though,couldhave stopped the aircraftin about3,100 feet, factoring in the airport's 7,700-footdensrry altitudethat day. We taxied back for the simulatedOEI takeoff.Big BearCity Airport's Runway26is 5,850 feet long, the densityaltitude still was 7,700 feetandthewind wasout ofthe wesrat e i g h tk n o t s . Wirh 1.700 pounds offuel, aircrafr takeoff*eightwasll,26l pounds. Plotring these numbers into the B200GT AFM indicatedthat the OEI Part 25 takeoff 6eldlengrh was5.800 feer. aszuming a flapsapproach takeoff guration. confi Howevetwe elected to increase our safery margins during the demonstrationby departingwith a no-flap configlrarion to i m p r o v es e c o n d - s e g m e n tEI clinb O per-formance and deliying the simulated engine failureuntil after takeoff.wirh gear retracred andabove rie I lq KIAS V2 ekeoff safetyspeed. Using the flaps-upconfiguwww.aviationweek.com/bca

44 B rines b Connminl tujiotiora

Fel,M'n 2008

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Beech opte.l fot a T-tatl emrynnage wlth Bwept vertlcal and ho zontal surhces. fhe conf,guBtion keeps the honzontal stabilizer out ol the yop wash to rcduce vlbntlon and lts hlEh, aft posltlon lnqoves aercdynamlc etfectlveness.

rrtion, the all-enginetakeoffdistanceover a was4,350 feet. 50-foot obstacle Safely abovc dre runway with both engrnes opcratingand landing gearretracted,Sifford briskly reducedporver on the left engine to rpprorirnate z e r o t h r u s t .T o r n a i r r t r i r r balancedflight, we neededonly moderately because of the forceful right rudder pressure aircrrfti el{ecdvcruJJer boost1,'tem. Uring the standard five degees rving-down attitude rnd flving with one-half ball displacement a 350into the operatingengine,we achieved OEI clinb rate. to 400 foot siruulatecl During the sirnulatedOEI climb over Big BearLake,we noted that most ofthe control forcesmay be trirnmed out to easehandling chores. The Super King Air B200GT nas docile handling chrracteristicsat 120KIAS widr aslrunenic power and its considerably providesubstantially more robust-52 engines better hot-and-high OEI airport perfonnanccthrn dre -42 porverplansofits processor, the 8200. Alier the OEI tlkeoff demonstrirtion,we r.rsed both engines to clirnb \TR to 15,500 feet erstbound to an rrea above the high desertwcst of'Iiventy Nine Prlms whererve perfomrcd brsic rirrvotk maneuvers, such as stcepturns mclstalls.The Pro t-ine 2l PFDs hrve relatively large attitudc indicators that n'rake it elsy to detectsrnrll rnitude changes duringstccptunx. Butthis configurationstill rctrins the truncrted attinrde indicltor used by legrw EFIS displap. We rnuchprefcr fullsuch wiclth,edge-to-edge attitudc indicators, as those provided by G.rrmin'.sG1000 rnd www.av ationweek.com/bca

optional aux electric herting systen)now ls standard6t, improving cabin comfort in cold , l i m : r t e sI. h e u a l - , i : rr rl s "h a ' r c , ' r r r l u ' s i t . headlinerand cold-cathodefluorescentwrsh lighting. Howeveq an upgradeto LED rvash lighting would further increase reliability. Pilots rvill find the cockpit roonry, tlrc S u p e r K i n g A i r 3 5 0 - t y p cc r c w s c a t s comfortablerud the Pro Line 2l aviorrrcs p a c k a g ea s c a p a b l e a s o f f e r e d b y a n y 'l'he B200Gl's legacy systerrrs, turboprop. procedures and "su'itchology,"though, arc a fall-back to an earlier era when pilots werc Prlce and Value expecteclto be pat-time flight engineers. 'l'he The B200GT truly is in a classby itself, Super King Air 8200G'l', sirrilar to having no direct cornpetitors. No other othcr pmduction busincssirircraft turboprops, producrionturboprop har rhc Super King is due for a digital vrtems upgrrde th;rt rvoukl Air's combinationofcabin volurne,ability to reducepilot*,orkload to colternpomry light jet standards, in our opinion. operatefrom unirnproved rirpons, shon-field 'I'he perfonnance,OEI takeoff performanceand SuperKingAir 200's unrnatched blenrl abilitv to tanker fuel. That's why we elected ofqualities is rv\ithas had an unintcrruptcd not to includc a CornparisonProfile chart as 34-year production run rvhile virtually rll part of this repon. otier makesofbruiness-classnrrboprops have The B200GT retains all the rough-anddied off, except for Hawker Beechcraft'sother 'l'he nrntrle, airborne-SUV utiliw of the Super rnodels and thc Piaggio Avanti. Supcr incJuding King Air 200 production run isn't likcly to King Air 200 family, the availability of a model with a 4.1 by-4.3-foot aft cargo e n d a n v t i m e s o o n , l s l o n g a s I l a w k e r Beechcrrft contimres to nuke regular pnrcluct door However, the htest version has muih improvedhot-and-high airport perfonnance 1lllptoverl]en$. resulting in higher OEI safeq' margins, along As the price offuel continuesto clirnb, the with a large-scaleincreasein high-altitude SuperKing \ir 20{lu ill rerrrrrin rrnrrclrrctivc altcrnrtive to nrrbofan rircraft unlcss thcrc climb perfonnancethat makcsit practicalto are large-scale inprovenents in light jet ftrel operateroutinely in dre micl-thirties. The latestversiol alsoincorporatesSuper eliciency. That's not going to happenin the King Air 350 cabin features, suchaspassenger n e a r t e r m , s o m a r k e t d e m l n d f o r t h e B200GT is likely to renrainstrong. I chairs, bulkheadsand cabinetry.'llre fonnerly Gulfstrean's PlaneView systems,because they make it even easierto detect srnall attitude changes. We dren picked up al smrment clearance {iorn L.A. Center, with a handoff to SOCAL approacht . o l l y t o S a nD i e g o - C i l l e s p i e -fhe purpose for changingdestiAirport. nation airports was to show the aircraft to a few potential sales leads, including liiends of a fonner Super King Air 300opentor Total flight time for the mission was 1.8 hours and overali fuel bum was 1,300pounds. Rxt;,.\\ tt C|,utur.tul .,1Lthr,ta ll.lnnt4' 2o0tt45