8

KA300
continued from page 1
new King Air are 23.5 kt fast er ,
1,500 lb heavier, 400 more shaft
horsepower and almost a half a
million dollars more expensive
than its Model B200 predecessor.
The flagship-to-be uses the
same fuselage, empennage, and
virtually the same wing as the
B200, but larger and longer Pratt
& Whitney of Canada turbines.
The longer engines are more
tightly cowled than those on the
B200 and they project 5.2 in.
further forward in front of the
wing whose inboard leading edges
have already been extended five
inches to provide more wing area.
The engines, PWC PT6A-60As,
carry a maximum sea level rating
of 1, 113 shp, but are mildly flat
rated to 1 ,030 shp in the Super
300. They spin four-blade 1 05-in.
diameter Hartzells which turn at a
slow and quiet 1500 rpm for all
normal modes of cruising flight .
Standard, the airplane weighs
9,290 lb, providing a useful load
of 5,8 10 lb at its max gross take-
off weight of 14,000 lb. Fuel
capacity is 539 gal which, at 6. 7
lb per gal, translates to 3,611 lb.
(Usable fuel in the Super 300 is
five gallons less than the 544 gal
in the Model B200. The capacity
was reduced 2Yz gal per side to
allow for the larger main landing
gear system.)
"Typically equipped," said
Beech in its introductory an-
nouncement, "the 300 is the only
jetprop in its class that offers its
operator the flexibility to fill the
fuel tanks, fill the passenger seats,
fill the baggage space to its 55 0-
pound maximum, and still operate
easily within the airplane's center
of gravity and gross weight limi-
tations. "
Standard seating is for seven
passengers- in six individual chairs
and a belted potty seat opposite
the entry door.
In addition to greater payload/
range flexibilities, the Super King
Air 300, according to its specs,
offers improved speed and climb
over its B200 sibling. Despite more
weight and power and 5 gal less
fuel , range of the 300 is roughly
equal- no doubt due to lower sfc's
of its PT6A-60As. Where a B200
owner stepping up into a Super
300 may find inhibiting differen-
ces is in the latter's operating re-
quirements. By reason of its
SF A R 41 C certification, the
Super 300 will present him with
operating limitations that may re-
strict his choice of airports. When
operated above 12,500 lb under
FAR 91 and at all weights under
FAR 135, the Super 300 will have
to adhere to accelerate-stop and
accelerate-go distances for takeoff ;
moreover, it will have to meet the
climb gradients of a transport
category aircraft. But for FAR 91
operations at 12, 500 lb or under,
the Super 300 need only conform
with the less restrictive criteria in
FAR 23. As the table shows, the
rather long accelerate-stop is one
of the less creditable performance
Aviation Convention News
traits of the Super 300. Both its
3,682 ft with approach flaps and
4 ,854 ft with no flaps are consid-
erably longer than the accelerate-
st ops for the Cit ation I and 11 at
their mgw and S.L. / ISA.
The Super 300's listed accel-
era te-stop distances were determ.in-
ed using the ground fine (beta)
mode of its propellers along with,
of course, brakes as stopping aids.
The power lever quadrant on the
Super 300 differs from that of the
B200 in t hat it has two ramps.
Lifting the levers over the first
puts the props in ground fine;
lifting them over the second puts
them in r everse.
Since there is so much com-
monality between the Super 300
and B200, it may t ake even sea-
soned professionals some time to
t ell them apart. The tight cowls
on the long PT6A-60A engines
that power the new airplane are
the main features that distinguish
it from its older sibling. Beech
calls them "' pitot cowls," t o point
out that their small er (70 vs 88
sq in.) inlet area creat es sort o f a
pitot effect that provides much
better recovery of the inlet air.
The effi ciency in this r egard, said
Beech, is 9 5 percent.
Other improvement s on the
Super 300 vis a vis the B200 are
its hydraulically operated landing
gear (the B200' s is electric) and
its three-bus elect rical system of-
fering another avenue of redun-
dancy over the two-bus system
in the B200.
The landing gear doors fully
enclose the wheels of the Super
300. While this is so on the B200
with standard tires, it is not so
when the 200 is equipped with
the large tires available for it. The
Super 300 uses a tire size that is
intermediate between the
standard and the large on the B 2 00.
As mentioned, the wing of the
Super 300 is "virtually" the same
as that on the B200. One dif-
ference is that the inboard leading
edges have been extended forward
about five inches to provide more
wing area. " We want ed to keep
stall speeds almost identical to the
Model 200," explained a Beech
spokesman. The extended chord
of the wing cent er section m oved
t he e.g. range three inches further
forward than in the Model 200.
Another wing-related change
has been the addition of a strake
on each side of the fuselage, where
it meets the front part of the
outer wing sections. The reason is
said to be for improved stability.
One of the most significant
differences between the Super
300 and the B200 is one that
Beech , for a variety of reasons,
did not mention in the descrip-
tion of the airplane in its press
releases. This is a new main spar
design and a new method by which
the main spar of each outer wing
is connect ed to the central main
spar.
As King Air operators well
know, the spar connection has
been both a sensitive and con-
t entious subj ect and is currently
Except for slightly more wing area in the center section, the new Super of the
King Air clan, the Model 300, shares the same airframe as the 8200, but new en-
gines have added a big increase in shp.
the underlying cause of two law-
suits. Critics of the way the main
spar has been connected claim this
is a failure-prone design. Beech
admits that there have been two
instances of breakage in one of the
bolts that has held this spar to-
gether, but attributed one of these
instances to bolt corrosion. It
staunchly maintains there has never
been an accident caused by struc-
tural failure in a Super King Air.
FAA did issue an AD requir-
ing periodic inspections of the
spar attach fitt ings on King Airs,
and Beech offers Inconel steel
bolts which lengthen the time of
the mandatory inspection to five-
year intervals.
In its Super 300, Beech bit the
bullet and redesigned both the
main spar and its attach fitting.
(See accompanying box.) The de-
cision, however , seems to have put
the company in a difficult posi-
tion, particularly in view of the
on-going litigation. If it points out
the advantages of the new structure
and connection, this could be in-
terpreted as tantamount to admit-
ting that the previous design (as in
the King Airs from the B 200 on
down, and before them, the Beech
99 and D 18 series) was wrong and
this is actually a correction. As a
result , the company apparently has
decided to say nothing-publicly,
at least - about the significant
structural change between the
Super 300 and B200, which
potential buyers and current King
Air operators would most certain-
ly want to be made aware of.
98
King Air
Briefly, the redesign (explained
more fully in the box ) involves a
change in the lower main spar sec-
tion from a single- to a three-
element unit, plus a change in the
lower spar cap bolt from a t ension
to a shear type.
Asked if this change would be
introduced in forthcoming B200s,
a Beech spokesman said the com-
pany had no such plans at this
time. He said that the reason the
change was made o n the Super
300 was because of its additional
weight .
Notwithstanding the denial,
strong rumors continue to circu-
late that Beech will soon go from
a tension to a shear bolt in the
lower cap of the main spar in its
Model 200. Beech President
Linden Blue appeared to have ad-
mitted as much when he respond-
ed to a direct question at the
Beech King Air Maintenance &
Operations session at the last
NBAA Convention. At the time,
Blue' s questioner said that he
understood the change would take
place in B200 S/ N 1193 . Current-
ly, S/N 1180 is the next one due to
roll off the company's B200 pro-
duction line in Wichita.
Performance is the strong suit
of the new Super King Air. It
touts a top speed of 317 kt (23 .5
kt faster than the B200) and, at
max range power, can fly 1,960
nmi with 45-min reserves. Climb
rate from sea level at max gross
weight is 2,844 fpm, while single-
engine climb under the same con-
ditions is 867 fpm. Two-engine
service ceiling is "above 35,000
ft," while being 22,878 ft on one
engine.
At max gross, the Super 300
will clear a 50-ft obstacle after
takeoff in 2,803 ft with flaps re-
tracted. With approach flaps (14
deg) it will top the same obstacle
in 2,203 ft .
The airplane' s rather long
accelerate-stop distances have
been mentioned. This, of course,
is without reverse thrust. With
reverse, the stopping distance
would be considerably shorter,
however, since this is not a certi-
fication test item, Beech has no
official figures for this maneuver.
External noise on takeoff, said
Beech, was measured as 72.07
dbA, well under the FAR 36 limit,
although higher than the 6 8. 8
Aviation Convention News
dbA estimated for the B200, as
listed in FAA's latest Advisory
Circular 36-3C.
For the Super 300's list price
of $2,341,750, the buyer receives
a full complement of IFR avionics,
including Collins Pro Line II nav-
com and Sperry Primus 200 color
radar. The autopilot and flight
directors are extra cost items.
Collins APS-65 with FDS-84 and
Sperry SPZ 4000 with FTI 400
are offered, as well as EFIS from
both companies in lieu of electro-
mechanical flight directors.
The buyer also receives a
newly designed interior that is
claimed to be quieter and to have
improved aesthetics, as well as
more responsive heating and cool-
ing systems.
The passenger chairs have been
redesigned to provide more ef-
ficient use of space and better
body support. Each seat has an
inflatable lumbar adjustment and
will track laterally, fore, and aft,
and will recline. Arm rests stow
under the seat when not in use,
effectively providing more cabin
room.
Not all the sedentary ingenuity
of Beech interior designers went
into the passenger seats. Crew
chairs have been redesigned, too.
In addition to being tiltable 2.5
and 5 deg, they have inflatable
lumbar supports and infinite posi-
tion arm rests. Also making life
on the Super 300's flight deck
simpler, the pilots' oxygen masks
now store overhead instead of be-
hind their seats. Another nicety:
shoulder straps for the pilots can
now be released without having to
detach the seat belt, too.
The pilot's window that is in
the B200 has been eliminated, as
have been those metal pieces that
conduct cold air into the cockpit.
In the Super 300, the pilots com-
b efl1Rn'>' ."1 ;. .

wt;J14,ooo7:s.
lb max cru1se. power at 28,000 ft. In- ,
eludes allowance for fuel for starting, taxi, climb,
. . descent, and 45-min reserve at max range power ,.
' ., ,,.AV' 'j: . . ;'. .. . , " . :&'''', ' Yz
pants (incl. ' crew) plus 839 lb baggage and 3,611 l'b fuel be-
fore engine start:
.,
1AQO. omi
4 t\'r, 38 n1 in
302 kt
1 oa.9 PPh
; '

2. 15 occupants (i ncl. crew) plus 660 Jb baggage and 2,600 lb f tjel before
953 nmi
3 hr, 11 min
.2
municate with the ground crew
through an interconnect near the
nosewheel-just like in the airlines.
Still another flight deck im-
provement: flight and engine in-
struments are now lit internally,
instead of by post lights.
Cabin heating and cooling have
been improved. There's a two-
position switch that regulates the
amount of bleed air entering the
cabin, and there are electrical
heating units at the front and rear
of the cabin to expedite warming
on cold days while on the ground.
For those who prefer numbers,
the dual bleed-air heating system
has 45,000 BTU capacity, while
the cabin air-conditioning system
is rated 22,000 BTU.
New techniques and materials
are used in the cabin interior to
make the installation lighter in
weight, more sound absorbent,
and to give it a more spacious
aura. Nomex honeycomb, for
example, is used in the cabin
furniture and bulkheads, and a
formed foam material constitutes
the interior shell. To minimize
vibration and the sounds it gen-
erates, all of the interior items
save for the seats, are mounted on
rubber isolators.
Other interior improvements
include overhead indirect lighting,
from the cockpit to the rear bag-
gage area; redesigned interior
cabinetry; a new stereo system
with overhead speakers; tables
between facing chairs that have
magnetic game boards, particular-
ly adaptable to the checkers and
chess sets that are part of the
standard equipment provided with
the airplane.
Like its B200 predecessor, the
Super 300 is approved for flight in
moderate ICing. Its standard
equipment includes flush fuel
vents, engine control heat blan-
kets, engine inlet screen anti-icer
protection system, exhaust-
heated engine inlet lips, heaters,
electric prop anti-icing, wing ice
lights, dual windshield electric
heat, wing, and horizontal tail de-
icing boots and brake de-ice.
Beech will have a Super 300
demonstrator flying in April. It
declined to say what it has set for
an initial production rate for the
airplane. Its B200 production has
slowed to a trickle because of high
field inventories. There are be-
lieved to be at least 3 0 unsold new
King Air B200s at Beech' s factory
and in the hands of dealers. 0
.SUPER KtNG AIR 300
PER FOR MANCE
Stall Speeds (at 14,000 lb, idle power)
Flaps up
Approach flaps
Flaps down
Climb on 2 engines (S.L.)
flaps up
flaps up
approach flaps
approach ..... ,.
T.O. wt. limit (14,000 lb at 5,000 ftl
flaps up
approach flaps
Takeoff distance at 14,000 lb
flaps up decision speed (V 1 )
obstacle speed (V2l
ground roll
distance over 50-ft obs.
approach flaps decision speed (V 1)
obstacle speed \V2)
ground roll
distance over obs.
_i,_ "'
Accelerate-stop d .istao'ce af14,000 lb
(includes. 2.2 sec allowance for failure
recognition and reaction)
flaps up:
decision speed
distance
approach flaps:
decision speed
distance
Accelerate-go distance at 14,000 lb
100 kt
90 kt
81 kt
2,844 fpm (1 4,000 lb)
3,277 fpm (12,500 lb)
2,656 fpm (14.000 lb)
3,073 fprn {12,500 IIJ)
867 fpm (14,000 lb)
1,074 fpm (12',500 'Ib)'
I .. .. . ..
41.9-deg C
31.9-deg C
110 kt
120 kt
2,042 ft
2,803 ft
97 kt
107 kt
1,576 ft
2,208 ft
105 kt
1,686 ft
21907 ft
110 kt
4,854 ft
97 kt
3,682 ft
(includes 1.2 sec-allowance for failure recognition)
flaps up:
decision speed
obst acle speed .
distance over 35 ft. obs.
flaps approach:
decision speed
obstacle ';: .... c .;.
distance:over -'tf5 ft. 'obi
110 kt
120 kt
4,349 ft
97 kt
107 kt
3.700 ft
Beech's Super 300 tightly wraps its PT6A-60A turbines in "pitot cowls" having
only 70 sq in. of inlet area, but the 95-percent ram recovery efficiency allows the
engine to thrive on less air.
THE KING AIR CONNECTION
In all King Airs, the wing is composed of three sections-a
center section that extends from about six inches outboard of
one nacelle through the underside of the fuselage to about six
inches outboard of the opposite nacelle; and two (left and right)
outer wing sections. Each outer wing section is joined to the cen-
ter section by the simple process of bolting their respective front
(main) and rear spars together- t wo bolts per spar connection,
four bolts per side, and eight bolts for connecting both wings.
(The front and rear spars are 1-beams formed by joining a T-
beam to an inverted T-beam (_L). The mass of the 1-beam of the
front spar is about double that of the rear 1-beam because the
front spar carries t he lion's share of the load.)
In all King Airs prior to the Super 300, the spar connections
are made by so-called "tension" bolts. This is because the bolts
run parallel to the leading edge of the wing and, because of this
placement, any bending loads on the wing spar generate tension
stresses in these bolts. Consequently, the name "tension" bolts.
Because of the almost constant upward forces on t he wing,
the bottom bolt of the main spar is almost always under tension
stress in flight. Of the four connecting bolts per side, this is iden-
tified as the most critical one.
Even though the bottom bolt of the rear (secondary) spar ex-
periences tension stresses as well, t his bolt is not a critical item,
since it is said to carry only about one-fifth of the total bending
load. The rear spar's main reason for being there, according to
one structural engineer familiar with the King Air design, is to
complete the wing tors ion box-i.e., to prevent the wing from
twisting.
In the Super 300, the .critical lower bolts for the main spar
connections have been changed from tension to shear. The new
connection, made possible through the use of multi-element spar
terminations changes the bolts' direction 90 deg, so that they
now run parallel to the fuselage. The change causes bending loads
on the spar to manifest themselves as stresses in shear and not
in tension.
Only the bottom bolts con1ecting t he main spars have been
changed in the Super 300, all other six bolts-three on each side
- remain t he same as in the Super 200.
In addition to the change from torsion to shear bolt, the lower
section of the main spar has been changed from a single element
inverted T to an inverted T composed of three elements-the cen-
tral vertical element (spar web), joined to two 90-deg angle beams,
one on each side of the web. The three elements (looking, some-
what, like JIL ) are bonded together (under pressure and heat) to
form the inverted T-beam that becomes attached to the single-
element upper T-section of t he main spar to form the 1-beam.
Having three elements in the critical lower spar section pro-
vides three, in lieu of one, crack propagation path.
"Any one of the three elements could fail and the spar would
remain intact," explained a Beech spokesman, who pointed out
that the design is both safe-life and fail-safe.
The mai n spar from the center section terminates in three
''fingers," each having a c e n t r ~ bolt hole. These mesh with two
similar "fi ngers" from the outer wing main spar. The shear bolt is
then inserted through all five fingers and fastened.
The arrangement is analogous to the hinge on a door where the
' tangs on the two hinge pieces are fitted together and the hinge
pin inserted.
"Keepers" on t he shear bolt in the Super JOG's lower spar con-
nection prevent it from moving forward or aft, so that even if it
fract ured, t he lower main spar connection would be maintained.
So confident is Beech of its new spar/spar-connection design,
that it intends to start its Super 300 off with an initial wing-life
of 30,000 hr. 0
Source: Aviation Convention News, Vol. 16, No. 5; Midland Park, New Jersey; March 1, 1984.