GENEVA (May 24, 2016) – Beechcraft Corporation, a subsidiary of Textron Aviation Inc., a Textron Inc. (NYSE:TXT) company, today announced it has received type certifications from both the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) for the new Pro Line Fusion-equipped Beechcraft King Air C90GTx turboprop.
With this achievement, the company has now completed FAA and EASA certifications to include Pro Line Fusion avionics systems as standard equipment on all current production models of the King Air.
“Continuous product improvement and enhancements based on operator feedback is why more than 7,300 Beechcraft King Air turboprops have been delivered to customers around the world,” said Kriya Shortt, senior vice president, Sales & Marketing. “Our ongoing strategy of driving new technology into our aircraft in alignment with customers’ needs ensures owners and operators get the value proposition, performance and passenger experience they appreciate from the King Air series.”
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 changes 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 with touch screen and cursor control. 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
- Dual multi-sensor flight management systems
- Available automatic wireless database and chart uploads
- Open and scalable architecture for future upgrades and mandates
Pilot training for the Pro Line Fusion King Airs is offered at TRU Simulation + Training’s new ProFlight training center near Tampa, Florida. Additionally, TRU offers aircraft maintenance training for the new models in its newly renovated Wichita, Kansas facility.
Cabin upgrades
In addition to the new Pro Line Fusion avionics, the cabin now offers an enhanced passenger experience. With Wi-Fi capability available on all King Air models, the personal device-centric cabin environment allows customers to stay connected and productive throughout their flight experience. Also standard on all three models are electronically dimmable window shades, offering a simple interface that provides clearer views and darker shading 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 52 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.
