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EBONY ISSUE - n° 15 - 2018 - € 10 www.theoney d.com
The Art of Sailing Sanlorenzo SX8
QUART ERLY - P.I. 21/07 /2018 Intern ationa l € 10, Poste Italiane S.p.a. Chf 10,50 , UK £ 7,50 Spedizione in Abbon amento Postale
- 70% - LO/MI
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THE KING OF COMMUTERS It shrugs off competition from ultra-digitalised jets. Beechcraft’s King Air is a turboprop aircraft offering exceptional comfort, performance and consumption. It made its debut in 1964 di Beechcraft and has no intention of stepping down by Sergio Barlocchetti - Ph. by courtesy of King Air
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wning or piloting a Beechcraft King Air is
with baggage or assistants. Larger packages can also be
like driving a Rolls Royce Phantom while
stowed in the compartments behind the engine nacelles,
enjoying the same fuel consumption as
while others can be carried in the pressurised, climatized
would be provided by a luxury saloon, as
compartment aft, so can be accessed in flight. It’s clear
this aircraft sucks up less fuel than a jet but offers the
that what makes the 350 special is the combination of
same levels of comfort. Of the various models produced
its cargo-carrying capacity and the power provided by
by the American Beechcraft company (which, like Cessna
two 550hp Pratt&Whitney PT6A-60 turboshafts - even
and Bell, belongs to Textron), I chose the largest, the 350,
conditions of extreme heat or high-altitude landings pose
also called the Super King Air. Since 1964, the year of its
no significant problems for these powerplants. It is very
launch, the world fleet of these aircraft, numbering just
solid and robust, so the 15,000 lb limit applies to both
over 6,000, has accumulated over 40 million flight hours
takeoff and landing. The aircraft can take off with a full
and has not experienced an accident or serious incident
load using little over a kilometre of runway, which means
for almost thirty years. As soon as you step on board you
it can also operate from small-town landing strips or dirt
are struck by the warmth of the surroundings. There is
strips. Cockpit avionics are by Collins and feature three
also a spacious washroom to the rear. With full tanks
screens, a primary, multifunction secondary and FMS,
and a pilot weighing around 100 kilos (200 lbs) there are
while those seated behind the pilot can watch the world
still 1,600 lbs of useful load, enough to be able to travel
pass by beneath them through large round windows that
A runway just over a kilometre long with a semi-prepared surface is enough for the King Air to take off. Solid and powerful, it is powered by two 550hp Pratt&Whitney PT6A-60 engines and has an impressive load capacity. Cockpit avionics are by Collins, with a primary, multifunction and FMS screen
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Seven large, round windows provide light for the cabin. The seats have ergonomically revamped with a built-in headrest, retracting armrests, rotational movement and panels with reading lights and sockets
are electronically dimmable. Beechcraft recently redesigned the
ideal choice, especially for those operating in areas with less-
cabin seats, giving them built-in headrests, retractable armrests,
than-perfect runways. The huge wing is just under 58ft long - its
rotational movement and panels with reading lights and sockets.
structure is certified for life and it enables the aircraft to climb to
The cabin facilities are completed by a small galley where hot
35,000 feet with cabin pressure kept at around 10,000 feet. Fuel
drinks can be prepared. Back in the cockpit, it is interesting
consumption is 650 lbs an hour and cruising speed is 300 knots,
that the digital screens are accompanied by tumbler switches
with a range of over 1,000 miles. Many pilots must be wondering
and control levers for prop speed. There is a five-year warranty
how long the King Air will remain in production, and the answer
for the body and avionics, with a service cover of five years
is until jets can do the same job – transporting ten or so people,
or 2,500 hours on the engines and parts. In the era of ultra-
taking off from relatively small spaces and rough surfaces. One
digitalised business jets the idea of a large turboprop aircraft
of the smallest models in the series is the C90, the only one that
may seem slightly retrograde, but given its performance, the
has been able to take off with nine on board from the 900 metres
silence resulting from the distance between the props and the
of the Lido di Venezia strip – but that’s another story.
cabin and the low fuel consumption, this aircraft could be the
www.beechcraft.txtav.com
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