AirCompAnalysis APRIL21.qxp_ACAn 23/03/2021 12:46 Page 1
TURBOPROP COMPARISON
Piaggio Avanti EVO
Beechcraft King Air 350iER
Turboprop Comparison: King Air 350iER vs Piaggio Avanti EVO vs King Air 250 How do the Beechcraft King Air 350iER, Piaggio Avanti EVO, and King Air 250
compare in the twin-engine turboprop market? What are the advantages offered by each model, and to whom would they appeal? Mike Chase explores…
ver the following paragraphs we’ll consider key productivity parameters for the King Air 350iER, the Piaggio Avanti EVO, and the King Air 250 (including payload, range, speed, and cabin size) to establish which aircraft provides the better value in the twinengine turboprop market, and to whom. For example, how might the desire for higher speed, longer range, or lower operating costs influence an aircraft buying decision? It’s hoped that the following turboprop comparison will help clarify.
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earlier King Air 350 models offered, or wanting to tanker fuel. The King Air 350iER provides an additional fuel tank to the rear upper portion of each engine nacelle, increasing total fuel capacity from 3,611lbs to 5,192lbs. To allow this additional amount of fuel to be carried, the aircraft also incorporates a heavyweight landing gear which allows for an increased maximum takeoff weight. Currently, there are twelve wholly-owned King Air 350iERs in operation worldwide, according to JETNET.
Beechcraft King Air 350iER
Piaggio Avanti EVO
Nearly 7,600 Beechcraft King Air turboprops have been delivered to customers around the world. The King Air 350iER was introduced to the market in 2010. The ER option is available to anyone seeking more range and endurance than the
74 Vol 25 Issue 4 2021 AVBUYER MAGAZINE
A radical design from Italian manufacturer Rinaldo Piaggio, the Avanti P180 is unique in appearance, using a pusher-prop arrangement in which the engines are reversed on the wing. The wing itself is placed aft of the passenger cabin and a small
forward wing is mounted at the end of the nose cone. The Piaggio P180 Avanti II succeeded the P180 Avanti, before an even newer Avanti EVO entered production in 2015. The Avanti EVO is the fastest turboprop available currently. Compared to the Avanti II it has redesigned nacelles, winglets, and a reshaped front wing, leading to a 3% reduction in emissions along with a 3% increase in climb performance. There are ten wholly owned Avanti EVOs in operation worldwide, according to JETNET. These join a fleet of over 200 Piaggio P180 and Avanti II aircraft previously built.
Beechcraft King Air 250
The King Air 250 started production in 2011. It offers composite winglets and propellers that deliver substantial improvements in takeoff performance, while also increasing speed, www.AVBUYER.com
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