WICHITA, Kan. (March 17, 2016) – Beechcraft Corporation, a subsidiary of Textron Aviation Inc., a Textron Inc. (NYSE:TXT) company, today announced that it has received European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) certification for its new Pro Line Fusion-equipped Beechcraft King Air 350i/ER and 250 turboprop aircraft with cabin enhancements, paving the way for deliveries throughout Europe.
"The King Air's reliability, versatility and operating efficiencies continue to make the entire family of turboprops a popular choice in the European market," said Kriya Shortt, senior vice president, Sales and Marketing. "We're looking forward to getting the upgraded King Air 350i/ER and 250 into the European marketplace, where owners/operators have responded enthusiastically to the investments we've made in bringing the latest technology, safety and comfort to the cockpit and cabin."
Beechcraft announced the upgrades at the European Business Aviation Convention and Exhibition (EBACE) in May 2015.The Fusion-equipped King Air 250 earned Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) certification in July 2015 and the 350i/ER earned the certification in November 2015.
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 fly through a one-of-a-kind intuitive flight deck interface. Its three 14-inch displays are interchangeable, high-resolution and touch controlled. Other performance-enhancing capabilities include:
- Integrated touchscreen checklists
- Intuitive graphical touchscreen flight planning
- High-resolution Synthetic Vision System (SVS) with patented airport dome graphics
- Convenient presets to reconfigure all three displays with a single touch
- Full multi-sensor flight management system
- 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 will be offered at TRU Simulation + Training's new ProFlight training center near Tampa, Florida. Additionally, TRU will offer aircraft maintenance training for the new models in its newly renovated Wichita, Kansas facility.
Cabin upgrades
In addition to new Pro Line Fusion avionics, the cabin now offers an enhanced passenger experience. With Wi-Fi capability standard on the King Air 350i/ER and King Air 250 aircraft, the personal device-centric cabin environment allows customers to stay connected and productive throughout their flight experience. Also standard are electronically dimmable window shades, offering a simple interface that provides more effective shading and faster dimming 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.
About Textron Aviation Inc.
Textron Aviation Inc. is the leading general aviation authority and home to the Beechcraft, Cessna and Hawker brands, which account for more than half of all general aviation aircraft flying. The Textron Aviation companies include Cessna Aircraft Company and Beechcraft Corporation, bringing together decades of unmatched experience in designing, building and supporting airplanes. It provides the most versatile and comprehensive general aviation product portfolio in the world through five principal lines of business: business jets, general aviation and special mission turboprop aircraft, high performance piston aircraft, military trainer and defense aircraft, and a complete global customer service organization. Its broad range of products include such best-selling aircraft as Citation and Hawker business jets, King Air and Caravan turboprops and T-6 military trainer aircraft, all of which are backed by the industry's largest global service network. For more information, visit txtav.com.