Beechcraft King Air 250 now available with factory-installed payload increase

Beechcraft Corporation, a subsidiary of Textron Aviation Inc., a Textron Inc. (NYSE:TXT) company, announced today at the National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) Convention & Exhibition that customers now can order a new Beechcraft King Air 250 with a factory-installed modification that increases the maximum takeoff weight from 12,500 pounds to 13,420 pounds, providing 1,025 pounds of payload with full fuel.

“This is an important upgrade that many of our King Air 250 owners have been asking for, especially our special mission operators who want more capacity to carry heavy equipment or operators who want more range with increased passengers and baggage,” said Christi Tannahill, senior vice president, Turboprop Aircraft. “Having the option to fill the King Air 250 with full fuel and still get more than 1,000 pounds of payload is a great addition to an airplane that has been exceptionally popular in every corner of the world.”

By increasing the King Air 250’s max ramp weight to 13,510 pounds, the enhanced payload modification takes the cabin payload with full fuel from the current 155 pounds to 1,025 pounds. King Air 250 aircraft with this option are certified in the commuter category, and includes the installation of safety systems such as engine fire extinguisher and illuminated escape path floor markings. A BE-200 type rating is required to operate airplanes in the commuter category.

The modification, developed with CenTex Aerospace, Inc. of Waco, Texas, also is an aftermarket option for in-service King Air 250 aircraft and available through Textron Aviation’s factory-owned service centers.

Beechcraft this year celebrates the 50th anniversary of the King Air series as the best-selling business aircraft family in the world. Since 1964, Beechcraft has delivered nearly 7,200 King Airs with the worldwide fleet recently surpassing 60 million flight hours. Building on a reputation of proven performance, the next-generation King Air 250 features composite winglets and lightweight composite propellers, delivering improved runway performance, range, speed and enhanced climb. Passengers travel in quintessential King Air comfort, easily moving about in the spacious square-oval cabin over long-distance journeys. The King Air 250 further defines mission reliability with a ram air recovery system that maintains peak performance when the anti-icing system is activated, resulting in a high-performance, all-weather aircraft.

King Air 250 image