Hawker Beechcraft has certificated the uprated King Air B200GT as it continues to upgrade its twin-turboprop business-aircraft product line to stay competitive with new light jets.

The nine-passenger B200GT has a 305kt (565km/h) maximum cruise speed, up almost 20kt over the B200 it replaces. Climb to cruising altitude is also faster, the company says.

The B200GT is powered by the Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-52 engine, which mates the turbine section of the 1,050shp (780kW) PT6A-60A from the larger King Air 350 with the gearbox of the PT6A-42 from the King Air B200. This allows the engine to maintain its 850shp flat rating to higher altitude.

Beechcraft King Air B200GT
                                                                                                         © Hawker Beechcraft

In 2005, Hawker Beechcraft (then Raytheon Aircraft) introduced the smaller King Air C90GT as a response to very-light jets. The C90GT has 750shp PT6A-135A engines flat-rated to 550shp and a maximum cruise speed of 275kt. This is being superceded by the King Air C90GTi with Rockwell Collins Pro Line 21 integated flightdeck, deliveries of which are to begin by year-end.

Source: FlightGlobal.com