ORLANDO, Fla., 2014-10-27 — /Travel PR News/ — 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 company pilots recently flew a standard production King Air 350ER aircraft nonstop between California’s Napa County Airport (KAPC) to Hawaii’s Honolulu International Airport (PHNL).
“This is the first time a King Air class airplane has made the California to Hawaii leg without additional ferry fuel tanks,” said Dan Keady, vice president, Special Missions. “We’ve been touting the King Air 350ER’s endurance, range, payload and mission flexibility and now we’ve demonstrated the airplane’s unique deployment capabilities.”
The 2,121-nautical mile flight took 8 hours, 52 minutes from Napa to Honolulu. The pilots reported full fuel on departure of 5,192 pounds, cruise altitude of 28,000 feet, average winds aloft produced headwinds from 237 degrees at 33 kts, average groundspeed of 240 kts and fuel at shutdown of 790 pounds.
The return flight from Honolulu to Napa covered 2,131 nm and took 8 hours, 17 minutes. Fuel on departure was full at 5,192 pounds, cruise altitude was 31,000 feet then 33,000 feet for the final third of the flight, average winds aloft were 234 degrees at 15 kts, average groundspeed was 257 kts and fuel at shutdown was 900 pounds.
“Winds aloft on the return flight allowed us to fly higher,” Keady said. “After two-thirds of the flight at maximum range power, we pushed it up to 33,000 feet and maximum cruise power. Making these oceanic flights demonstrates that operators can go anywhere in the world without the need for installing internal ferry tanks. There are some government organizations that have rapid response requirements to be able to stage halfway around the world and be prepared to conduct operations on arrival. The King Air 350ER can do that without taking up cabin space with ferry tanks or the penalty of waiting for modifications or de-modifications.”
The aircraft used was the King Air 350ER Special Mission demonstrator. It is a standard extended-range (ER) airplane, which includes additional fuel capacity and increased capability landing gear allowing for 2,500 nautical mile range and take-off weight of 16,500 lbs. This aircraft’s unique interior configuration highlights the versatility and utility of the King Air family of aircraft with a four-seat executive club configuration complete with writing tables in the front cabin. Additionally, the large cabin provides ample room for the installation a fully functioning medical station complete with medical oxygen, vacuum and pressure, a medical cabinet and a side-facing, three-place couch for doctor/medical attendants to demonstrate the air ambulance configuration.
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About Textron Aviation Inc.
Textron Aviation Inc. is the leading general aviation authority and home to the iconic 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 textronaviation.com.
About Textron Inc.
Textron Inc. is a multi-industry company that leverages its global network of aircraft, defense, industrial and finance businesses to provide customers with innovative solutions and services. Textron is known around the world for its powerful brands such as Bell Helicopter, Cessna, Beechcraft, Hawker, Jacobsen, Kautex, Lycoming, E-Z-GO, Greenlee, and Textron Systems. For more information visit:www.textron.com.
Certain statements in this press release are forward-looking statements which may project revenues or describe strategies, goals, outlook or other non-historical matters; these statements speak only as of the date on which they are made, and we undertake no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements. These statements are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors that may cause our actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements.
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King Air 350ER image