Beechcraft King Air 65-90

Beechcraft · United States · first flew 1965 · transport aircraft

The Beechcraft King Air 65-90 was the founding member of the celebrated King Air family, the world's most successful line of business turboprops. It married the proven Queen Air airframe to twin Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A turboprop engines, setting a standard for executive twin-turboprop travel.

Recognition (WEFT)

W — Wings	Low-mounted, straight
E — Engines	2 × turboprop, wing-mounted
F — Fuselage	Circular cabin windows along short fuselage
T — Tail	T-tail

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Spot it by:

First production King Air with PT6A turboprops
T-tail with square-ish fin
Circular cabin windows along short fuselage

A compact twin-turboprop with a low straight wing, T-tail, and rows of oval cabin windows; smaller and shorter-nosed than the King Air 200.

Specifications

The Beechcraft King Air 65-90 has a length of 10.82 m (35 ft).
It has a wingspan of 15.32 m (50 ft).
Its maximum speed is 453 km/h (281 mph).
Typical crew: 1–2, plus 6–7 passengers.

Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.

History

Beechcraft flew the Model 90 prototype in January 1964 and deliveries began in 1965. The design built on the piston-powered Queen Air 65 fuselage but introduced tricycle gear and the PT6A powerplant. The 90-series established such strong market presence that the King Air line has continued in production, with successive models, to the present day.

Variants

The 65-90 was followed by the A90, B90, C90, and many further derivatives; later King Air 100 and 200 series are larger, stretched developments.

Where you'll see it

Widely used by corporate operators, charter companies, and military services around the world; US Army operated the type as the C-12.

Related aircraft

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