COPYRIGHT 1995 THE MCGRAW-HILL COMPANIES, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

perator Survey: Beech Super King Air B200Why the King Air 200 remains one of Beechs best-selling aircraft 20 years after its introduction.

OBy FRED GEORGE

March 1994, Document No. 3303 (4 pages)

Flying overhead, the shape of the Beech Super King AirB200 is instantly recognizable among business aircraft.Clearly, the Model 200 has become the definitive turbo-prop of the business aircraft fleet. During two decades ofproduction, more than 1,950 variants of the Model 200have been deliveredincluding executive, cargo, airambulance, commuter and military versions. If the currentrate of production continues, the 2,000th Super King Air200 will roll off the assembly line in 1995.

This year marks the 21st year of production of thisvenerable, well-seasoned workhorse, and Beech contin-ues to deliver 25 to 35 Super King Air 200 aircraftannually. This is a business aircraft that has benefitedfrom continuous fine-tuning since its introduction in1974 (B/CA, November 1992, page 48). Few aircrafthave earned such long-term popularity.

We wanted to know why. So, we asked severalrecent Super King Air B200 buyers about their pur-chase decisions and what they now think of the aircraftafter flying it a few months.

BUYERS COMMENTSA substantial number of buyers operate the Super KingAir B200 as their only business aircraft. Typically, theyare relatively small, entrepreneurial firms. The remain-der is split between small fleet operators of about threeaircraft or large commercial operatorswith many ofthem flying more than a dozen aircraft.

Most people who purchased Model 200s in 1993

didnt anguish much over their choice of aircraft. Alarge number were previous King Air owners, and theywere quite happy to stay in the Beech fold. Some weretempted by Cessnas CitationJet or the Citation II in thelight turbofan class, and by various other turboprops,but the Super King Air B200 ultimately won their pur-chase dollars. Other buyers said their choice of a turbo-prop was in part influenced by its fiscally conservativepublic image, one that prevents their critics from chid-ing them about the company jet.

Reliability, operating economy and Beech productsupport frequently topped the list of the most compellingreasons for buying the Super King Air B200. Onebuyer said, After years of operating King Airs, wevenever cancelled a trip due to a mechanical problem.Other comments we heard reinforced the impressionthat the Super King Air B200 and its predecessors areexceptionally reliable business aircraft.

Ultimate speed was not as important as fuel economyto the buyers with whom we spoke. Indeed, B/CAs1993 Planning & Purchasing Handbook indicates thatturbofan aircraft offering competitive cabin volume burnup to 394 pounds of fuel on a 300-mile trip, althoughadmittedly they arrive 12 to 22 minutes ahead of theSuper King Air B200.

The Beech dealer network received high marks frombuyers for responsiveness, quality workmanship and time-ly completion of maintenance. Most buyers have estab-lished long-term business relationships with local Beech

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service centers and salespeople. We sensed an impliedcomfort level that encourages buyers to stay in the Beechfamily. One air ambulance operator said, We need 24-hour-a-day support, and we get it from Beech.

Human engineering factors also played a major partin the purchase decision. Pilots laud the aircraft for itsease of handling and stability. Regardless of weatherconditions, including icing, there are no [handling] sur-prises, commented a recent buyers chief pilot.

Flightcrews also like the copious rear baggage com-partment that holds 550 pounds, along with the rear airstair door that makes quick work of baggage loading.The 1993 model and newer B200 aircraft have adetachable forward door cable that makes it easier tofit long or bulky items through the door opening andinto the baggage compartment which is located aft ofthe door. (A few buyers commented, however, that thedoors 26.75-inch width was too narrow.)

Pilots commented favorably about the B200s gener-ous center-of-gravity envelope. If it will fit into the lug-gage compartment, the aircraft will remain within [c.g.]limits. . . one pilot said. It flies as nicely empty or fullyloaded, said another, commenting about the aircraftsstability and control characteristics throughout theweight-and-balance envelope.

Passenger comfort was another big-selling feature. Thesound-reduction improvements incorporated into the1993 Model B200 lower the noise level in the cockpit bymore than 5.0 dBA and by 3.5 dBA in the passengercabin. The new B200 has smaller diameter, four-bladeMcCauley propellers that have lower tip speeds, resultingin less noise. The props produce a higher pitched sound,which is easier to dampen, compared with the three-blade props of older Model 200 airplanes.

Usable cabin volume was another plus for the B200.Buyers said the model felt more spacious to passen-gers than competitive turboprops and light jetsthoughsome fanjet rivals edge out the B200 in actual cabinvolume. Recontoured passenger seats provide up tothree inches more legroom in the club-seating section ofthe cabin. The outboard armrests are built into thecabin side walls to provide more usable seat widthwhen the aircraft is ordered with the optional side-track-ing passenger chairs.

Such features scored well with recent buyers. Sometold us they routinely carry five to seven passengersalong with a weeks baggage, laptop computers andbusiness materials. These operators tend to fly shortertrips, averaging about 200 nm or 45 minutes. They sel-dom climb above FL 200, so the B200s relative fuelmiserliness at low altitude is a real advantage.

However, most operators said they carry three to fourpassengers on average and fly 250 to 300 miles onmost trips. These recent buyers climb into the mid- to

high-20s on numerous trips and report that the aircraftmeets book performance predictions, topping 280KIAS in cruise, while burning 600 to 700 pph depend-ing on the choice of cruise altitude.

The maximum range most operators are comfortableflying is 1,000 to 1,200 nm, depending on the passen-ger load. Overall, recent buyers told us they are quitesatisfied with the B200s climb, speed, range and fueleconomy performance.

VERSATILITYOne operator remarked We routinely operate out of a3,100-foot unpaved strip. Versatility such as that is atough act to follow in a light jet, especially if the B200is equipped with the optional high-flotation main land-ing gear. The hi-float gear protrudes slightly from thewheel wells when fully retracted, but the resultantincrease in drag reduces the cruise speed only by fiveknots or less below FL 280. Most light jet competitorsare restricted to paved runway operations.

The B200 is designed to operate in severe weatherconditions. Its optional bleed air wheel brake heat sys-tem prevents rain and slush from freezing in the brakesduring extremely cold weather operations. In addition,the positioning of the nose wheel relative to the engineair inlets prevents water spray ingestion, thereby elimi-nating any limitation on standing water depth. If theprops arent awash, the decision to land or take off instanding water is left up to the flightcrewnot the AFM(aircraft flight manual).

Although no operators with whom we spoke haveordered cargo configuration Super King Airs, its worthnoting the aircraft can be ordered with a 52-inch-highby 49-inch-wide cargo door that swings up to accom-modate especially large freight. The aircraft may evenbe flown with the passenger air stair door removed tofacilitate aerial photography or parachute jumpers.

Other factory options and dozens of non-factorySTCed modifications are available to accommodate awide variety of operational needs.

PERFORMANCE VERSUS TURBOFANSOperators complimented the aircraft for its short fieldperformance, especially at high-density altitudes. Theall-engine takeoff distance from Aspen, Colorado on ahot summer day is only 3,700 feet. The B200s all-engine certificated takeoff and initial climb numbers arebetter than most turbofan competitors because they mustcomply with FAR Part 25 one-engine-inoperative takeoffperformance rules.

The B200, however, can measure up to Part 25 accel-erate-go takeoff performance standards when needed,but the sea level ISA one-engine-inoperative takeoff dis-tance at 12,300 poundsthe highest weight for which

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OEI accelerate-go data are publishedis slightly morethan 4,700 feet. Its OEI climb rate, with gear and flapsretracted, is 740 fpm at 121 knots indicated, resulting inan OEI climb gradient close to five percent.

OEI takeoff performance at 5,000 feet, 25C is great-ly reduced, but recent buyers expressed no particularconcern about hot and high engine-out climb perfor-mance. Departing at 12,300 pounds under those con-ditions results in an OEI accelerate-go distance of8,050 feet and a gear-up, flaps-up OEI rate-of-climb of580 fpm.

Some operators, however, told us that the actual OEIperformance they had experienced during simulatedengine-out takeoff practice falls short of AFM predic-tions. In truth, most of the gap between actual versuscertificated OEI performance appears to be the result ofattempting to set zero thrust on the simulated failedengine. Thats difficult because the propellers automat-ic-feathering feature only functions if the engine is actu-ally shut down, a procedure few pilots would attemptduring flight. Alternatively, zero thrust must be simulatedby precisely setting 100 pounds of torque on the simu-lated failed engine.

One pilot told us he routinely practices such proce-dures at Simuflite Training International. As a result ofthe experience, he is confident the aircraft will meet theAFMs OEI accelerate-go and climb numbers.

IF WE HAD OUR DRUTHERS. . .Topping the list of complaints was the Super King AirB200s high idle thrust that is apparent even when thethrust levers are in the ground fine blade pitch controlmode. Operators told us they must ride the wheelbrakes to control taxi speed or lift, and pull the thrustlevers back into the start of the beta reverse range.

Buyers who had operated B200s with three-bladeprops may have had less residual idle thrust becauselow idle was set to 52 percent N1 gas generator rpm.Low idle on the new four-blade B200 is set at 61 per-cent N1 rpm, resulting in more mass flow through theengine and, thus, more available torque. Ken Mikola-jchak, King Air product manager, told B/CA the idlespeed is adjusted (basically) to allow the airplane to siton the ramp at maximum gross weight without creepingforward. At lower weights, some creep will be experi-enced as it is with small jets. The good side is thatBeech may be able to improve book airport perfor-mance by applying some of this residual thrust in to thetakeoff/rollout equation.

Cold weather starting performance was a secondgripe. Severe temperature plunges in winter 1993aggravated the condition. Some operators told us thatthe hot-section interstage turbine temperature (ITT)nudged the starting transient redline limit of 1,000C.

Using a ground power cart didnt seem to help. Theseowners wonder if the standard 250-amperestarter/generators have enough cranking capacity.Beech, though, offers 300-ampere starter/generators asan option. Dave Jacobson, Beechs parts and servicemanager, told B/CA the starting issue came up severalyears ago and there was an extensive investigativeprogram conducted by both Pratt & Whitney andBeech, with a couple of affected operators. This investi-gation resulted in a change in the ratio of primary ver-sus secondary fuel nozzles installed in the engines, aswell as combustion chamber improvements.

These have been incorporated on productionengines for some time, and are available to operatorsvia a specific Pratt & Whitney service bulletin. To thebest of our knowledge, says Jacobson, these changesfully eliminated the condition.

Third on the list of druthers was the relatively high costof Beech parts. Recent B200 buyers echoed the com-ments we heard during our Beechjet 400A survey(B/CA, October 1993, page 50).

Other than those three concerns, B200 buyers in oursurvey generally beamed about their satisfaction withthe aircraft and highly recommended it to others. Saidone recent buyer, For our missions, the aircraft com-pares favorably to any small jet on the market.

Jacobson said he believes the spare parts price issueis a matter of concern throughout the industry and cer-tainly is not unique to Beech. The company recentlylaunched a program to review its spares pricing struc-ture and has reduced more than 4,700 prices in recentmonths. Additionally, we have a competitive priceevaluation program, said Jacobson. Adjustments willbe made as appropriate, and Beech welcomes anyoperators inquiry about prices of a specific part.

PRICE AND COST INCENTIVESBeech salespeople are well aware that the market fornew business aircraft is soft. The factory now offers twoyears of free maintenance on new B200 airplanes. Atpress time, that incentive was due to expire on March31, but Beech marketing executives are urging topmanagement to extend the offer.

Buyers are reporting preliminary direct operatingcosts of $425 to $440 per hourpartly because of thefree maintenance. Some operators believe the DOCwill increase by $60-plus per hour at the end of thetwo-year free maintenance period.

Other buyers negotiated significant one-time purchaseprice discounts from dealers who were losing their abili-ty to keep B200 aircraft in inventory because ofBeechs new factory-direct sales structure.

The two-year free maintenance and reduced purchaseprices, along with the aircrafts predicted high resale

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value, were major factors in the operators choosingnew Super King Air B200 airplanes rather than usedaircraft.

But, the ultimate purchasing decision came down tothe basic utility of the Super King Air B200 as a busi-ness tool. Buyers told us no other airplane offers theblend of performance and versatility, cabin room andefficiency, quality, and price. B/CA

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COPYRIGHT 1995 THE MCGRAW-HILL COMPANIES, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED