As I stood on the Textron Aviation ramp in Wichita, Kansas, for my first look at the company’s new turboprop flagship, the King Air 360, I slipped back in time to a different era and form of transportation: cars (muscle cars as they called them). My pal Lennie had just bought a brand-new, fire-engine-red Chevrolet Chevelle and, to my amazement, spent his first weekend with it stripping off many of the stock parts, mostly the ones no one could see.
We Fly: Beechcraft King Air 360
Key Takeaways:
- The King Air 360 continues the legacy of a robust, time-tested turboprop, offering an evolutionary update that focuses on internal refinements rather than radical performance changes.
- A primary advancement is the standard IS&S ThrustSense autothrottle system, which significantly reduces pilot workload by automating power management and providing critical engine and flight-envelope protection, including approved single-engine operations.
- The aircraft enhances passenger comfort with improved passive cabin noise reduction, redesigned seats, real wood veneer cabinets, and dual-zone climate control, while the cockpit features modern Collins Aerospace Fusion avionics and an automatic digital pressurization system.
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