Textron Aviation announced the new Beechcraft King Air 260 at VBACE 2020, with the model already in production for deliveries to begin in the first half of 2021. The latest entrant in the legendary turboprop series joins the King Air 360, which entered service in late October, alongside the 360ER.
Like the 360, the 260 features the integration of the Innovative Solutions & Support ThrustSense autothrottle into the flight deck—accommodating acceleration and climb while on a single engine—along with a new digital pressurization controller. A Collins Aerospace Multi-Scan RTA-4112 radar system for detecting short-, medium-, and long-range weather comes standard as well. The 260 carries up to nine occupants, and will boast a maximum range of 1,720 nm with a max cruise speed of 310 ktas. The cabin features a new seat design, crafted using a pressure-mapping process to identify ways to increase comfort on longer flights.
“These investments reflect our commitment to providing superior upgrades and engineering innovation that create the best flying experience for Beechcraft King Air 260 owners and operators around the world,” said Ron Draper, president and CEO for Textron Aviation, in a press release. “We place an immense value on our conversations with our customers, and the investments we make in our aircraft are a direct result of listening to their input. I’m proud of the impressive effort by our team for taking a legendary aircraft and adding technological advancements that will allow customers to achieve their varied missions.”
The IS&S autothrottle can also be retrofit to all Pro Line Fusion-equipped Beechcraft King Air 200-series airplanes, at Textron Aviation Services facilities. Nearly 7,600 King Airs have been delivered to date.
