Long live the King

The latest in this long line is the 350i, to which all B350 production switched over in March of this year, and local distributor Hawker Pacific recently brought an example to Australia for a demonstration tour. The demonstrator was built in March of this year and was s/n FL714 off the production line. After touring parts of South East Asia, the aircraft was demonstrated at Cairns, southeast Queensland, Adelaide, Melbourne and Sydney before departing back to Asia and on to India in late July.

The 350i is outwardly very similar to other B350s, although a quick walk-around reveals larger pannier style storage lockers with a volume of 0. 23m3 each have been added in the rear of each engine nacelle which can carry bulky skis, golf clubs, fishing gear, and other outsized luggage up to 140kg in each side. At the front of those nacelles reside the familiar and ever reliable P&WC PT6-60A turboprops rated at 1050shp (780kW).

It’s inside where the 350i’s real changes can be found. The aircraft’s seating and interior has been enhanced with new designs and the adoption of Hawker Beechcraft’s Flex- Cabin concept which gives more flexibility and options in seating layouts. New headliners, seat tailoring, re-contoured sidewalls and window ledges with leather lining and polished timber grain finishes throughout, 230v power outlets, and LED lighting based on the Hawker range of business jets have all been added, as have electro-chromatic window darkeners and optional seat warmers. The lavatory also has an optional fold out vanity unit, and the toilet cover/ seat is rated for takeoffs and landings. New interior panel mounting brackets have given a more consistent interior fit and quality feel from the factory, while contributing to less vibration and thus interior noise for the passengers.

The 350i also features the Rockwell Collins Venue cabin management and entertainment system which supports multiple personal entertainment devices and laptops, has a 37cm swing out screen in the forward cabin, and provides docking stations and USB charging ports in each of the seat sidewall window ledges.

The rear stairs are moulded onto the inside of the door, and lead up into the familiar King Air ‘square oval’ cabin which has a length of 5. 94m including the lavatory and baggage hold, is 1. 37m wide, and is 1. 45m high.

The cabin has a total capacity of 10. 05m3 including the lavatory and 1. 57m3 rear baggage hold.

Seating options include an eight-seat double club layout, seven seats and a side-facing ottoman, or six seats and two ottomans. High density airliner style 10 or 12-seat layouts are also available. Also new is a passive noise reduction system using harmonic balancers which provide a noticeable 4dBA reduction in interior noise to 78dBA at full power settings.

The 350i has an unchanged maximum takeoff weight of 6804kg and no restrictions on landing weight. Fuel capacity is a useful 1638kg while the maximum payload is 1134kg.

Typical missions in the region will see the aircraft able to reach Cairns, Alice Springs, Noumea and Auckland from Sydney with eight passengers and a single pilot, while Melbourne, Darwin, Mount Isa and Kupang are within reach from Perth. The 350i’s typical cruise speed of 290kt provides block times of just over one hour for a 300nm mission, and just under three and a half hours for a 1000nm flight.

List prices for the King Air 350i start at US$6. 7m (A$7. 3m).