A viewing of the Beechcraft official King Air 250 page shows a stat sheet for a “King Air 250 EP” under specifications. Curious about the listing, we reached out to Beechcraft and a representative verified to us that it is the same aircraft revealed at NBAA 2014 and additionally that the moniker EP stands for “Enhanced Payload.”
At the NBAA reveal, Senior Vice President of Turboprop Aircraft, Christi Tannahill, said:
“This is an important upgrade that many of our King Air 250 owners have been asking for, especially our special mission operators who want more capacity to carry heavy equipment or operators who want more range with increased passengers and baggage. Having the option to fill the King Air 250 with full fuel and still get more than 1,000 pounds of payload is a great addition to an airplane that has been exceptionally popular in every corner of the world.”
The King Air 250 EP boosts an upgraded max ramp weight of 13,510, and takes the cabin payload with full fuel from 155 pounds to 1,025 pounds. The EP option causes the King Air 250 to be certified in the commuter category, and includes the installation of safety systems such as engine fire extinguisher and illuminated escape path floor markings. This comes with a required BE-200 type rating for operating airplanes in the commuter category.
The modification was developed with CenTex Aerospace, Inc. of Waco, Texas. In addition to now being an official factory install option, the EP upgrade is an aftermarket option for in-service King Air 250 aircraft (available through Textron Aviation’s factory-owned service centers).