Asia Pacific region one of company’s largest special mission markets outside the U.S.
Beechcraft Corporation and its international distributor, Hawker Pacific, will display a special mission Beechcraft King Air 350ER, a commercial King Air 250 and the AT-6 light attack aircraft at the Singapore Airshow, Feb. 11-16 at the Changi Exhibition Center in Singapore.
The Asia Pacific region is one of Beechcraft’s largest markets for special mission sales with 79 special mission deliveries in the past five years.
“We anticipate demand for special mission aircraft configurations will continue to increase in the region for a number of reasons, including advances in technology, which allows smaller aircraft to be used in various applications,” said Dan Keady, Beechcraft senior vice president, Special Missions. “Other factors fuelling growth include companies increasingly looking for business aircraft that can be used in multiple roles; growth in air travel, which is fuelling demand for air calibration/flight inspection aircraft; and increased demand for special mission aircraft that can be used for ISR purposes to secure country borders.”
Beechcraft’s static display at the biennial Singapore Airshow will include:
- King Air 350ER – The King Air 350ER demonstrator aircraft is a standard extended-range (ER) airplane, which includes additional fuel capacity and increased capability landing gear allowing for 2,500 nautical mile range and take-off weight of 16,500 lbs. The aircraft’s unique interior configuration highlights the versatility and utility of the King Air family of aircraft with a fully functioning medical station complete with medical oxygen, vacuum and pressure, a medical cabinet and a side-facing, three-place couch for doctor/medical attendants. Additionally, the large cabin provides ample room for the installed airline style seating showcasing standard King Air chairs in a commuter airline mission. In addition, a maritime patrol console has also been installed to demonstrate surveillance configurations.
- King Air 250 – Building on a reputation of proven performance, the next-generation King Air 250 features composite winglets and lightweight composite propellers, delivering improved runway performance, range, speed and enhanced climb. Passengers travel in quintessential King Air comfort, easily moving about in the spacious square-oval cabin over long-distance journeys. The King Air 250 further defines mission reliability with a ram air recovery system that maintains peak performance when the anti-icing system is activated, resulting in a high-performance, all-weather aircraft.
- AT-6 – The AT-6 is a multi-role, multi-mission aircraft system designed to meet the spectrum of needs for the light attack mission. Leveraging a range of highly-specialized, but off-the-shelf capabilities, the AT-6 is outfitted with state-of-the-art equipment such as Pratt and Whitney PT6A-68D engine, CMC Esterline’s mission modified Cockpit 4000, Lockheed Martin’s A-10C-based mission system and L-3 WESCAM’s MX-15Di sensor suite. The AT-6 leads the light attack market with purpose-built capability, affordability, sustainability and interoperability for the most demanding of scenarios.