WICHITA, Kan. (July 10, 2013) – Beechcraft Corporation today announced that it will exhibit four of its commercial, special mission and defense products at the F-AIR Colombia event from July 11-14 at the International Airport José María Córdova in Rionegro, Antioquia, Colombia. Beechcraft and its regional distributor, Aviaservice, will display a King Air 250 turboprop, a Baron G58, an AT-6 light attack aircraft and the company’s Special Mission King Air 350ER demonstrator at chalet #7.
F-AIR is one of the fastest growing aviation exhibitions in South America and the Caribbean, and is supported by the Colombian Air Force.
“Colombia represents one of the largest King Air populations in South America, where the turboprop’s ruggedness and flexibility are put to the test daily,” said Dan Keady, Beechcraft senior vice president, Special Missions. “There are approximately 90 King Airs in Colombia, including six King Air 350C aircraft that are equipped with a cargo door and specially-designed modified interior for air ambulance use by the Colombian Air Force.”
The Special Mission King Air 350ER is on a yearlong tour covering more than 15 countries on six continents, flying an estimated 80,000 miles to demonstrate its performance, versatility and low operating costs. It 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. 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.
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.
Building on a reputation of proven performance, the next-generation Beechcraft 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.
The twin-engine piston aircraft that pilots aspire to own, the Beechcraft Baron G58 offers unmatched performance and range/payload capabilities in its segment. It also features a premium cabin that provides the best ride of any twin-engine aircraft, including flexible seating that allows for seating of two, four or six people, with the option to reconfigure and remove seats to accommodate mission needs and large baggage items. Its flight deck includes fully integrated Garmin G1000® avionics with a GFC 700 flight control system and new GWX 68 color weather radar.
