King Air C-90 Info

[501261]

Re: Correction

The C90 has -21 engines and the A90 had -20's. The -21 is a great engine, the -20 is tough to get parts for and more expensive to maintain. I'll try not to post right after I wake up.

That's exactly why I said get a broker, those are the "stock engines". What is actually installed might be something completely different and the price should vary accordingly!

For instance you can put -135 (750hp) on an A90, making the A90 the best performing King Air on the market because of its 9300# MTOW. That is called the Taurus conversion. On the other hand I have heard that some cheapskate put -20’s (500hp) on his C90B when it came up for overhaul.

 

[Cmdr Taggart]

Thanks for all the info, he will be getting a broker with king Air buying experience, but is nice to have some information so you can ask the right questions and have some idea what the broker is talking about. Being the supposed "all knowing flight instructor" he seems to turn to me for questions that I just do not know, like tell me about a King Air.

From what I can gather engines under the MORE program are not a good thing, is that true?

 

[501261]

As a pilot, I've flown with engines on the MORE program and felt that they performed fine. As a manager I have never put an engine on the MORE program, so I really don't know that much about the administrative workings of the MORE program.

Basically what the MORE program does is eliminates the need for engine Overhauls. You pay the MORE program a certain amount of money to get on the program and a few bucks for each flight hour and they give you an STC that you can theoretically run the engines indefinitely. As a pilot all you do is record the cruise parameters and fax them in to the MORE program, and they'll occasionally respond and say you need a compressor wash or a hot section, or something.

In my opinion it’s a good program if you own the airplane and haven't budgeted properly or for some other reason can't pay the $100,000 for overhaul. I would not buy an airplane with engines that are on the MORE program primarily because the difference in opinion on the value of the engines. The sellers tend think that the engines are still worth money, whereas I believe that the engines are worthless.

 

[ultrarunner]

One of the best things going is a stock C90 with run-out engines. At this point, put a pair of -34's on it, along with the Frakes pitot nacelles. Also include the Raisbeck 4 blade props and strakes. The latter two get you a 10,100 mtogw up from the original 9650.

The -34's are 750 horse engs flat rated back to the original value. The frakes nacells get rid of the smile cowls and also eliminate bleed air for the nacelles in favor of boots. Very nice when you need to run ice, and you don't have to heat up the air going into the engs.

If I recall, only two airplanes were ever converted to this configuration. I flew one of them. An incredible machine.

 

[Rick1128]

MORE

From my experience on the MORE program, I would not consider it. The paperwork can be a pain in the A**! And if you miss sending it in you are dropped off the program. Which can get expensive. From what I have been told by my maintenance people is that when the engines are dropped off the program or the program tells you to overhaul them, basicly you jack up the data plate and put a new engine under it. For all intents and purposes all the life limited parts are scrap. That can get expensive in a real hurry. I would be real careful in going that route. And the MORE engines I have run were very unimpressive. They couldn't make power on a warm day, if you got out and pushed. It will depend on the engines and who operated them and how.

However, I have operated Twin Otters with -20's and -27's that the overhaul times were "on condition", basicly an early MORE program. We had engines that had 16,000 hours since the last overhual. But they were flying 300 hours a month and there were mechanics on staff.

Personally, I would stay away from the inlet boots. The hot inlet is a much simpler way to go. Single pilot IFR is hard enough without adding workload.

The King Air 200 sim in Houston, used to be convertable to a C90. I don't know if that is still the case.

Check on Ebay, there are King Air books that pop up from time to time.

 

[JetPilot500]

One of the best things going is a stock C90 with run-out engines. At this point, put a pair of -34's on it, along with the Frakes pitot nacelles. Also include the Raisbeck 4 blade props and strakes. The latter two get you a 10,100 mtogw up from the original 9650.....

I don't know a thing about this mod, but if I were to ever buy an airplane it would be a runout one. I'd look for a plane that needs everything including Paint, Interior, Engines, Props (if required), Avionics, etc... However, it must have a decent maintenance history, with no major damage history. This is probally a plane you could get for a great price. Of course you'll have to spend some money. But if you buy a plane all decked out for $1M you could probally buy one that needs work for $500k. Now, spend another $500k, and you got a machine that is setup exactly how YOU want it with zero time engines. Your colors, your leather, your avionics package. Even if it ends up costing a little more than one that is already done, you got the machine you want.

IMO, definately the way to go.

Good Luck,
JetPilot500

 

[Kingairrick]

NBAA says tom allot about $90K for paint and interior on a c90a. I don't know if that is exactly a small consideration. I would pick up the Business and Commercial Aviation, August 2002 issue. It breaks down all the costs associated with many different King Air models. It will make you look like the all knowing flight instructor that you are deep inside.

By the way, I fly a 99 C90B. I concur with the comments above. It flies like a big bonanza. Go for the job!