King Air C90GT ?

[thatpilotguy]

Anyone out there know the difference between the C90B and the "new" C90GT?

 

[Diesel]

750shp flat rated to 550 -35 engines. . I'm currently flying one that Beechcraft decided to do on the production line.

Picked up 47kts (no speed cowls) and took an anemic B-90 with a supercharger that couldn't get itself to FL180 on a good day and made FL250-260 our home now. Also we went with the long range fuel tank option.

6 hours of fuel.

 

[BoilerUP]

Hey Diesel, what does the GT mod cruise at? Is it a 260-270 true airplane now?

 

[GoingHot]

we went with the long range fuel tank option.
6 hours of fuel.

Diesel,
How much can you put in the cabin with full fuel?

 

[thatpilotguy]

Did the avionics change at all?

 

[asolo]

I fly a C90A with the TRAD (Turbine Research and Development) conversion. It has the -35 engines and with the pitot cowls I see 260kts. Climbs very well in the even in the low 20's. If the torque limits and temps are the same as in the TRAD as they are in the c90GT, you will see that you have max torque till about FL190-FL210 depending on temps and such, after that N1 becomes your limiting factor. At approx FL200 and N1@101% your torque will be maxed out and temps will be at about 720 (max temps = ~805 C). Extra temp margin is great if you have to throw out the ice vanes or are departing hot and high. Good performer. Although, I just thought of one difference b/t the plane that I fly and the 90GT is I have 3 bladed props. Not sure how much diff that would make.

Blue Skies.

 

[414Flyer]

Ground effects, spoiler, stiffer main gear, maybe even some racing stripes too. Expect to pay more insurance from having a GT model though

 

[Diesel]

We aren't flying a GT just a modded king air which is the basis for the GT. Raytheon saw that companies that were putting 750hp engines on these planes were cleaning up and figured they could do it themselves.

So the GT was born. Still there is quite a market for companies to convert older king air's and having raytheon designate a GT model just adds more credibility to mods. (mods sometimes don't have the best credibility)

Plus raytheon is fighting to make sure the VLJ market doesn't pass them by. The difference is somone buying a jet versus a king air are looking at two totally different missions.

We picked up 47kts. We don't have the speed cowls which pick up 20kts. They are pretty expensive though. 50k i think.

 

[mzaharis]

Did Raytheon just buy the rights to the Blackhawk -135 mod STC (which itself is based on an old Swearingen STC that he never marketed)?

Seems like that would save them some certification hassle and expense.

 

[340drvr]

I believe the new GT will have the Garmin 1000, or maybe a ProLine 21 "Lite," for avionics.

 

[paulsalem]

No Garmin 1000, 2 tube Collins EFIS

http://www.raytheonaircraft.com/beechcraft/king_air_c90gt/cockpit.shtml

I've got a friend who's looking at buying a GT. If anyone has flown one please pm me.


Happy Festivus!

 

[340drvr]

No Garmin 1000, 2 tube Collins EFIS

Aha, OK. Anybody know offhand if that system will be all DC, thereby eliminating the need for inverters, like the 200?

 

[Diesel]

Raytheon never bought the blackhawk stc. They just did their own which isn't too hard for the manufacturer. Blackhawk is still selling the conversions.

 

[ultrarunner]

750shp flat rated to 550 -35 engines. . I'm currently flying one that Beechcraft decided to do on the production line.

Wow, Beech finally did something good to the C90. TWENTY years after Frakes did it!

I loved that Frakes C90 I flew, and I'd be willing to bet it's still a better mod than what Raytheon is doing.

Where is Beech putting the extra fuel?

 

[paulsalem]

There is no extra fuel.

Beech says it will have the same range b/c of the increase in speed and more efficient engines.

 

[Diesel]

ummmm that's not going to happen.

The 750's pull more fuel. It's a matter of fact whether it be -35 or Walters. Higher horsepower means more fuel.

 

[paulsalem]

Diesel,

That's what I though, more power = more fuel. However I read somewhere that there is the same amount of fuel and range. I just have to find it (wheather its reputable or not, I can't recall).

I have a packet from Beechcraft on the C90GT at home, when I return from visiting the family I'll do some digging.

Same thing on the Inverters.

 

[mike1mc]

Aha, OK. Anybody know offhand if that system will be all DC, thereby eliminating the need for inverters, like the 200?

No changes to the 90 except the -135 engines. Blackhawk will still be selling conversions as Raytheon will not be doing any engine conversions on older C90's (talked to a Raytheon rep at NBAA). Also, as far as fuel, the -135 are flat rated to 550shp so you only get better performance at altitude. Can someone else confirm this?

 

[paulsalem]

550 comes right from Beech's 90gt Specs

http://www.raytheonaircraft.com/beechcraft/king_air_c90gt/KAC90B_Spec_Perf.pdf

 

[Diesel]

Right you still make 550 at altitude but down low you're sucking fuel.

Whatever the engine is replacing the -20,-21 or if you're buying one off the line is going to use more fuel.

While you have the same amount of fuel in the plane. Flying lower is using more fuel and altitude you're use just a touch more fuel. Of course you're going faster but you've got to go higher to make sure you're somewhat on the same fuel flow. Going higher means more winds that could negate the increase in speed.

We found that while we saved an hour on our trip that we've done for 13 years our fuel was much tighter. We had to fly fuel flows rather than power doing the leg.

But don't worry a long range fuel tank for cheap money and short downtime is on the way. Hopefully in the next month or two it will be STC'd.