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Beechcraft's Queen Air: From military roots to King Air success

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Beechcraft's Queen Air: From military roots to King Air success
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Simple Flying | Simple Flying

The Beechcraft Queen Air series, a family of twin-engined light aircraft, has been in use since 1960. Developed as an enlarged and improved version of the earlier Beechcraft Twin Bonanza, it has gained popularity in military, private, and corporate sectors. Over 1,000 aircraft were built across several variants before production ended in 1978. The Queen Air later served as the basis for the King Air series, with more than 7,000 units produced.

Beechcraft's history dates back to its founding in 1932. Among its well-known models are the twin-engine Model 18 and the single-engine Model 35 Bonanza. The Twin Bonanza was developed in the 1940s to bridge the gap between these two models. It first flew in November 1949 and entered service in 1951. Although popular with military operators, it struggled commercially due to slow speed and poor fuel economy compared to competitors like Cessna and Piper.

The Queen Air shares many design elements with the Twin Bonanza, including engines and wing design. Powered by two Lycoming IGSO-480 engines, it offers a larger fuselage for six to nine passengers. The first prototype flew in August 1958; US FAA certification followed in February 1959 with deliveries starting in 1960.

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Over time, several modified variants of the Queen Air were introduced:

- The Model A65 added a new swept tail and additional fuel capacity.

- Models A80 and B80 featured longer wings and increased fuel capacity; over 500 B80s were delivered by 1977.

- The B88 model included a pressurized cabin but had limited production.

- An Excalibur upgrade enhanced performance with uprated engines.

The most-sold Queen Air B80 model measures approximately 35 feet long with a wingspan of about 50 feet. It is powered by two Lycoming IGSO-540 A1D engines.

Beechcraft delivered a total of 1,005 Queen Air aircraft from 1960 to1978. Its users include private corporations as well as government agencies such as the US Air Force.

After ending production on this line in favor of developing newer models like Beech C99 commuter airliner or iconic King Air series which remains best-selling turboprop worldwide till date offering various capacities configurations powered by Pratt & Whitney PT6A turboprop engines known better efficiency higher cruise speeds accommodating anywhere between six eleven passengers depending upon variant chosen during lifetime spanning until year2021 when final unit rolled out factory doors having crossed milestone delivery figure exceeding seven thousand mark cementing legacy among aviation enthusiasts globally today still fondly remembered celebrated across industry circles alike...

Organizations Included in this History
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