Beechcraft Corp. has been officially recognized by the National Aeronautic Association for a speed record set by its Beechcraft King Air 350ER.
The King Air 350ER demonstrator aircraft set the record for “Speed Over a Recognized Course” during an Oct. 28, 2012, flight at 331.08 miles per hour for a 1,863.97-nautical mile route from San Diego, Calif., to Orlando, Fla.
It is a new world record, sanctioned by both the NAA and the Federation Aeronautique International (FAI) in Switzerland.
“This recognition signifies not only the speed of this aircraft, it also solidifies the high performance reputation and the multitude of capabilities of the King Air 350ER as we continue our growth in the worldwide special mission market,” said Dan Keady, senior vice president, Special Missions. “Through three quarters of this year, Beechcraft special mission bookings have more than doubled the number of special mission aircraft ordered for the entirety of 2012.”
A King Air 350ER demonstrator is a standard extended-range airplane, which is capable of more than 12 hours endurance or more than 2,500 nautical mile range, according to company officials. The demonstrator has been fitted with a surveillance mission console, high density seating for military transport missions, and two medical sleds and a medical storage cabinet for air ambulance missions. All of these installations are certified by the FAA and European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA).
Photo: NAA President Jonathan Gaffney (left) presents the speed record to Beechcraft’s Justin Ladner, vice president, Special Mission Aircraft Sales, at the NBAA Convention in Las Vegas.