Beechcraft King Air B300

The Super King Air 200 first flew in October 1972 and differed from the original King Air with larger fuselage and a high “T” tail. First deliveries of the Super King Air 200 also occurred in 1972 as the RU-21J for the US Army. In all, over 400 Super King Airs in various versions would be ordered for the US military under the common designation of C-12 Huron. The model 200 was further developed during the mid-1980s into the Super King Air 300 series which featured better aerodynamics and more powerful engines. The Super King Air 200 was until recently used by the RAF as its multi-engine trainer and has now been replaced by the Embraer Phenom.

Beechcraft are now owned by Textron who have continued to produce more advanced versions of the King Air, including signals intelligence versions for many NATO nations.

Textron will be providing one of their King Air 300s for static display at this year’s Air Tattoo.

Photo Credit: Paul Fiddian