Textron Aviation celebrates its leadership of the twin-engine turboprop segment by announcing a Beechcraft King Air 300, delivered in 1987 and in service in the U.S. Army fleet of aircraft since 2009, has surpassed a significant 50,000 flight hours milestone. The Beechcraft King Air is designed and manufactured by Textron Aviation Inc., a Textron Inc. company. The milestone King Air 300 is one of a larger fleet of Medium Altitude Reconnaissance and Surveillance System (MARSS) aircraft.
“The Beechcraft King Air is the world leader in twin-turboprop special mission operations because of the aircraft’s unmatched capabilities, ruggedness and reliability,” said Bob Gibbs, vice president, Special Mission Sales and Strategy for Textron Aviation. “On behalf of our Textron Aviation employees who proudly sell, build, deliver and support the U.S. Army’s Beechcraft King Air fleet, it is our distinct privilege to congratulate them on this momentous milestone.”
MARSS aircraft are quick reaction capability assets supporting the U.S. Army’s requirement for aerial intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance. MARSS delivers imagery and signals intelligence data directly to the warfighter. Nearly 7,600 Beechcraft King Air turboprops have been delivered to customers around the world since 1964, making it the best-selling business turboprop family in the world. The worldwide fleet has surpassed 62 million flight hours in its 57 years, serving roles in all branches of the U.S. military and flying both commercial and special mission roles around the world.
For more than 90 years, Textron is known around the world for its powerful brands such as Bell, Cessna, Beechcraft, Hawker, Jacobsen, Kautex, Lycoming, E-Z-GO, Arctic Cat, Textron Systems, and TRU Simulation + Training. When government, military and commercial customers want airborne solutions for critical missions, they turn to Textron Aviation. The company’s aviation solutions provide the high performance and flight characteristics required to address the unique challenges of special mission operations. With unparalleled quality, versatility and low operating costs, Textron Aviation products are preferred for air ambulance, ISR, utility transport, aerial survey, flight inspection, training and a number of other special operations.
