The Beech C90A King Air is a low-wing nine/ten-seats twin-engine business and utility aircraft.
Beech Aircraft Corporation started in 1961 with the development of the Model 90 King Air, basically
a Model 65-80 Queen Air with a redesigned, pressurized fuselage and turboprops. During the development
programm several systems and the two Pratt & Whitney PT6A-6 turboprop configuration were tested with
the Model 87 NU-8F, an experimental development of a U.S. Army U-8F Seminole, the military version of the
Queen Air 80. Prototype N905T c/n LG-1 designated 65-90T was flown first in 15 May 1963, and served as the
basis for the military U-21 and the pressurized Model 90 King Air. The pressurized Model 90 King Air prototype
N5690K c/n LJ-1 was flown first on 20 January 1964. This aircraft offered an approximate 1,000 lbs increase in
useful load over its piston-engined progenitor. A significant contribution to this improvement being made by the
new engines which weigh something less than half that of the Lycoming piston engines. Om 19 May 1964, FAA Type
certification for the Model 65-90 King Air was approved and customer deliveries of the Beech 65-90 King Air started
on 8 October 1964. A furter development, Model 65-A90 King Air powered by two Pratt & Whitney PT6A-20 turboprops,
with the Take Off Gross Weight increased to 9,300 lbs; redesigned flightdeck and a new engine de-ice system, received
FAA Type certification on 7 March 1966. Model 65-A90-1, an unpressurized version with square windows and PT6A-20 engines
destined for military service received FAA Type certification on 27 April 1967 and entered service with the US
Army under the designation U-21A. Model B90 King Air, the next model destinated for the civil market, based on
the 65-A90 with a TOGW of 9,650 lbs TOGW, improved ailerons; increased wing span; improved instrumentation and
pressurisation and an extra side window received FAA Type certification on 14 November 1967. Model C90 King Air,
based on the B90 but using an improved cabin environment and pressurization system, and two PT6A-21 engines,
was approved on 23 October 1970. The Beech C90A King Air with two Pratt & Whitney PT6A-21 reverse-flow,
free-turbine turboprop engines; improved landing gear retraction, improved electrical system was approved on
1 December 1983. The Model C90A entered production in 1984. The C90A received an increase in MTOW in 1987,
being certified to 10,100 lbs. The C90A model was in production until 1992, by which time 235 had been built,
all but 74 with the increased MTOW. Today, the Beech C90 King Air is still in production with over 3.100 built.
The current production version is the King Air C90GTx. On 8 February 1980, the Beech Aircraft Corporation became
a subsidiary of the Raytheon Company, the aircraft were therefore also known as Raytheon Beech. In 2006, Raytheon
sold Raytheon Aircraft to Goldman Sachs creating Hawker Beechcraft. The entry into bankruptcy of Hawker Beechcraft
on 3 May 2012 ended with its emergence on 16 February 2013 as a new entity: Beechcraft Corporation. The
ICAO Aircraft Type Designator for the Beech C90A King Air is BE9L |
In December 1984, Beech C90A King Air s/n LJ-1101 was registered N72206 with Beech Aircraft Corporation. The aircraft was
transferred to a privat owner and registered N17EL. On 27 October 1989, registration N17EL was cancelled and the next day
the King Air was registered D-IFMI in Germany with GEMÜ Gebrüder Müller Apparatebau GmbH & Co. KG, Ingelfingen.
On 4 April 2017, Beech C90A King Air D-IFMI was seen at Flugplatz Emden (EDWE). |