Microsoft Flight Simulator 2004: A Century of Flight

With more than 5,000 delivered, there is no other turbine-powered business aircraft that can match the success of the Beech King Air. At times, nearly 90 percent of the cabin-class turboprops in the world have been King Airs. Designed as a turbine-powered alternative to the Queen Air, the King Air eventually supplanted the Queen Air as the number one choice in executive turboprops.

The elegant King Air is a high-performance, pressurized-cabin, twin-engine, turboprop airplane. Most often employed as a corporate transport, it usually seats from 9 to 11 (although it's certified for up to 17 people). The structure is distinguished by its efficient wing and NASA-designed winglets. The T-tail on the Super King Airs was designed to provide improved aerodynamics, lighter control forces, and a wider center-of-gravity range. Many a young pilot has stepped up from more lowly positions to corporate flying in the right seat of a King Air. Piloting the beautiful Beech is a good transition toward the more complex world of turbine engines and larger aircraft.