Beechcraft King Air 350

The Super King Air 200 first flew in October 1972 and differed from the original King Air with a larger fuselage and a high “T” tail. The 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. This has been further developed into the King Air 350 (removing the Super) with a larger wingspan and longer fuselage. The Super King Air 200 was until recently used by the RAF as its multi-engine trainer and has now been replaced by the Embraer Phenom.

Since its privatisation, QinetiQ has become a world centre of excellence for research and development. QinetiQ also operates the Empire Test Pilots School which has trained over 1,500 students in its history, their motto being “Lean to test, test to learn”. To support this, QinetiQ operates a fleet of modern training aircraft which, when not in use to train test pilots, they are used to support research and development activities.

QinetiQ will be providing their AW139 for static display at RIAT 2025.

Photo Credit: Chris Lofting