King Air B360 Overview

limit. Only a couple seconds over the ITT limit is enough to ruin your day and disastrously damage the turbine, with a massive $$$ repair cost. This risk is all but removed as the auto- The Auto-throttle on-off switch on the right throttle, similar to a TOGA switch. Aural warning “auto throttle” comes on if you switch off. throttle advances the power smoothly and evenly and always keeps it below limits. After takeoff you pull back the props to 1,600 rpm. This would normally require reducing power first to prevent an over-torque of the engine. This adds to the high workload for the pilot in a critical and busy phase of flight. You guessed it already: when the pilot reduces the prop rpm the auto-throttle pulls the power levers gently back, with all engine parameters remaining in the green. With manual throttles, during the climb the engine ITT will rise due to the thinner air. The pilot must therefore constantly monitor the ITT and set a good safety buffer below the maximum to avoid any exceedances. The auto- throttle is ‘set and forget’. It gives you maximum power and once the engine ITT limit is reached, it pulls the power levers back to keep the ITT at the exact temperature. This is better than any pilot can do it. Having the maximum power available ensures a faster climb into thin and smooth air and enhances overall fuel economy. Once established in the cruise, you can set power for a speed and the system will nail the ITT at the exact limit. Or, if you want to fly for maximum range, you must regularly adjust the power according to the reduced weight in flight as fuel is burned off. For example, the long-range cruise (LRC) table might give you a torque value of 57% for optimum range. However, it is easier said than done to set the power to that exact value manually. The auto- throttle makes it easy. You turn the control wheel in 1% increments to the desired value and it will set the torque with great precision. This also enhances the overall fuel efficiency. On the AT annuciator in direct view of the pilot. On takeoff - hands are off the throttle for demonstration only. The power levers move to the takeoff position. October 2021 October 2021 48 49 ferry flight to Lanseria I flew an unprecedented 1,800nm non-stop in 7:06 hours and had still 1:15 hours of fuel on board. Another useful feature is the Vmc (minimum control speed) protection. If you lose one engine, the other engine tends to yaw the aircraft and only the pilot applying enough rudder allows you to keep it flying straight. Once the speed decreases, the available rudder force might not be strong enough to compensate and the aircraft rolls very abruptly and usually unrecoverably on its back. Many fatal accidents are attributed to this Vmc loss of control. YouTube shows this King Air 350 at Addison Airport in Texas making this mistake - https:// www.youtube.com/watch?v=Urr-AxPUc3c . The auto-throttle detects it and reduces the power on the good engine to always ensure controllability of the aircraft. Another useful feature is automatic pressurisation. In older King Airs you must set the cruise flight level on the controller before takeoff and then during descent to the elevation of the landing airport. This ensures that the cabin is at the correct differential pressure in cruise and that it is de-pressurised before landing. With auto-throttles it is all automatic: the system takes the elevation of the origin and destination airports from the flight plan in the Flight Management System (FMS) and it does its thing automatically. As an added benefit in the King Air 360, the cabin is structurally beefed-up, which allows a higher differential pressure. This gives approximately a 600ft lower cabin altitude which makes a big difference on long flights. It is also a big advantage for medevac flights when patients must be flown in a sea level cabin. Conclusion With all the automation, the King Air B360 is still very much a hands-on aircraft. It is very easy to fly and a great joy for any pilot and passenger. As a ferry pilot I always get emotionally attached to the aircraft I fly for many days and for the long hours on a delivery flight. This time this attachment was even more pronounced. I handed over the aircraft at Lanseria with a lot of jealousy. To the owner of this beautiful King Air BE-360 I wish a lot of fun and always happy landings! Capt. Guido All the key engine instruments, prerssuriation and flap indicator in one place. j The King Air 360 is a long way from the F90 that taught Guido to fly King Airs. Beechcraft King Air 360 Specifications & Performance Max Ramp Weight: 15,100 lb Height: 14 ft 4 in Wing Span: 57 ft 11 in Length: 46 ft 8 in Cabin Height: 57 in Cabin Width: 54 in Cabin Length: 19 ft 6 In Passengers: 11 Max T/O Weight: 15,000 Lb Max Landing Weight: 15,000 Lb Empty Weight: 9,955 Lb Fuel Capacity: 3,611 lbs Lb Payload Useful: 5,145 Lb Payload W/Full Fuel: 1,534 Lb Max Payload: 2,545 Lb Avionics: Pro Line Fusion Engines 2x: PT6A-60A Propeller: 4 blade, auto-feather, reverse Performance Max Range: 1,806 nm Service Ceiling: 35,000 ft Takeoff over 50 ft: 3,300 ft Landing over 50 ft: 2,692 ft Stall Speed: 81 kcas Rate of Climb: 2,700 fpm Max Speed: 312 KTAS j you can sw itch off t he sy s te m at any time October 2021 October 2021 50 51 TEXTRON HAVE BEEN LISTENING to their customers and have incorporated many features into the King Air 360 that are a direct response to customer feedback With more than 7,000 King Airs in service— including 1,300 of the 350 series made— the model was ripe for a facelift. The 360 represents a block point change, introducing new features and structural changes at a point on the 300-series production line, rather than requiring a new type certificate. Some of the improvements were easy and simple – like higher fold-out tables in the cabin to give more knee space. Others were perhaps less intuitive – going back to manually adjustable shades for the cabin windows. But for pilots the big change is in the cockpit – with the switch to Collins Pro- line avionics and auto-throttles. Beechcraft says, “With auto-throttles, better pressurization, and increased cabin comfort, the latest King Air aims for easing pilot workload, and turning a 56-year-old workhorse into one that’s a bit more user- friendly and firmly in the modern age. First among these upgrades is the IS&S ThrustSense Autothrottle, which support the pilot throughout the flight regimes, including takeoff, landing, and go-arounds, computing and controlling power settings. It provides envelope protection that adjusts the power output of the engine during engine-out operations, allowing for better pilot control and allowing the airplane to accelerate and climb on one engine.” Another new feature much liked by pilots, The King Air 360 tops off an incredibly successful 60 year product line with over 6000 King Airs still flying today. OVERVIEW : KING AIR B360 and probably not appreciated by passengers, is the new digital pressurization controller which, as described by Guido, automatically schedules cabin pressurization throughout the flight, taking this task from the pilot’s workload in both climb and descent—and improving passenger comfort in the process. The airframe went through structural updates to increase the maximum cabin pressure, resulting in a 10 percent decrease in cabin altitude compared to the King Air 350i. At 27,000 feet, for example, this translates into a cabin altitude of 5,960 feet. The removal of the cabin pressurization controls from the instrument panel declutters it by replacing these—and the flap indicator—with digital displays on the Collins Aerospace Pro Line Fusion MFD in the integrated flight deck. The cabin has seen great improvement as well, clearly informed by the materials and solutions found in Textron Aviation’s Citation line—but keeping the King Air’s more utilitarian style. The popular ‘King Ranch’ interior upgrade remains available among the new options for the 360 Along with a restyled interior, the manual window shades have returned, which are a whole lot easier to replace in service. Base price remains the same for both models: $7.9 million for the 360 and $8.795 million for the 360ER. Spacious double club seating plus one on the potty is a stardard executive seating configuration. j j back to manuall y adjus t able s hades OVERVIEW OVERVIEW KING AIR B360 KING AIR B360 October 2021 October 2021 52 53 BOTH GARMIN’S G1000 AND ROCKWELL Collins Pro Line Fusion avionics suite are among the most advanced in the industry, and both are well suited to King Airs. Despite years of owner/operators upgrading their King Airs with various Garmin products, in particular the industry standard G1000, Beechcraft recently announced the new Collins Fusion system will come as standard on new production King Air models. Each system offers its own advantages, so depending on the pilot’s needs and the aircraft owner’s budget, one may make more sense than the other. So, what are the differences between switching to Garmin’s G1000 or the Rockwell Collins Pro Line Fusion? One of the major advantages that the Collins Fusion gives to King Air owners and operators is its leading-edge technology and ease of integration. Due to the fact that all King Air 350s were factory equipped with an older version of Rockwell Collins’ Pro Line avionics suite, the Fusion upgrade is fully compatible with, and continues to utilise, some of the existing Collins equipment. Switching to the Garmin’s G1000 requires a THE GARMIN G1000 VS. THE GARMIN G1000 VS. COLLINS PRO LINE FUSION COLLINS PRO LINE FUSION The Collins Proline Fusion with its 3 large equal-sized displays. AVIONICS : KING AIR B360 complete replacement of radios and autopilot. However, the new radios and autopilot that come standard when retrofitting the G1000 improve the pilot’s experience and save close to 50 pounds of weight. To some, replacing the legacy equipment with new Garmin equipment may be more important than upgrading the technology and displays with the Collins Fusion. An aspect of the Fusion system that has received a lot of attention is the high- definition, touchscreen displays that come standard with synthetic vision. Synthetic vision is an option for the G1000, but it costs extra. While the G1000 has one 15-inch screen in the middle, and two 10.4-inch screens on each side (all without touchscreen), Fusion’s configurable touchscreen display spans the entire panel with three 14-inch screens with 12800 x 800 HD resolution, compared to the G1000’s 1024 x 768 resolution. The good news is that luddite pilots don’t need to worry – the Fusion also comes with the option to switch back to the cursor driven menu selection. The bottom line is that both systems are impressive in their own way. Depending on the needs of the pilot, one may be more appropriate than the other. According to the publication; King Air Nation, “…the important thing to remember is that the G1000 is a complete new avionics suite and the Fusion is (for the most part) three new touchscreens. The installation cost of the two units is similar. With Garmin you pay for new equipment. With Collins, you pay for new (and very good) technology.” G1000 r e quir es a complete r e place me nt of radios and autopilot j The Garmin G1000 with its 3 different sized displays. October 2021 October 2021 54 55 THE FERRY FLIGHT FROM THE FERRY FLIGHT FROM USA TO SOUTH AFRICA USA TO SOUTH AFRICA Pilot - Guido Warnecke ABOVE: Topping the tanks at Wichita for the 1800 nm non-stop sector to Goose Bay Newfoundland. BELOW: The route - the long way round, as the 360 could have comfortably flown from St Johns Newfoundland to the Azores. However, the HF radio requirement for this route was impractical. ABOVE: Final approach to Goose Bay after a 7-hour flight. BELOW: Impressive numbers - at FL350 after just 32 minutes with just 410 lbs of fule used. PICTORAL: KING AIR B360 October 2021 October 2021 56 57 ABOVE: When your destination is a set of coordinates - flying in long range cruise over the Atlantic to 61N, 40W in full PFD mode. BELOW: At Luxor Egypt it was the only aircraft on the normally busy ramp.