Beechcraft King Air C90GTx: Buyer’s and Investor’s Guide

Pros

A rugged, reliable turboprop that offers a low-cost entry into a business aviation aircraft.

Cons

Slower and smaller than other turboprops that are also able to land on unimproved airstrips.

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Flying

A maximum range of 1,260nm allows passengers to fly from Houston to New York, Los Angeles to Kansas City or London to Saint Petersburg.

Two Pratt and Whitney PT6A-135A turboprop engines power the C90GTx to a maximum cruise speed of 313mph – making it one of the slower business turboprop aircraft available. But speed is not the point of the C90GTx.

The C90GTx is a rugged aircraft that is capable of taking-off in just 1,984ft. Its rugged landing gear means it can put down on unimproved airstrips – allowing passengers to land closer to their final destination. This is where the C90GTx really comes into its own.

A maximum altitude of 30,000ft allows the aircraft to fly above most bad weather, and also improves fuel efficiency by being able to fly in thinner air. This cruise altitude is good for a turboprop – but jet-powered aircraft can fly higher.

Travelling

The C90GTx can seat six passengers in its ‘square-oval’ cabin shape which, Beechcraft claims, creates more headroom and shoulder space. Even so, the cabin has a height of just 4ft 9in and width of 4ft 6in. But you do not buy a turboprop aircraft to have a large cabin.

Four of the reclining seats are set out in a double-club configuration. In the aft of aircraft there is also a belted lavatory and an optional side-facing additional seat. The C90GTx is single-pilot operated aircraft, meaning another passenger can sit in the cockpit.

The C90GTx features a belted lavatory at the aft of the cabin (Image: Textron)

The cabin includes a lavatory, an ice drawer, two heated drinks dispensers, drawers, plug sockets, optional WiFi and dimmable window shades.

The cabin is a quiet environment due to 26 tuned vibration absorbers, which help minimise noise entering the cabin – making it an environment conducive to working.

A useful load weight of 3,280lb/1,488kg allows for ample amounts of luggage to be carried alongside passengers. However, other turboprops such as the PC-12NG are able to carry far greater payloads.

Owning

A new C90GTx will set you back $3.8 million – making it one of the least-expensive business turboprops available. Beechcraft has delivered 172 C90GTxs between 2011 and 2018.

Aside from the United States (49), Brazil (42) is home to the most C90GTx’s.

AMSTAT data shows that as of May 2018, there were 5 C90GTxs for sale – representing 3.07% of the active fleet – indicating a hard market. A hard market means there is low inventory available for buyers, which supports aircraft prices. It also indicates that aircraft are likely staying on the market for a relatively brief time.

From January to April 2018, the average asking price for a C90GTx was $2.54 million. The average model year for sale was 2012, with an average total airframe time of 861 hours. During this timeframe, there was one transaction in January and one in April.

A C90GTx will cost $1,025 in variable costs per flying hour – assuming a fuel price of $4.30 per gallon. Flying a typical 475 hours a year would mean a yearly variable cost of $487,174.

In terms of fixed costs, the C90GTx will cost $197,557 per year. This cost includes hangarage, crew, insurance and maintenance tracking.

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Hard Facts

Maximum range: 1,449miles/ 2,333km /1,260nm
Maximum speed: 313mph/503kph/Mach 0.4
Typical passengers: 4
Typical crew: 3
List price for new aircraft: $3.8 million
Pre-owned price: $2.5 million

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