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The Beechcraft Queen Air is a twin-engined light aircraft produced by Beechcraft in several versions from 1960 to 1978. Based upon the Twin Bonanza, with which it shared key components such as wings, engines, and tail surfaces, but featuring a larger fuselage, it served as the basis for the highly successful King Air series of turboprop aircraft. It is often used as a private aircraft, a utility, or a small commuter airliner. Production ran for 17 years.

Queen Air
Japan Air Self-Defense Force B-65 in 1994
Role Utility aircraft
Airliner
Designer Beech Aircraft Corporation
First flight August 28, 1958
Introduction 1960
Status In service
Produced 1960-1978
Number built 930[1]
Developed from Beechcraft Twin Bonanza
Developed into Beechcraft King Air
Beechcraft Model 99

Design and development


The company's Twin Bonanza was reaching the limits of development so Beechcraft decided to develop a design with a larger fuselage and new tail which it designated the Beech 65. Early in development the United States Army which had been a customer of the Twin Bonanza (which it called the L-23 Seminole), ordered 68 aircraft under the designation L-23F. The prototype Beech 65 first flew on August 28, 1958.

The Queen Air is a twin-engined nine-seat low-wing cantilever cabin monoplane with a retractable landing gear with a nose wheel. It was initially powered by two 340 hp (250 kW) Lycoming IGSO-480 six-cylinder, horizontally opposed piston engine.

The Model 65 received a Federal Aviation Authority type certificate on February 4, 1959 and the first deliveries were made soon after. On February 8, 1960 a Queen Air achieved a new height record of 34,862 feet.

The basic Model 65 was in production until 1967 when the improved Model A65 with a swept rather than vertical tail was introduced. Production continued with further variants introducing pressurisation and turboprop engines.


Variants


Beechcraft Model 65 Queen Air
Beechcraft Model 65 Queen Air

65


This is the initial version of the Queen Air, powered by two Lycoming IGSO-480s producing 340 hp (250 kW). Fitted with short span (45 feet 10+1⁄2 inches (13.98 m)) wings and a straight unswept tail. It had a gross weight of 7,700 lb (3,500 kg). Usually referred to as a "straight 65". 316 built from 1959 to 1967.[2]


A65


First produced in 1967 the A65 is very similar to the straight 65. The major change was the addition of a swept tail with a dorsal fin. Available fuel was also increased, with a maximum capacity of 264 US gal (220 imp gal; 1,000 L) when auxiliary tanks are fitted. A dedicated airliner version, the A65-8200 Queen Airliner was available with an increased gross weight of 8,200 lb (3,700 kg). A total of 96 A65s were built between 1967 and 1970.[3]


70


Introduced in 1968. This aircraft is similar to the A65 in that it is powered by the 340 hp (250 kW) Lycoming IGSO-480, however it has the longer wing of the 80 series. This allows the 70 to have a greater lifting ability than the 65 but a lower fuel burn and operating cost than the 80. It is, essentially, an A65 with the B80 wing. Its gross weight is 8,200 lb (3,700 kg). A total of 35 were built between 1969 and 1971.[4]


80


First flying on June 22, 1961 and certified on February 20, 1962,[5] the Queen Air 80 (also known as the Model 65-80) was the first of the Queen Airs to have the swept tail, although it retained the short-span wings of the Model 65. It was powered by a more powerful Lycoming IGSO-540 which produced 380 hp (280 kW). Gross weight on the 80 is 8,000 lb (3,600 kg). 148 built from 1962 to 1963.[6]


A80


Bemidji Airlines Beech 65-A80
Bemidji Airlines Beech 65-A80

The Queen Air A80 (also known as the Model 64-A80) was introduced in 1964, and had a new wing, wingspan increasing from 45 feet 10+1⁄2 inches (13.98 m) to 50 feet 3 inches (15.32 m).[5][7] Other major changes to the A80 included a redesign of the aircraft nose, an increase in fuel capacity and a 500-pound increase in takeoff weight to 8,500 lb (3,900 kg) gross weight.[7][8] 121 built between 1964 and 1966.[7]


B80


Introduced in 1966 the B80 was to be the final production model. The B80 was by far the longest produced Queen Air with production lasting some 12 years. Available with 380 hp Lycoming IGSO-540-A1A or 360 hp (270 kW) Lycoming IGSO-540-A1D engines. Its major improvement was the increased gross weight to a 8,800 lb (4,000 kg). A total of 242 aircraft were built from 1966 to 1977.[9]


88


Pressurised Model 88 Queen Air built in 1966 with circular fuselage windows.
Pressurised Model 88 Queen Air built in 1966 with circular fuselage windows.

Introduced in 1965 the model 88 is a pressurized version of the Queen Air. This aircraft featured round cabin windows that make the 88 look quite similar to a 90 series King Air. It also shares the engines and long wing of the B80. Sales were slack due to its higher sales price and lower useful load as compared to the B80. Only 47 examples were ever produced of which two were converted to King Air standard and the model 88 aircraft was removed from production in 1969. The first two models of the King Air's official designation were BE65-90 and BE65-A90 owing to its Queen Air heritage.


Excalibur


Queen Air 65 Excalibur conversion prior to round-the-world attempt
Queen Air 65 Excalibur conversion prior to round-the-world attempt

This is a modification performed in the aftermarket by supplemental type certificates (STCs) to the BE65. It resolves the biggest issue of the Queen Air design, the engines. This is accomplished by replacing the rather cantankerous (if operated incorrectly) six-cylinder Lycoming IGSO-480s and Lycoming IGSO-540s, with the far more robust eight-cylinder Lycoming IO-720. This presents the major advantage of not having a gearbox or superchargers to cause maintenance and reliability problems. However the loss of the supercharger does limit the cruising altitude to below fifteen thousand feet. The other advantages gained are the overall increase in power to 400 hp (300 kW) per engine as well as a gross weight increase in most models. The gross weights are increased to 8,000 lb (3,600 kg) in all the short-wing aircraft (65, A65, 80), 8,200 lb (3,700 kg) in the 70, and 8800 in the other long-wing aircraft (A80, B80, 88). The US Army National Guard installed this modification on some of their aircraft. The Excalibur Queen Air can be recognized by the noticeably smaller engine cowlings and lower-set engines. This STC was originally designed and produced by Ed Swearingen who was well known for his work on the Twin Bonanza, Queen Air, and later Swearingen aircraft (Merlin and Metro). The ownership of this STC has changed hands many times over the years. The current owner is Bemidji Aviation which operates a fleet of Excalibur Queen Airs as well as other aircraft in the charter and freight role in the upper mid-west of the United States.


Production number details


This list provides a detailed account of production by Beechcraft of individual variants. Production numbers per year from the Hawker Beechcraft serialization list.[1][10]


Military operators


Military Queen Air operators
Military Queen Air operators
 Algeria
Algerian Air Force - 3 B80s in service as of 1986.[11]
 Argentina
Argentine Army Aviation[12]
Argentine Naval Aviation - 5 B80s as of 1986.[13]
Argentine National Gendarmerie - At least one aircraft confiscated from drug smugglers operated in late 1990s[14]
 Brazil
Eight aircraft received,[15]
 Burma
One Queen Air operated.[15]
 Colombia
Colombian Air Force[16]
 Dominican Republic
Air Force of the Dominican Republic[17]
 Ecuador
Ecuadorian Army[18]
 India
Border Security Force[19]
 Israel
Israeli Air Force - Seven B80s received.[15]
Haiti Air Corps
 Japan
Japan Air Self-Defense Force
Central Air Command Support Squadron
Japan Maritime Self Defense Force[20]
   Nepal - One Model 80[15]
 Pakistan[15]
 Peru
 Philippines
Philippine Army
 South Africa
South African Air Force 1975-1992
 Thailand
Royal Thai Air Force[23]
 United States
United States Army[24]
 Uruguay
Uruguayan Air Force[25]
 Venezuela
Venezuelan Air Force - Two Model 65s and seven A80s.[15]
Venezuelan Army[26]
Venezuelan National Guard[27]

Specifications (Queen Air B80)


Data from Janes's All The World's Aircraft 1976-77.[28]

General characteristics

Performance


See also


Related development

Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era


References


Wikimedia Commons has media related to Beechcraft Queen Air.

Notes


  1. General Aviation Manufactures Association Archived November 14, 2007, at the Wayback Machine
  2. Pelletier 1995, pp. 114, 120
  3. Pelletier 1996, pp. 115–116
  4. Pelletier 1996, pp. 116–117, 120
  5. Taylor 1971, p. 234.
  6. Pelletier 1996, pp. 115, 120
  7. Pelletier 1996, p. 116
  8. Taylor 1965, p. 164
  9. Pelletier 1996, pp. 116, 120
  10. Hawker Beechcraft Commercial Genealogy Serialization 1945-2007, p.32-36. June 2007. Archived November 16, 2020, at the Wayback Machine
  11. Hatch Flight International 29 November 1986, p. 32.
  12. "Back to 1987: Don Torcuato’s 40th anniversary air show" - Gaceta Aeronautica 28 October 2013 (accessed April 16, 2016)
  13. Hatch Flight International 29 November 1986, p. 34.
  14. Rivas Air International April 2021, pp. 47–48.
  15. Pelletier 1996, p. 119
  16. Hatch Flight International 29 November 1986, p. 46.
  17. Hatch Flight International 29 November 1986, p. 49.
  18. Hatch Flight International 29 November 1986, p. 50.
  19. "Indian Border Security Force official website". Archived from the original on August 20, 2014. Retrieved January 30, 2016.
  20. Taylor 1971, p. 233.
  21. Air International May 1988, pp. 231–232.
  22. Hatch Flight International 29 November 1986, p. 78.
  23. Hatch Flight International 29 November 1986, p. 92.
  24. Harding 1990, pp. 14–15.
  25. Hatch Flight International 29 November 1986, p. 102.
  26. Hatch Air Pictorial April 1984, p. 127.
  27. Hatch Flight International 29 November 1986, p. 103.
  28. Taylor 1976, pp. 217–218.

Bibliography



На других языках

[de] Beechcraft Model 65

Die Beechcraft Model 65 Queen Air ist ein leichtes zweimotoriges Propellerflugzeug des amerikanischen Herstellers Beechcraft. Es bietet Platz für bis zu neun Passagiere.
- [en] Beechcraft Queen Air

[fr] Beechcraft Queen Air

Beechcraft Queen Air est la désignation générique d’une famille de bimoteurs d’affaires et de transport léger pour 6 à 9 passagers extrapolée du Twin Bonanza et dont dériveront ensuite le King Air pressurisé en 1964 puis le commuter Beech 99 en 1966. Les désignations Model 80 Queen Air ou Model 88 Queen Air sont purement commerciales, le type officiel de ces versions étant respectivement Model 65-80 et Model 65-88[1].

[ru] Beechcraft Queen Air

Beechcraft Queen Air — американский лёгкий двухмоторный самолёт компании Beechcraft[1].


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