Beech 200 Super King

Overview

The King Air 200 (later Super King Air 200/B200, then simply King Air 200 after Raytheon dropped the Super prefix in 1996) is the volume member of Beechcraft’s pressurised twin-turboprop family. First flown October 1972 and certified December 1973, it bridged the cabin-class gap between the smaller 90/100 and the type-rated 300/350. The 200 (1974-1980) used PT6A-41 engines; the B200 (1981-2007) introduced PT6A-42 engines and a 6.5 psi cabin differential, becoming the dominant variant with over 2,000 produced. Spec figures and notes on this page reflect the B200.

For the GA buyer, the B200 is the King Air with the deepest second-hand market, the longest support tail, and the most refined operator playbook. Pre-owned B200s remain the working tools of corporate flight departments, charter operators, medevac providers, and government agencies worldwide.

Key Features for GA Buyers

• Light-jet performance, turboprop economics. 292-knot cruise and FL350 service ceiling cover most domestic missions, while 92 GPH fuel burn keeps direct operating costs well below comparable jets.
• Full-payload mission flexibility. 4,217 lb useful load handles a full passenger load with full fuel, a critical economics advantage that medevac and charter operators rely on.
• Massive aftermarket. Raisbeck, Blackhawk, BLR, and Garmin each offer engine, aerodynamic, and avionics upgrades that materially extend useful life. The aftermarket itself is a competitive industry.
• Short-runway access. Routinely operates from 3,000-foot strips closed to most jets, opening corporate destinations a Citation or Phenom cannot reach.

Trade-offs

• No type rating, but high-performance discipline required. Unlike the 350 (over 12,500 lb), the B200 sits at exactly 12,500 lb and avoids the type rating, but insurance and operator culture treat it as a true cabin-class twin requiring focused training.
• Fixed costs scale with operator profile. A B200 in a corporate flight department amortises fixed costs across high utilisation; an owner-operator faces meaningfully higher per-hour numbers.
• Older airframes need disciplined inspection. Corrosion, gear, and Phase 1-4 inspection cycles drive predictable maintenance bills; the savings come from avoiding deferred maintenance, not from skipping inspection.
• Newer 250 and 350i compete on the upgrade path. The 250 (winglets, PT6A-52, B200 airframe) and 350i (Pro Line Fusion) take incremental share from used B200 buyers each year.

See Also

• Beech Super King Air 350 – the higher-flying, type-rated step up within the family. Compare
• King Air 250 – the modern winglet-equipped sibling on the same airframe. Compare
• Beech King Air 100 – the lighter, lower-flying entry-tier predecessor. Compare
• Cessna Conquest II – direct cabin-class twin turboprop competitor. Compare
• Piper Cheyenne III – contemporary pressurised twin turboprop in the same operational segment. Compare