Beech F90 King Air vs Fairchild Swearingen SA-226T/TB Merlin 3
Side-by-side specs, range, and real operating costs for up to 5 aircraft.
Mission Performance
Tap to isolateValues normalised across compared aircraft. Fuel Economy is inverted (lower burn = higher score). See table below for raw figures.
Mission Performance Details
| Metric | Beech F90 King Air Beechcraft | Fairchild Swearingen SA-226T/TB Merlin 3 Fairchild Aircraft (M7) |
|---|---|---|
| Stall Speed | 77 kts | 71 kts |
| Approach Speed | 100 kts | 92 kts |
| Cruise Speed | 261 kts | 280 kts |
| Range | 1,235 nm | 1,938 nm |
| Service Ceiling | 29,802 ft | 31,000 ft |
| Rate of Climb | 2,380 fpm | 2,650 fpm |
| Fuel Burn | 84.0 gph | 100.0 gph |
Flight Profile
Service ceiling, range, and climb rate.
Arc represents the climb-cruise-descent profile based on published service ceiling and range. Climb rate annotated on ascent. FL180 (18,000 ft) shown for reference.
Fuel Burn
Based on published cruise fuel flow
| Metric | Beech F90 King Air Beechcraft | Fairchild Swearingen SA-226T/TB Merlin 3 Fairchild Aircraft (M7) |
|---|---|---|
| Burn Rate |
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| Trip Fuel |
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| Trip Cost |
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| Cost / hr |
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: trip distance exceeds published range.
Trip time estimated from published cruise speed and distance. Fuel burn is a published cruise figure; actual consumption varies with altitude, loading, and conditions.
Runway Performance
Density altitude adjusted estimates
Takeoff over 50 ft obstacle
Landing ground roll
FAA 10%/1,000 ft DA rule of thumb (FAA-H-8083-25B). Turboprops and jets are less sensitive in practice. Always verify against the POH.
Estimated Operating Costs
Cost per flight hour
Direct operating cost, split into where the money goes. Re-flows with your fuel and electricity prices above.
Annual costs
Annual fixed costs (insurance, hangar, and inspection) paid whether you fly or not.
Estimates only. Costs vary by location, pilot profile, and market conditions. See individual aircraft pages for source notes.
Capability & limits
Each bar stacks your selected occupants against full fuel and the aircraft's useful-load limit (the black line). The open gap between them is spare payload. Add an occupant and the gap closes; once it's gone, fuel has to give.
Occupants at 190 + 30 lb each (your saved weights); change the count above. Fuel at 6.7 lb/gal jet-A, 6.0 lb/gal avgas.
Dimensions & configuration
Planforms top-down, drawn to one shared scale; configuration chips below each.
Payload-Range Map
Origin: · click map to move