Nextant Aerospace is already off to an early lead against a competing Beechcraft program for refurbishment of the Hawker/Beechjet 400 with its 400XTi. Now comes another new program from Nextant in cooperation with GE to refurbish the King Air C90, to be called the G90XT. It will come to market in 2014, with an introductory price of $2.2 million.
It includes a Garmin G1000 avionics suite and GE H80 engines. The engines are claimed to improve fuel efficiency and increase range while offering greater power. The engines will have single-lever control and a 3,600-hour time between overhauls that does not require an additional hot section inspection halfway through the overhaul period. The engine is integrated with the Garmin G1000.
There are more than 1,500 King Air C90s in the fleet, Nextant officials said. Their G90XT will be configurable for air ambulance, freight, training, surveillance, and high-density seating. A slower-turning gearbox allows use of propellers designed for Nextant that promise increased range and better fuel efficiency but with lower cabin noise.
Nextant plans additional turboprop refurbishments in collaboration with GE.
Alton K. Marsh
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