Garmin has announced that its Autoland and Autothrottle functions will soon be available for retrofit installations in Beechcraft King Air 200 and King Air 300 series aircraft.
The avionics manufacturer said July 19 that FAA certification was imminent for Autoland/Autothrottle retrofits on King Airs, starting with select King Air 200s fitted with the Garmin G1000 NXi avionics suite, to be followed soon after by select King Air 300s.
The pending certification marks the first time Garmin Autoland and Autothrottle have been offered as a retrofit solution, and the first certification of the functionalities with the G1000 NXi suite. Garmin launched its G1000 King Air retrofit program in 2007, initially on the King Air C90, and reported more than 800 such G1000 retrofits.
The Aviation Week Network Fleet Discovery database counts 1,647 total King Air 200/200Cs in service worldwide, with another 32 parked, in storage or in the possession of a third party. Of the in-service aircraft, 848 are based in North America. The database counts 194 King Air 300s in service, with eight stored or possessed by a third party.
Now in its 50th year since entering civil service in 1973, the King Air 200 will be the first twin turboprop aircraft approved for the safety-enhancing technology. Unveiled by Garmin in October 2019, Autoland has been certified on the Piper M600 SLS and Daher TBM 940/960 single-engine turboprops fitted with Garmin’s G3000 suite, as well as on the Cirrus SF50 Vision Jet. Future certifications have been announced for the G3000-equipped Beechcraft Denali and HondaJet Elite II.
“Bringing Garmin Autoland and Autothrottle to the Beechcraft King Air, and for the first time to the aftermarket, is a tremendous step toward transforming the general and business aviation fleet with safety-enhancing autonomous technologies” said Phil Straub, Garmin executive vice president and managing director for aviation.
“We are pleased to provide these operators an upgrade path to Autoland and Autothrottle, demonstrating our deep commitment to developing and continually supporting G1000 and our customers that have trusted us with this investment in their aircraft,” Straub added.
Activated by pressing a button located in the back of the center pedestal, or automatically in extreme circumstances if the pilot doesn’t respond to prompts, Autoland calculates a flight plan to the most suitable airport that avoids terrain and adverse weather, initiates an approach to the runway, and extends the landing gear and flaps as the aircraft descends.
On the runway, automatic braking is applied while tracking the runway centerline to bring the aircraft to a complete stop. Engine shutdown is automated so occupants can safely exit the aircraft.
The system communicates with air traffic control throughout the event, advising controllers and pilots operating near the aircraft of its location and intentions. Throughout an activation, Autoland provides visual and verbal cues so passengers know what to expect. Flight displays show the aircraft’s location on a map alongside information such as the destination airport, estimated time enroute, distance to the destination airport and fuel remaining.
Autothrottle is integrated with the G1000 NXi system and provides automatic control of the engine power levers from takeoff to landing.
The system provides ITT (interstage turbine temperature) and torque protection by reducing power when it senses potential overtemperature or overtorque conditions. It will activate automatically in the event of an aircraft overspeed or underspeed situation and accounts for flap and gear position.
Plans call for Autoland and Autothrottle to be available in the third quarter for retrofit installations on G1000 NXi-equipped King Air 200s through the Garmin Authorized Dealer network. The functions should be available for King Air 300 series aircraft in 2024, the company said.
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