Hawker Beechcraft expects to begin deliveries of the King Air 250 this quarter, following receipt of its type certificate, which Shawn Vick, executive vice president, said is imminent. The twin turboprop, the latest derivative of the popular King Air, is making its European debut here at EBACE 2011.

New use of composite technology distinguishes the $5.799 million King Air 250 from its predecessor, the King Air B200GT, which the 250 will replace on the production line. Key features include Boundary Layer Research composite winglets, Hartzell composite props and a Raisbeck ram-air recovery system, which give the new derivative model “significantly better runway performance than single-engine utility turboprops,” according to the company.

Here at EBACE, Wichita-based Hawker Beechcraft is introducing these same features as an aftermarket upgrade for already-fielded King Air 200GTs. With the upgrades installed, these will then be called 200GTRs.

Hawker Beechcraft introduced the King Air 250 at last year’s NBAA convention in October, and exhibited the model earlier this year at a Sun’n’Fun, International Fly-In and Expo in Florida.

The company said customer feedback requesting better performance convinced the company to develop the changes.