Textron Aviation’s Beechcraft King Air 360/360ER has been awarded FAA type certification, a little more than a month after the upgraded twin-turboprop was announced. The first delivery is expected in the coming weeks.

The upgraded airplane features the Innovative Solutions & Support (IS&S) ThrustSense autothrottle, which allows pilots to automatically manage engine power from the takeoff roll through climb, cruise, descent, and go-around phases of flight. Also new to the King Air cockpit is a digital pressurization controller that automatically schedules cabin pressurization during climb and descent and the gauges of which have been integrated into the airplane’s Collins Aerospace Pro Line Fusion flight deck.

Cabin altitude has been improved by 10 percent over its predecessor 350i, providing for an altitude of 5,960 feet at a typical cruising altitude of 27,000 feet. New look custom-built cabinetry, partitions, and side ledges plus upgraded materials and finishes and new interior schemes round out improvements to the type’s cabin.

“The new era of the industry-leading Beechcraft King Air begins today,” said Textron Aviation senior v-p of engineering and programs Chris Hearne. “The King Air 360 is a perfect combination of customer input, innovative technology, and next-generation capabilities. With certification now in hand, we are thrilled to soon get these aircraft into the hands of our eager customers.”