Photograph:
Impulse Airlines Beech 99 VH-OXC (c/n U-239) at Armidale, NSW in June 1994 (David C Eyre)
Country of origin:
United States of America
Description:
Commuter airliner
Power Plant:
Two 533 kw (715 eshp) Pratt & Whitney PT6A-36 turboprops
Specifications:
- Wingspan: 14 m (45 ft 10½ in)
- Length: 13.58 m (44 ft 6¾ in)
- Height: 4.38 m (14 ft 4¼ in)
- Wing area: 25.98 m² (279.7 sq ft)
- Max speed: 496 km/h (308 mph)
- Max cruising speed at 2,440 m (8,000 ft): 459 km/h (285 mph)
- Initial rate of climb: 677 m/min (2,221 ft/min)
- Stalling speed: 154 km/h (96 mph)
- Service ceiling: 8,559 m (28,080 ft)
- Range with max payload: 1,070 km (665 miles)
- Range with max fuel: 1,466 km (910 miles)
- Empty weight: 2,779 kg (6,124 lb)
- Useful load: 2,348 kg (5,176 lb)
- Loaded weight: 5,126 kg (11,300 lb)
History:
The Beech 99 series was designed to meet the requirements of commuter operators around the world for a 16 passenger airliner powered by two Pratt & Whitney PT6A turboprop engines. The design was entirely new but evolved from the Beech King Air series, having similar engines but optimised for operating economic commuter stage distances of up to 644 km (400 miles).
The Model 99 had two 410 kw (550 shp) PT6A-20 engines and a gross weight of 4,717 kg (10,400 lb). The Company indicated at the time of proceeding to production 20 production positions had been committed, and the first example was rolled out at the Company’s facility at Selma, Alabama in the United States in the markings of Trans Western Airlines of Utah.
First of the series seen in this region was an American registered machine (N8499N), which made demonstrations to local operators, but no sales were forthcoming at that stage.
Subsequently the Model 99A appeared with 486 kw (652 eshp) PT6A-27 turboprops, and later still the Model 99C, later known as the C99, this being a re-design with PT6A-36 engines providing 533 kw (715 eshp), this having an increased gross weight to 5,126 kg (11,300 lb), improved performance, and an improved main spar rated for a life of 20,000 hours. Later still the Model 1900 appeared, this having 746 kw (1,000 eshp) PT6A-65 engines and a gross weight of 6,898 kg (15,245 lb).
In 1984 a Model C99 (N68730) was imported by Hawker Pacific of Bankstown, NSW as a demonstrator but it was not sold in this region and eventually went to Guam. First to be registered was a C99 ZK-LLA (c/n U-52) which entered service with Bell-Air Executive Air Travel Ltd of Whakatane, NZ operating in the colours of Transair, but was later sold overseas. This was followed by ZK-CIB (c/n U-68) which was operated by Air Transport (Chatham Islands) Ltd based on the Chatham Islands and painted in the colours of Air Chatham.
Subsequently New South Wales operator, Oxley Airlines, based in Port Macquarie, NSW, obtained a fleet of four C99s for its services, entering service between February and July 1993. These aircraft were registered VH-OXB (c/n U-238 – ex N227BH, N7249E); VH-OXC (c/n U-239 – ex N239BH, N7257K); VH-OXD (c/n U237 – ex N240BH, N72520); and VH-OXE (c/n U-236 – ex N237BH, N7250E). These services and the aircraft were later taken over by Impulse Airlines, which eventually replaced the Beech 99s with Beech 1900s in 1997, the latter airline later becoming part of Qantas.
Eventually the Beech 99s were exported and their registrations were cancelled. VH-OXB on 28 February 1997 became N238AL; VH-OBC on 28 February 1997 became N239AL; VH-OBD on 25 November 1996 became N237SL; and VH-OBE on 25 November 1996 became N236AL.