Beechcraft 1900 The Beechcraft 1900 is a twin-engine civilian turboprop airplane manufactured by Raytheon. It is typically used in regional airline, corporate and freight operations. In typical airline configuration, the Beechcraft 1900 seats 19 passengers in the cabin, with a two-pilot crew in the cockpit. More than 600 Beechcraft 1900 aircraft have been delivered, starting in 1984. The 1900 was developed from the Beech 99, itself a development from the King Air corporate turboprop. (The King Air B200 is the most successful business aircraft in the world.) Cockpit controls and operations are similar to the King Air. The first flight was on September 3, 1982. US FAA certification was awarded in November 1983, prior to the 1900C's entry into service in February the following year. The first ExecLiner corporate transport version was delivered in mid 1985. Beechcraft produced four variants of the 1900. The most recent variants, the 1900C and 1900D, are the most popular. The 1900D added winglets and a redesigned cockpit (with EFIS) to the 1900C. The cabin on the 1900D is higher than all other variants, allowing most passengers to walk upright in the aisle, a feature which is rare for aircraft which hold only 19 passengers. The higher cabin gives the 1900D its unusual "forehead". The Be-1900D is powered by two Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-67D turboprop engines, which were chosen for their excellent reliability (compared to a reciprocating engine), and fuel economy (compared to a jet engine). Of course, this limits the 1900 to slower speeds than jet aircraft, and the propellers create more noise and more vibration than jets. The propellers themselves are manufactured by Hartzell, with four blades and composite construction. The Be-1900D cruises at 260 knots TAS (about 300 mph or 480 km/h). During takeoff, approach and landing, the speeds the 1900 uses are virtually the same as jet aircraft. Airlines often prefer the 1900 over jet aircraft for shorter routes because trip times are not significantly longer on distances up to 300 miles/500 kilometers, and it is more fuel efficient. Smaller regional aircraft are frequently limited to 19 seats in order to comply with a Federal Aviation Administration limitation. Aircraft designed to carry more than 19 passengers require a flight attendant. For smaller regional airlines or routes on which few passengers travel, the additional personnel costs associated with having a flight attendant may make operations too expensive.
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