Do Mods Increase the Value of Your King Air?

King Airs are probably the most commonly modified turbine aircraft in civilian operations. As market analysts and brokers, this keeps us on our toes when comparing sales figures and market valuations because the combination of mods varies pretty significantly.

If you plan to invest time and money into modifying an aircraft, keep in mind that future buyers still consider lower-time airframes, clean history with no incidents or damage, and complete and well-organized logbooks to be optimal. Bells and whistles on a less desirable aircraft yield a lower rate of return than mods completed on one with a great pedigree.

That said, it’s been our experience in the last year as markets have stabilized and started to rebound a bit, it is typical to see a 50% to 70% return on investment for recent engine, avionics or airframe upgrades when the aircraft sells. With that kind of ROI, an aircraft with the upgrades already completed has a better chance of attracting more buyers’ attention and selling more quickly. Here are a few we commonly see:

Garmin G1000 Integrated Flight Deck

By integrating all primary flight, navigation, weather, terrain, radio frequency, and engine and fuel data readouts in one system on large-format, high-definition LCDs, the G1000 improves available payload by more than 200 pounds. More streamlined and technologically advanced avionics result in a reduced pilot workload with enhanced levels of operational simplicity and situational awareness to flight operations. The benefits to an owner are obviously more than just financial returns

kingair200_garmin1000

Garmin G600 Glass Cockpit Upgrade

The G600 was designed to interface and display data from a range of equipment, including avionics, radios, navigation and audio panels.  The system also easily combines with a variety of optional sensors and data links. When coupled with the GTN650/750 Nav/Com/GPS/MFD units, a fully modernized touchscreen panel is achieved for a fraction of the G1000 Integrated Flight Deck System costs, making this option very appealing.

Blackhawk Engines

King Air 90 and 200 series owners might consider available Blackhawk engine upgrades.  This mod, often done in lieu of a costly overhaul on original engines, offers several key benefits including increased rate of climb, higher single-engine service ceiling, faster cruise speeds (resulting in reduced time on airframe and engine) and higher resale.  Additional perks can include lower operating and maintenance costs, reduced takeoff distance and better hot/high performance.  New engines are better than their predecessors, offering more performance, enhanced reliability and safety and new OEM warranties.

BLR Winglets 

Winglets help reduce time to climb, improve handling qualities and high-altitude performance, extend range, modernize appearance, and shorten flight times.

Wilderness Tire Upgrade  

This particular modification gives a King Air high floatation gear performance with no modifications to airframe. The 10-ply tires are bigger, stronger and fit into standard-gear wheel wells.  The plusses include a softer ground roll, increased landing options and greater safety with higher ground clearance.

The most common King Air airframe options are Raisbeck modifications. A few are highlighted here:

Quiet Turbofan Props:  This is the original Raisbeck prop improvement.  It offers increased climb and cruise performance, improved takeoff and landing performance, ability to carry more passengers, cargo and fuel, quieter operation and lower cabin noise.

Swept Blade Turbofan Props:  Raisbeck’s newest propeller design builds on the Quiet Turbofan Prop and includes improved acceleration and more thrust due to larger diameter props while providing noticeably lower cabin noise.

Ram Air Recovery System: Maximum performance gains from this upgrade are realized when paired with the improved Raisbeck prop systems. The Ram Air Recovery Systems adds significantly improved climb and cruise performance with ice vanes stowed and deployed, cooler engine ITT at equal torque, 8% increase in available horsepower, and as part of the EPIC package, 8% to 11% block fuel savings.

Dual Aft Body Strakes:  The benefits include reduced drag and noise, elimination of yaw-damper-inoperative altitudes on the KA B200, improved directional stability and pilot control, improved passenger ride quality, increased climb and performance and inherently reduced minimum control speed.

Enhanced-Performance Leading Edges:  Better leading edges mean increased cruise speeds, reduced stall speeds, increased outboard wing life, and more efficient air conditioning through improved intercooler efficiency.

High Float Gear Doors:  This upgrade restores climb and cruise performance of standard-gear King Airs while protecting wheel wells, tires and brakes from the elements.

Crown Wing Lockers:  Wing lockers include extra storage needed outside of the cabin offering more flexibility for storing cargo. One of our favorites, this mod helps keep the balance between passenger comfort, luggage load (read oversized luggage, skis or full-sized golf bags) and uncompromised aircraft performance.

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