PPRuNe Forums - Cargo with B200

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Hi,

We are starting a non scheduled cargo service using a B200. Could anyone tell us the viability of the aircraft and if there is a cargo version of it being used in any country.

Cheers!!!

Depends totally on the weight and volume you intend to carry and what distance you wish to cover.

You may want to look at a 200C which has a 1.33m x 1.33m cargo door on the left side with an airstair door built into the cargo door. Construction numbers of "straight" 200's start with BB-, 200C's start with BL-
Only 36 were built so they may be hard to get..

Empty weight is around 3318 kg and MTOM is 5670 kg.
This leaves room 2352 kg. Max fuel capacity is 1633 kg so with max fuel, 719 kg are available to load. Two pilots @ 80 kg leaves 559 kg of cargo. Not very spectecular. However, if you are looking for shorter hops and don't need the 5 hours fuel endurance, you may trade fuel for load.

Good luck !

There are a few that have been converted to to straight cargo , but as previously stated they are hard to come by

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We are starting a non scheduled cargo service using a B200. Could anyone tell us the viability of the aircraft and if there is a cargo version of it being used in any country.

Starting and than questioning the viability... I bit like getting pregnant and than considering a child... What , how and where they you want to use it and what is the purpose? :confused:

Rahul,

Where is your hub going to be and what exactly will you be going for business wise? I realise you have non-scheduled but something tweaked the idea, what?

We had a lovely little night-freight airline in the 80's using BE20 and BE90 . As PH-SCP says you can trade fuel for load and 1100kg on the BE90 for an hours flight or 1400 kg load on the BE20 for 2/3 hours was , as I remember , OK.

Small parcels and newspapers are easily loaded into the standard version and we had one that did night-freight and then converted to pax fit and did a scheduled service for Sabena, an hour later.

Try to get in with the parcel carriers at their hub.

Of, course , in those days , it was a single pilot operation - night freight in Europe. We had funerals published on the roster ( not too far ahead ) and the CAA eventually changed the rules.

If you need a Captain - PM me !

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I remember that Sabena BE200, wasn't that G-WSJE ? Smooth operation back in those days. Mainly newspapers printed in Holland and going to the UK and Denmark.

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Construction numbers of "straight" 200's start with BB-, 200C's start with BL-

We have a fleet of 17 B200's all starting with the serial BB, they all have cargo doors (fitted after market). Most aircraft with larger doors if not already being used for freight, are with aeromedical operators. Have seen some older models for sale in the Australian aviation magazines.:ok:

Older is probably better for freight as the empty weights are lower, the newer Kingairs seem to be a lot heavier...:ooh:

PH-SCP

I remember that Sabena BE200, wasn't that G-WSJE ? Smooth operation back in those days. Mainly newspapers printed in Holland and going to the UK and Denmark.

The operation was based at Southend and the aircraft that flew from Maastricht(?) with the WSJ newspapers had flown Southend to Copenhagen with papers, then picked up general freight before positioning in.

Newspapers were the main cargo, to Copenhagen, Bergamo amongst other destinations. Operations were also performed on behalf of the courier companies to BRU, DUB & ORK.

Good operation with the Be90 & 200 but then all got too big with Emb110 & SD3-30's.

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Yes, the Wall Street Journal was one of them. Printed in Heerlen and carried from Maastricht to Southend and Copenhagen each night on a 200. All single pilot operation, often shooting low-vis approaches in early morning, tired and beaten. Hard work. The operation was later supported by a 90 and a Navajo operated by AirStar (G-DIDI) which I believe was a sister company or affiliated somehow with NAA.

We're getting a little off-topic here but it proves that with the right weight and required range, the King Air 200 could be just the perfect airplane... Mail and papers don't need a cargodoor so plenty of airframes could be made fit for the job...