Versatile Twin

摘要

The demand for intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition and reconnaissance (ISTAR) aircraft has brought significant orders for the Hawker Beechcraft King Air 350 from a number of air forces, including the RAF and USAF. Jon Lake looks at the various roles of this versatile aircraft Anew class of aircraft is quietly entering service with the world's major air forces, confounding many of the comfortable assumptions and preconceptions about where air power was going. Light turboprop-powered twins are taking over many of the roles expected to be filled by unmanned platforms, and of others traditionally undertaken by sophisticated, dedicated, multi-million pound intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition and reconnaissance (ISTAR) aircraft. Leading this new class of aircraft is Beech-craft's next-generation King Air 350.