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Beechcraft C-12 Huron

History of the Beechcraft C-12 Huron

Civil utility aircraft The Beechcraft Super King Air (model Super King Air 200) formed the basis for the U.S. military's C-12 "Huron" for military transport aircraft. This model was introduced in 1974 and is actively used in the US Air Force, Army, Navy and Marine Corps fleets. Other operators include the Greek Army, Israeli Air Force and Pakistan Air Force.

The Huron provides multi-mission support to a variety of U.S. services, capable of handling operations related to personnel transportation, light cargo transportation, humanitarian assistance and medical evacuation (MEDEVAC) missions. It also serves as a training platform for pilots and an airborne test bed for various aircraft components and systems.

The core of the aircraft is operated by a crew of up to 13 passengers. It has an overall length of 43.8 feet, a wingspan of 54.5 feet and a height of 15 feet. Curb weight is 7,755 lbs and maximum takeoff weight (MTOW) is 12,500 lbs. Power comes from 2 Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-42 series turboprop engines, each producing 850 hp. Performance includes a top speed of 333 mph, a service ceiling of 35,000 feet and a range of up to 2,075 miles.

The climb rate is 2,450 feet per minute.

The overall design is traditional, with the cockpit behind a short, sloping nose cone assembly. The passenger area is located at the rear of the cockpit with an access door on the port side. A vertical fin is attached to the rear, and the horizontal stabilizers are set in a T-shaped arrangement.

Main-wing aircraft are mounted low on the sides of the fuselage, each with an engine nacelle. The engine drives the three-bladed propeller unit. The cabin also houses a main landing gear leg (twin tires), while the front legs are attached to the front of the aircraft.

The C-12 entered service with the U.S. Army in 1974 under the designation "C-12A". In the service, this brand is mainly used for VIP shipping roles, as well as liaison duties when needed. In 1979, the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps invested in the type and made some modifications to the series for service (i.e. the addition of a large cargo door).

These are called UC-12Bs. The USN trainer became the TC-12B and was based on the UC-12B brand.

The C-12C received an upgraded engine, the Army and Air Force C-12D models introduced cargo feet, and other minor changes. The Army also uses the RC-12D as a signals intelligence (SIGINT) platform. The UC-12D is based on the production King Air A200CT model.

The C-12E is an upgraded C-12A for the Air Force, while the C-12F is a transport variant. The Navy uses the UC-12F (King Air B200C) and the Army uses the RC-12G tactical reconnaissance model. The RC-12H became the US Army SIGINT platform.

Other variants in the series include the UC-12M with upgraded cockpit/avionics, the US Navy RC-12M with a glass cockpit arrangement, and an upgraded version of the US Army's existing C-12F model C-12T . The C-12F is a USN variant with a built-in surface search radar. The RU-12J became another special operations model (US Army) and the C-12V became a modified C-12R. The U.S. Air Force uses the MC-12W Liberty for ISR (Intelligence, Surveillance, Reconnaissance) missions.

The UC-12W is a USN model based on the King Air 350.

The RC-12 "Guardrail" is a specially modified Huron Special Mission used by the U.S. Army for a dedicated SIGINT role.