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Beechcraft 99

The Beech 99 fifteen-seat commuter aircraft is clearly a descendant of the Beech 65 Queen Air, or more precisely the U-21 Ute military aircraft. The Beech 99 retains the rectangular, almost square cabin windows of the U-21, albeit in a stretched fuselage with a much longer nose. This is mated to the turboprop engines of the King Air. The Beech 99 has double wheel main gears that retract forward in the nacelles. The nose gear has one wheel.

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A full view of a Beech 99A Airliner showing the resemblance to the Beech Queen Air, but with turboprop engines.

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At the end of the long nose of the Beech 99 is the single wheel nose gear that retracts rearward.

Different versions

Versions of the Beech 99 differ in engine power, maximum take-off weight and interior outfitting. So there is little to distinguish from the outside. These are the subtypes:

  • 99 Airliner
  • 99 Executive
  • 99A Airliner
  • A99A Airliner
  • B99 Airliner
  • B99 Executive
  • C99 Commuter

The Airliner and Commuter are basic passenger versions, while the Executive model has a more luxurious interior. 

Confusion possible with

Beechcraft 65 Queen Air & U-21 Ute 

beech u 21a

The Queen Air & King Air series were the bases for the Model 99, so they bare a large resemblance. In particular the Beech 99 looks like a stretched U-21 Ute, which also has rectangular cabin windows and turbo­prop engines.

Beech 100 King Air

beech a100

This King Air model is the closest relative of the Beech 99 in size and general appea­rance. It however has round cabin windows.

Cessna 404

cessna 404

The Cessna 404 (and to a lesser extent the Reims F406) are a bit smaller than the Beech 99, but have cabin windows with a sharp corner. These windows are rectangular though. Also the nose gear is further aft and the horizontal stabilisers have dihedral.

Embraer EMB110 Bandeirante

emb110p1

The Embraer Bandeirante the closest com­pe­titor of the Beech 99, being similar in size, purpose and non pressurised. It however has different cockpit windows, rectangular cabin windows which are rounded at the top, a forward retracting nose gear and single wheel main gear.

British Aerospace Jetstream

jetstream 32

The first generation Jetstream is contempo­rary to the Beech 99. It however has oval cabin windows, a for­ward retracting double wheel nose gear, single wheel main gears and a cruciform tail. The nacelles are also diffe­rent.