Beechcraft King Air 260 vs Beechcraft King Air 360 vs Beechcraft King Air 360er vs Daher Tbm 960 vs Pilatus Pc 12 Ngx vs Piper M350 vs Piper M500 vs Piper M600 Sls
The Beechcraft King Air 260, 360, and 360ER are twin‑engine turboprops in the light-to-midsize utility/owner-operator category, generally offering more redundancy and payload flexibility than single‑engine types. The King Air 260 typically seats about 7–9 passengers and is best viewed as a shorter-to-midrange aircraft. The King Air 360 adds more cabin comfort and systems refinement with a similar passenger count, while the King Air 360ER targets long-range missions with substantially more range than the 360, still commonly configured around 7–9 passengers. The Daher TBM 960 is a high-performance single‑engine turboprop focused on speed and efficient personal/business travel; it typically carries about 4–6 passengers and offers long range for its class. The Pilatus PC‑12 NGX is a larger single‑engine turboprop utility aircraft with a big cabin and flexible layouts, commonly seating 6–9 passengers and providing long range. The Piper M350 is a pressurized piston single in the entry personal/business category, typically 5–6 seats with shorter range than the turboprops. The Piper M500 and M600 SLS are single‑engine turboprops; the M500 typically seats 5–6 with midrange capability, while the M600 SLS is similar in seating but generally offers more useful range and higher-end avionics/autothrottle features.
| Spec | Beechcraft King Air 260 | Beechcraft King Air 360 | Beechcraft King Air 360ER | Daher TBM 960 | Pilatus PC-12 NGX | Piper M350 | Piper M500 | Piper M600 SLS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Summary | ||||||||
| Cockpit | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| DOC / nm | $ 4.30 | $ 4.20 | $ 4.37 | $ 2.25 | $ 2.78 | $ 1.34 | $ 3.11 | $ 2.19 |
| Min Crew | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | — | 1 | 1 |
| Total Seats | 8 | 10 | 10 | 6 | 8 | 6 | 6 | 6 |
| Flight Rules | IFR | IFR | IFR | IFR | IFR | VFR | IFR | IFR |
| Manufacturer | Beechcraft | Beechcraft | Beechcraft | Daher TBM | Pilatus | Piper | Piper | Piper |
| Aircraft Name | KingAir 250 | KingAir 350i | KingAir 350ER | TBM 960 | PC-12 NGX | M350 | M500 | M600 |
| Certification | FAA / EASA | FAA / EASA | FAA / EASA | FAA / EASA | FAA / EASA | FAA / EASA | FAA / EASA | FAA / EASA |
| Max Range (nm) | 1420 | 1560 | 2338 | 1730 | 1803 | 1343 | 1000 | 1406 |
| DOC / nm / Seat | $ 0.72 | $ 0.53 | $ 0.55 | $ 0.56 | $ 0.46 | $ 0.22 | $ 0.78 | $ 0.55 |
| Max Cabin Seats | 8 | 9 | 9 | — | 9 | — | — | — |
| OEM Verification | VERIFIED | VERIFIED | VERIFIED | Un-Verified | VERIFIED | Un-Verified | VERIFIED | VERIFIED |
| Useful Load (lbs) | 3760 | 5145 | 6585 | 2908 | — | 1308 | 1698 | 2200 |
| Standard Cabin Seats | 6 | 8 | 8 | 4 | 6 | 4 | 4 | 4 |
| Direct Operating Cost | $ 1,333 | $ 1,311 | $ 1,324 | $ 744 | $ 793 | $ 285 | $ 579 | $ 603 |
| Flight Deck (Base Spec) | Rockwell Collins Pro Line Fusion | Rockwell Collins Pro Line Fusion | Rockwell Collins Pro Line Fusion | Garmin G3000 | Honeywell Primus Apex | Garmin G1000 NXi | Garmin G1000 NXi | Garmin G3000 |
| Max Cruise Speed (ktas) | 310 | 312 | 303 | 330 | 290 | 213 | 260 | 274 |
| Base Aircraft Price (USD) | $6,450,000 | $7,650,000 | $8,750,000 | $4,450,000 | $5,350,000 | $1,195,000 | $2,122,600 | $3,081,400 |
| Aircraft Type | — | — | — | Turbo Prop | — | — | — | — |
| Cabin | ||||||||
| Cockpit | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| Lavatory | 1 Flushing | Optional | Yes (Belted Optional) | No | Optional | — | No | No |
| Min Crew | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | — | 1 | 1 |
| Total Seats | 8 | 10 | 10 | 6 | 8 | 6 | 5 | 5 |
| Max Cabin Seats | 8 | 9 | 9 | — | 9 | — | — | — |
| Lavatory Location | AFT | AFT | AFT | — | FWD | — | — | — |
| Cabin Pressure (psi) | 6.5 | 6.5 | 6.5 | 6.2 | 5.8 | 5.6 | 5.5 | 5.6 |
| Galley / Refreshment | No | Optional | Refreshment Center | — | No | — | Refreshment Centre | Refreshment Centre |
| Standard Cabin Seats | 6 | 8 | 8 | 4 | 6 | 4 | 4 | 4 |
| SL Cabin Altitude (ft) | 15293 | — | — | 14390 | 13100 | — | 12600 | 12600 |
| Galley Location | — | FWD | FWD | MID | — | — | MID | MID |
| Cargo Door | — | — | Optional | — | Yes | — | — | — |
| Max Cabin Altitude (ft) | — | — | — | — | — | — | 8244 | 8644 |
| Engine | ||||||||
| FADEC | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | No |
| Model | PT6A-52 | PT6A-60A | PT6A-60A | TBM 960 | PT6E-67XP | TIO-540-AE2A | PT6A-42A | PT6A-42A |
| TBO (hrs) | 3600 | 3600 | 3600 | 3500 | 5000 | 2000 | 3600 | 3600 |
| Horsepower | 850 | 1050 | 1050 | 850 | 1200 | 350 | 500 | 600 |
| Flat Rating | ISA + 37 | ISA + 10 | ISA + 10 | ISA + 49 | ISA + 35 | — | ISA + 55 | ISA + 55 |
| No. of Engines | 1 | 1 | 1 | — | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Fuel Capacity (gal) | 544 | 539 | 775 | — | — | 120 | 170 | 260 |
| Usable Fuel (gal) | — | — | — | — | 402 | — | — | — |
| Fuel Type | — | — | — | — | — | AvGas | — | — |
| TBO (yrs) | — | — | — | — | — | 12 | — | — |
| Fuel Delivery | — | — | — | — | — | Fuel Injected | — | — |
| Dimensions | ||||||||
| Length (ft) | 43.8 | 46.7 | 46.7 | 35.3 | 47.25 | 29 | 29.6 | 29.7 |
| Wingspan (ft) | 57.9 | 57.9 | 57.9 | 42.1 | 53.33 | 43 | 43.2 | 43.2 |
| Cabin Width (ft) | 4.5 | 4.5 | 4.5 | 4 | 5 | 4.1 | 4.1 | 4.1 |
| Cabin Height (ft) | 4.8 | 4.8 | 4.8 | 4.1 | 4.9 | 4 | 4 | 4 |
| Cabin Length (ft) | 16.7 | 19.5 | 19.5 | 13.4 | 16.9 | 12.3 | 12.3 | 12.3 |
| Overall Height (ft) | 14.8 | 14.4 | 14.4 | — | 14 | 11.4 | 11.3 | 11.3 |
| Cabin Width - Floor (ft) | 4.1 | 4.1 | 4.1 | — | 4.25 | — | — | — |
| Cabin Length - Seating (ft) | 16.7 | 19.5 | 19.5 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Baggage Volume Int. (cu. ft) | 55 | 71 | 71 | — | 40 | 20 | 20 | 20 |
| Cabin Volume (cu. ft) | — | — | — | 123 | — | 165 | 165 | 165 |
| Baggage Volume Ext. (cu. ft) | — | — | — | — | — | 13 | — | — |