Beechcraft U-21 Ute (Military King Air)

The Beechcraft U-21 Ute is a military version of the Beechcraft King Air. The U-21 is an eight-place, fixed-wing utility aircraft used for troop and command transport, medevac, reconnaissance, and cargo. Powered by Pratt & Whitney PT6A-20 engines rated at 550 shp, the twin-engine, low-wing aircraft has a normal cruise speed of 210 knots and an endurance of over 5 hours flying time, with reversing propellers and retractable tricycle landing gear.

The US Army ordered the Beechcraft Model A-90 for military duty as the U-21A. Non-pressurized, the A90-1 featured square windows and a large cargo door combined with the standard airstrip door. Most of these airplanes eventually served in Southeast Asia, operated primarily as transports, radio relay, and surveillance aircraft. The U-21A, B, C, D, H had a ramp weight of 10,500, while the U-21F, with Pratt & Whitney PT6A-28 engines, had a ramp weight of 11,500 due to its VIP configuration. The U-21J was the first C-12 with PT6A-42 powerplants and a ramp weight of 14,500.

Special versions like the RU-21A served electronic warfare, reconnaissance and radio communications tasks. The RU-21A is an Airborne Radio Direction Finding aircraft, one of 9 aircraft of the Cefirm Leader Electronic Warfare system. In service, the U-21 carried out functions like transport of high-ranking officers and other VIPs, medical evacuation and cargo transport.

Expert behind this article

Jim Goodrich

Jim Goodrich is a pilot, aviation expert and founder of Tsunami Air.

What is the Beechcraft U-21?

The Beechcraft U-21 is a military version of the Beechcraft King Air A90 aircraft. The U-21 was deployed in a variety of configurations, including the U-21A/D/G, U-21F, and U-21J. It is an eight-place, fixed-wing aircraft used for troop and command transport, cargo, reconnaissance, and medevac. In service with the US military, the twin-engine eight-seater carried out transport of high-ranking officers and other VIPs, medical evacuation and cargo transport. The U-21 Ute is less heavy and has an unpressurized fuselage. The civilian King Air A90 has a pressurized fuselage. The U-21A has a wingspan of 45.11 feet (13.75 meters), a length of around 39 feet (11.89 meters), and a weight of about 5 tons (4.54 metric tons). A total of 167 planes were built. The U-21 is operated exclusively by the American military. Military versions use special Army electronics, and combat uses military radios. Commercial King Air uses Bendix plane electronics. The U-21 does not have approved ambulance setups.

The special version RU-21 served electronic warfare, reconnaissance and radio communications tasks. The RU-21 has a plane that blocks signals. The warning system is a radar warning receiver. The Beryoza suite finds emitters. The RU-21 uses a listening set that picks up radio waves. It uses a control panel. The blocking system runs jamming. A multi-system uses direction finding and blocks jumps communications. Operating speed runs from 1.5 megahertz to 3 million cycles per second, from 30 million cycles per second to 80 million cycles per second, and covers 80 megahertz to 120 million cycles per second. The RU-21A made 2 planes, RU-21D made 1 plane, U-21G made 6 planes, and JU-21A made 7 planes. The RU-21 uses the A29 plane motor.

What are the specifications of the Beechcraft U-21?

The specifications of the Beechcraft U-21 are given in the table below.

The Beechcraft U-21 low-wing utility aircraft has reversing propellers and retractable tricycle landing gear. Its width is 45.11 feet (13.75 meters), length is 39.11 feet (11.92 meters), and height is 15.5 feet (4.72 meters). Range is 2,227 kilometers (1,384 miles), empty weight is 4,173 kilograms (9,200 pounds), and service ceiling is 7,574 meters (24,850 feet). Gross weight is 10,500 pounds (4,763 kilograms) for the U-21A, D, H, B, and C, 11,500 pounds (5,216 kilograms) for the U-21F, and 14,500 pounds (6,577 kilograms) for the U-21J. The crew includes a pilot and up to seven passengers. Engines are the Pratt and Whitney PT6A-20 for U-21A, B, C, D, H, the PT6A-28 of 680 SHP for U-21F, and the PT6A-42 for U-21J.

The U-21A has a length of 35.5 feet (10.82 meters), a wingspan of 50.8 feet (15.48 meters), and a height of 14 feet 2.56 inches (4.33 meters). The Pratt and Whitney PT6A-20 engine has a power of 550. Maximum speed is 260 miles per hour (418.4 kilometers per hour), cruise speed is 248 miles per hour (399.1 kilometers per hour), and service ceiling is approximately 5 miles (8.05 kilometers). A configuration with crew of two pilots and two system operators has empty weight 2,404 kilograms (5,300 pounds), max takeoff weight 4,377 kilograms (9,650 pounds), range 1,545 kilometers (960 miles), and service ceiling 7,955 meters (26,100 feet). The U-21F was a Beechcraft A-90 and, due to its VIP configuration, is the only series with a ramp weight of 11,500 pounds (5,216 kilograms).

What is the performance of the Beechcraft U-21?

The performance of the Beechcraft U-21 is given in the table below.

The Beechcraft U-21 is a twin turbine, propeller driven utility aircraft with a normal cruise speed of 210 knots and an endurance of over 5 hours. The U-21 has a top speed of about 260 miles per hour (418 kilometers per hour). The U-21F was a Beechcraft A-90 with Pratt and Whitney PT6A-28. It was the only U-21 series with a ramp weight of 11,500 due to its VIP configuration. The U-21F has the highest safe flying altitude of about 4.7 miles (7.6 kilometers). The U-21A has a Pratt & Whitney jet engine. The U-21A flies at 290 miles per hour (467 kilometers per hour).

What is the price for the Beechcraft U-21?

The Beechcraft U-21 does not have a current market value because it is not typically sold on civilian markets.

Price depends on condition and year. Hours of use cut value, and how close the engine is to needing an overhaul decides the price. The last 300 hours of use do not affect valuation. Record of upkeep, logs, and reliability retain value. Plane electronics improvements raise the sale price.