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I was passing a stack of magazines at a friend's office and I could have sworn I saw a cover article about a single-engine King Air. I went looking for that article and haven't been able to find it, but it got me thinking. Has the Beechcraft company ever released any information in any form that might indicate that they've considered building a single-engine turboprop?

I'm curious more on airplanes comparable to the King Air. I believe I remember reading that they played with the idea of a turboprop Bonanza, not to be confused with any STC modifications that make a Bonanza or Baron a turboprop.

I also realize that now Textron owns Cessna and Beechcraft, so if you consider the question in the larger frame of reference it looks a bit different as well.

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Yes.

https://www.google.com/search?q=single+engine+king+air

Top result:

http://www.flyingmag.com/aircraft/beechcraft-reborn

Perhaps the most intriguing product floated by HBC at its NBAA press conference was a single-engine turboprop. The company says the airplane has no public name or designation but will “absolutely,” said Holcombe, be “called a King Air.” That name, of course, has never been bestowed upon a single-engine airplane before.

This King Air, however, will be no scaled-back PT-6 single. Like the remarkably roomy and powerful Pilatus PC-12, the Beechcraft single will be big. Its fuselage will be — get this — based on that of the Premier 1A, which, HBC claims, has the best cabin of any bizjet in its class. It will certainly be huge for a single. In addition to the voluminous cabin, the single would feature a large side loading door, room for eight to 11 occupants and industry-leading pressurization. The composite fuselage allows for efficient pressurization. HBC says it will build the fuselage in the same way it builds the Premier 1A today, using state-of-the-art winding technology for extremely light and strong composite structures.

source: http://www.flyingmag.com/aircraft/beechcraft-reborn

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It's been in the works for a few years now - supposedly - though it's not totally clear whether it will be a Cessna product or a Beechcraft product.

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  • $\begingroup$ The Textron Denali will be a Cessna product. $\endgroup$ Jun 20, 2019 at 19:24

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