Beechcraft RC-12 Guardrail

what is it?

The Beechcraft RC-12 Guardrail was an airborne signals intelligence (SIGINT) collection platform based on the Beechcraft King Air and Super King Air. While the US military and specifically the United States Army have numerous personnel transport variants of the King Air platforms referred to with the general C-12 designation, the RC-12 specification refers to a heavily modified platform that collects SIGINT through various sensors and onboard processors.

🔎How to recognise it: 2 turboprops · 17.8 m wingspan

base stats

• size 6,804 kgmax take-off weight

Bars compare against all aircraft: 3,500 km/h, 20,000 km, 850 seats; size and number built on a log scale up to 640 t (An-225) and 45,000 built (Cessna 172).

fun facts

• 🚗Wingspan of 17.8 m: about 4 cars parked nose to tail.

turboprop: A jet-style turbine turning a propeller: efficient on short hops.

spec sheet

first flight

—

introduced

1983

retired

2025

status

retired

number built

—

role

signals intelligence aircraft

makers

Beechcraft

engines

2× Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-41

length

13.3 m

wingspan

17.8 m

height

4.5 m

max take-off weight

6,804 kg

top speed

—

range

—

Specs are for the version in the Wikipedia article's specification section. Blank means the sources don't say.

family