Despite that Beechcraft is well known in General Aviation, their planes don’t
exactly top the list for an average aviator looking for their first airplane. But how good
are Beech planes? Let’s look at the best Beech models from day one for different
mission. And depending on your mission and budget, I hope your fine your next plane.
Those in the market for a two-seat plane never think about the Beechcraft Skipper. Originally
designated the PD 28’S, this single-engine trainer was first delivered in early 1979 when Beechcraft
wanted to create the perfect new trainer to grab market share from Cessna, which owned
the training game at the time. Powered by a 115hp Lycoming O-235 engine, the Skipper’s performance
is comparable to other two-seat trainers, except for climb rate at 720ft/min. At 100 knots, cruise
speed is a little slower than other two-seaters, but the Beech makes up for that in comfort. The
aircraft's handling is generally considered to be stable and predictable, making it well-suited for
training purposes. One of the Skipper's main advantages over its competitors at the time
was its relatively large cockpit, which provided a spacious and comfortable environment for both the
student and instructor. However, despite its many strengths, the Beechcraft Skipper had some notable
drawbacks as well. One of the main issues was its terrific control harmony and relatively high
operating costs, which made it less attractive to some flight schools and private pilots.
Additionally, the aircraft's production run was relatively short, which means that it
can be difficult to find parts and service for it today. The hardest part of owning a
skipper is finding one, but when you do, they sell relativily cheaper than competitors.
Furthermore, the Beechcraft Sport, Sundowner and Musketeer are equally as good for the entry level
niche. The model 19 and 23 series were Beechs answer to Pipers Cherokee line and if not the
150/152, then the 172 from Cessna. Beech didn’t exactly set the world on fire with sales, but the
two models did acceptably well. They’re neither the fastest nor sleekest looking of the GA lot,
but they’re better built than the competition and there’s no question that these airplanes-really,
all of the Beech line-are the best handling light GA aircraft. the Sundown and Musketeer
do have some quirks. Weight and balance issues may be one and so is speed. The 19/23 series was never
a hot performer, cruise speeds in the 100-knot range are about the best you can expect from the
160-HP models. The Sundowner with the big Lycoming engine will do 117 knots with a light airframe and
fresh wax job. Range is certainly not outstanding, although quite acceptable for most owners. In all
but the early model Sports, standard fuel load is 57 gallons useable. That’s enough gas to carry the
Sport about 620 miles, while the Sundowner will cover only 530 miles on the same load. That fuel
load may sound impressive, especially when you look at the fuel capacities of the competition.
The Piper Cherokee, Grumman Tiger and Cessna Cardinal all carry seven gallons less gas. Yet,
all those airplanes can fly just as far because their higher cruise speeds let them
cover the same amount of ground on less fuel. Fill the cabin and you can’t fill the tanks,
it’s that simple. The Sundowners can be expected to haul about 900 pounds of useful load in their
average equipped condition. If you need full tanks, that means you can only carry three
people and 50 pounds of baggage. If you’re in a Sport, toss out the third person and the baggage,
and you still get to sweat those high-weight climb rates. So, the Sport/Sundowners are cheap to buy,
but the payback is lack of performance; there’s still no free lunch. Like most Beech products
the Sport and Sundowner are routinely described as being delightful to fly.
In the air, the controls are light and well harmonized, smooth and responsive.
They’re stable enough to make good IFR trainers, even if their low cruise speeds turn them into
one-airplane traffic jams. There are even aerobatic models. But that doesn’t mean
handling and flying is wart free. The Sundowner, and especially the Sport, can be downright vicious
on landing. For someone who won’t fly in anything with atleast two engine, the Beechcraft Duchess
is arguably the best cheap entry level twin. As light-light twins go, the Duchess can be
considered better than average. Its best thought of as performing like a high-performance single.
But no one would mistake it for a Baron. Cruise numbers is 164 knots at max cruise power at 5000
feet. Pull it back to economy cruise and airspeed falls off to 137 knots, little faster, if at all,
than an Arrow on a little less than twice the fuel. Still, the Duchess is economical as twins
go. With the throttles full forward, it burns about 11.3 GPH per side or 22.6 GPH total. At
economy cruise power, fuel flow drops to 21 GPH, while at gas-save cruise, the Duchess needs 14.6
GPH total. With 180-HP per side and a gross weight of 3900 pounds, the Duchess displays
decent takeoff performance for its class. At max gross on a standard day at sea level,
it can get off the ground in 1017 feet and clear a 50-foot obstacle 800 feet after liftoff.
Not too shabby for a light-light twin, or any airplane for that matter. The Duchess carries
100 gallons of fuel which, as twins go, isn’t a lot, but the engines are so economical that
it gives the airplane plenty of range. In economy cruise, you can fly about 760 miles at 11,500 feet
cruising at about 150 knots or so. At the end of your trip, you’ll be able to clear the standard
50-foot obstacle and bring your Duchess to a halt in about 1881 feet at a sea-level airport with no
wind. Ground handling of the Duchess, particularly with full fuel tanks, is ponderous. On the runway,
the Duchess has no real vices, although the powerful control forces of the T-tail-mounted
elevator invite a tail strike through over-rotation. In-flight handling is one
of the Duchess strong points. The docile handling characteristics is great. Its far more benign than
other twins with either one or both engines running. Single-engine handling is excellent,
even if single-engine climb rates are not. Because the Duchess has counter-rotating engines,
there’s no critical engine to worry about, which is a positive safety trait. Shut down either
the left or right engine and the airplane handles just the same. Slow speed handling
is also good. Stalls are straightforward and controllability is good right down to the break.
But for a pilot with a large family looking a twin beech, the Duchess just won’t serve their purpose,
the Beechcraft Baron does anything Duchess does, except for forgive you for most discrepancies,
because trust me, this plane a high performance speed machine. Baron achieves the perfect balance
of power and reliability and has maintained its essence without changing much since its
introduction in the 1960s. Of all the Barons out there, the model I recommend the Model 55.
True airspeed cruising at 75 percent power is about 190 knots on 27 gallons of fuel per hour.
That’s faster than the naturally aspirated Aztec and Cessna 310, but a good bit off the Aerostars
pace. The big-engined Baron is about five knots faster and five gallons per hour thirstier than
its stablemate. Takeoff and landing performance is average. A B55 can take off or land over a 50-foot
obstacle within 2,160 feet. The E55 needs only about 2,050 feet to clear the obstacle
on takeoff but a bit more than 2,200 feet to get back over it on landing. Short-field technique can
cut these figures roughly in half. The 55 Baron is proof that a light twin doesn’t have to handle
like a truck. Responsive and well-harmonized, the airplanes controls are one of its biggest
selling points. The cabin is spacious, plush and comfortable. The tapered fuselage, however,
tends to put a cramp on any normal-sized adults banished to the rear seats, though it does provide
a couple of big windows to ease their exile. The front seat of a 55 Baron has to qualify
as one of the world’s greatest places to be, with comfort enhanced by a retractable center armrest,
adjustable rudder pedals, lots of headroom and good visibility. A typically equipped 260-HP Baron
can carry about 1,800 pounds of people, bags and fuel; a 285-HP model, about 1,950 pounds. There
is no zero-fuel-weight restriction, but care is needed to avoid busting the aft CG when the
rear seats or aft baggage compartment is used. The Beechcraft Duke carries more than a Baron,
flies faster, father, higher and costs more to own, it is basically for anyone that wants a Baron
on steroids. At 24,000 feet, max cruise is about 220 knots at 65-70 percent power. The Duke edges
out other pressurized twins in performance, with one exception, the pressurized Aerostars, which
fly 10-15 knots faster on about 25 percent less fuel. Although the Duke’s range is rather limited,
its standard fuel tanks hold just 142 gallons-most have optional long-range fuel tanks that hold from
202 to 232 gallons, depending on the model. Top off the optional tanks and you can boost
up the manifold pressure and make a four-hour, 900 nautical mile trip with IFR reserves. At reduced
power and full fuel, you can fly the Duke 1000 NM. The Duke wasn’t designed for short runways,
in most condition, any runway less than 3000 feet is out of question. Climb performance is
important for a pressurized airplane designed to cruise above 20,000 feet. Here, the Duke turns
in respectable performance once it gets going. A climb to 24,000 feet, at full gross on a warm day,
takes just 28 minutes. As you might expect, the Duke is not a six-person airplane with full fuel,
but it still beats anything in its class in terms of useful load and range. Late-model
Dukes generally have a useful load of better than 2000 pounds, even when carrying full equipment.
Earlier models, which tend to have less equipment and weigh several hundred pounds less, do even
better. One drawback is the Duke’s healthy rate of fuel consumption, which translates into a smaller
payload. Compared to other pressurized twins, the Duke uses a few hundred more pounds of fuel on a
long trip. Still, the Duke shines in one respect: It can carry full fuel and two to four people.
The overall passenger comfort is decent. Its cabin pressure differential is 4.7, so at
24,000 feet the Duke has a cabin altitude of 10,000 feet, which is superior to most
six-seat pressurized twins. On the downside, the Duke is similar to Bonanzas and Barons in that it
has a tapering cabin. Two adults in the back seats will travel elbow to elbow Cockpit visibility,
though, is barely adequate. To see over the glareshield, a pilot of average height might
be tempted to pull the seat forward; however, the seat will also automatically move up, which
may put the pilot’s head next to the headliner. For those who just don’t want to deal with the
complexities associated with Twins, the Beechcraft Bonanza is excellent as it gets. While it won’t
hit the ground running as hard as a Baron, the Bonanza got some capabilities up its sleeves.
They have some of the best-harmonized controls in the business. Pilots love the handling,
but are also quick to point out its important to stay ahead of the airplane, particularly in IMC.
Unfortunately, staid, solid handling typically translates into good suitability as an instrument
platform. That’s not to say the Bonanza isn’t a good instrument airplane. It is, but it isn’t a
“trim it and forget it” airplane, and we would consider an autopilot mandatory for any serious
IFR work in it. Typical of single-engine retracts with high wing loading, the stalls are sharp but
not that difficult to recover with proper technique. Landings are easy, provided the
pilot watches power settings and airspeed closely. The model 33 I recommend because of its price is
fast enough to make it one of the better piston singles for cross-country work. Pilots of the 225
HP airplanes typically flight plan for 150 knots and 12 GPH. The more powerful 33s are faster,
of course, but use more fuel. Figure 165-172 knots on 13-15 GPH for a 285 HP model. Climb
performance also is relatively good. Although it has the capacity for six people and a variety of
luggage, the Bonanza isn’t a particularly large aircraft. With a wingspan of 33 feet and 6 inches,
and a height of 8 feet 7 inches, this aircraft can fit into a conventional hangar and still
have space to spare. It has a length of 27 feet 6 inches and a useful load of up to 1073 lbs,
which allows for significant weight in luggage. Long family vacations with a
lot of bags and full fuel aren’t an issue, making trips easy to plan and to pack for.
Back to twins, the King Air is arguably the best light twin turbo prop out there,
if you are looking something in this range, the C90 series is the best bet. You don’t need
the Super King Air if you are a private pilot whose cargo need involve hauling baby whales.
This C90 has a range of 840 nautical miles, and it reaches its stride at
25,000 feet or higher as opposed to the earlier King Air 90s, which reached their top speeds at
16,000 feet. The C90 is rated to 30,000 feet and can cruise at about 260 knots.
Up to 7 people can be accommodated in the airplane, which can be flown by a single pilot.
Looking at Jet travellers, the Beech Premiere allows you to take your business to new heights
with enhanced speed, improved avionics and luxury cabin features. Featuring superior cruise speed
and the largest cabin in its class, the Premier is a high-value single-pilot business jet that excels
in efficiency. You and your passengers can travel at a direct operating cost per nautical mile that
is 11 percent lower than the Cessna Citation CJ2+. With the ability to fly four passengers over 1,000
nautical miles or cruise at 500 miles per hour, 50 miles an hour faster than the nearest light-jet
competitor. This single-pilot jet makes faster, multi-city trips and an affordable reality.
The exceptional performance is made possible by the swept wing design and ultra-strong drag
reducing fuselage, which is fabricated with industry leading lightweight carbon-fiber
composite technology. By balancing performance, reliability and flexibility, the Premier
demonstrates that business jet ownership is still the smart choice for value-conscious corporations.