Beechcraft Baron G58 INTRODUCTION
In aviation, tradition is important, and Beechcraft is one of the brands that has
been able to keep this aspect alive, adapting to modern standards and making their aircraft models
attractive to today's customers. This is really important when we are talking about a family of
aircraft that made its first flight in 1969, MORE THAN FIFTY YEARS AGO! Of course, today's aircraft
is not the same as it was in the late 1960s, but it still retains its utilitarian spirit,
versatility, and aerodynamics when flying. Today's star of the show is the Baron G58,
a twin-piston aircraft derived from the 1961 Baron G55. The G58 was manufactured by Beech
Aircraft Corporation in 1969, making its maiden flight that same year and officially
entering service in 1970. Since then, it has undergone improvements and upgrades
over the years, achieving the perfect balance of horsepower, comfort, quietness, and safety.
The new generation of the Baron G58 undoubtedly sets the standard for twin-engine aircraft design.
Beechcraft has always been associated with precision craftsmanship in the construction of
its aircraft, something that appeals to pilots and passengers in equal measure. In addition,
it is capable of flying farther and faster with a higher payload than any other twin-piston
aircraft on the market. And that's not all. Thanks to its large access doors,
luggage compartments, and modern design to meet practically any type of challenge, the
Baron G58 offers tremendous flexibility of use, whether for business, family, or pleasure travel,
or even military-type missions. Want to know more? Then don't go anywhere and prepare yourself for
what you are about to see. DESIGN/EXTERIOR
The entire fuselage of the Baron G58 is of conventional semi-monocoque construction, and
its wings and empennage are fully cantilevered. Composite materials, specifically high-strength
aluminum alloy and steel, were used to manufacture most of the aircraft's structures. In this way,
the external structure of the aircraft is divided into three main components:
the fuselage, the wing, and the empennage. Its solid design provides structural integrity and
guarantees a long lifespan. The shape of the fuselage not only ensures outstanding
aerodynamics but also allows for an optimization of the interior cabin space for greater passenger
comfort. For the development of the structure, the engineering team used traditional design methods,
which were validated by full-scale fatigue tests. It has generous dimensions, resulting
in a wingspan of 37 feet 10 inches, a length of 29 feet 10 inches, and a height of 9 feet 9 inches,
measurements that are further highlighted by the distinctive polyurethane paint that
decorates the aircraft's exterior appearance. It is equipped with a retractable landing gear that
incorporates an electromechanical extension and retraction system. In the tail section,
it incorporates an emergency locator transmitter in case the aircraft suffers some kind of accident
or mechanical malfunction. INTERIOR
The Baron G58 has wide doors that invite passengers to enter the cabin and enjoy one of the
best trips that can be experienced in any light twin-engine aircraft. With internal dimensions
of 12 feet, 7 inches long, 42 inches wide, and 50 inches high, its spacious club cabin features six
ergonomic seats made of highquality, lightweight materials with soft edges that blend seamlessly
with the aircraft's interior appearance. The G58's cabin features the fully integrated Garmin 1000
avionics suite and two large-format liquid crystal display (LCD) screens that provide flight data,
graphic navigation, and engine performance. For added comfort, it integrates an automatic air
conditioning system capable of adapting to any conditions and maintaining a
comfortable cabin temperature at all times. Its 137 cubic feet of space can accommodate
the pilot and 5 passengers, with enough room for all occupants to have plenty of shoulder and head
room and stretch their legs to feel as if they were sitting on the most comfortable couch in
their home. Flying gives you the opportunity to admire landscapes from a privileged point
of view. The one-piece wraparound windshield and the six large side windows provide better
visibility for passengers and pilots to not miss anything going on around them,
even from thousands of feet above the ground. In terms of customization, the G58 offers four
color palettes for the interior, camel, Chelsea gray, raven, and speedster. Additionally,
the seats can be configured in a four-seat layout, leaving more space for cargo if desired. This
aircraft ensures smooth rides and is geared for comfort as well as productivity and entertainment,
featuring softly lit cup holders framed by ergonomic tables arranged for work, as well as
LED lighting throughout the cabin environment. The ergonomic, reconfigurable seats were redesigned to
incorporate an adjustable headrest and lumbar support, plus an armrest for added comfort.
Each passenger has a personal media jack ideal for plugging in headphones to listen to music,
along with an XM satellite entertainment system. It also incorporates a dual removable cup holder,
pen holder, and shallow storage tray, making it perfect for storing a smartphone.
The Baron G58 has superior attention to fit, form, ergonomics, and interior
finish to make every journey an exciting and pleasurable adventure. As for aircraft access,
passengers have excellent entry and exit through a 45-inch by 35-inch double door and a 37-inch by
36-inch one-piece front door. In addition, the two windows in the middle, which can be opened,
provide additional exit routes in the event of an emergency. The Beechcraft Baron G58 doesn't
forget about luggage space, so it has plenty of room in the nose to safely store up to 300 pounds
of luggage. But if this space is still not enough for you, there is also an aft luggage compartment,
which has a LED light. With this you are guaranteed to have enough room to carry any type
of cargo or luggage, allowing for a more relaxed trip knowing that your belongings will be with you
wherever you are about to fly. ENGINE
Speaking of power plants, the Baron G58 is powered by two Teledyne Continental IO-550-C
engines. The IO-550-Cs are horizontally opposed, fuel-injected, direct-drive,
air-cooled engines. Their design incorporates an inclined valve top for six-cylinder,
550 cubic inch displacement engines capable of generating about 300 horsepower each.
Conveniently, the engines can be started using either the aircraft's battery or external power,
and are completed by two McCauley three-bladed, aluminum alloy, variable pitch, and constant
speed propellers. Each engine has a hydraulic oil pressure regulator to better control the
propellers’ rpm. The control levers and controls were strategically placed on the center console to
ensure easy operation from the pilot's seat. PERFORMANCE
Its two engines, each capable of generating 300 hp, give this aircraft a maximum cruise
speed of 202 knots at 75% power. Although in optimal conditions it is capable of reaching a
maximum speed limit of 223 knots, the company recommends never reaching this speed as the
aircraft's structure may be compromised. It has a maximum range that varies from 1,245 nautical
miles to 1,480 nautical miles depending on the aircraft's load and weight at the time of flight.
It has a climb rate of 1,700 feet per minute and a service ceiling of 20,688 feet. To achieve an
effective takeoff, it needs a runway distance of 2,345 feet and a landing distance of 2,490 feet.
Its total fuel capacity is 194 gallons, and its fuel burn is around 27.1 to 32 gallons per hour.
What do you think? AVIONICS
The Baron G58 is an aircraft certified for single-pilot operation, so it does not skimp
on avionics and has everything needed to make every flight a safe, enjoyable,
and worry-free experience for both passengers and pilot, reducing the pilot's stress load
when flying the aircraft. It integrates a Garmin G1000 NXi avionics suite, which equips a primary
flight display, a multi-function display, a digital attitude heading reference system,
and an air data computer to provide altitude and air data information to the system. It
also includes a global positioning system sensor, transponder, engine control unit,
GWX-68 color weather radar, Stormscope WX-500, distance measuring equipment, traffic advisory
system, and a class B terrain alert and warning system to alert the pilot of potential conflicts
with obstacles and terrain. The upgraded aircraft also features a Wide Area Augmentation System,
a terrain alert database, a GTX 33ES Mode-S transponder, an advanced GDU 104x multifunction
display, and GRC10 and GRT10 wireless remote control systems. Of course, there is also the GMC
707 autopilot control panel, as well as the Garmin GI 275 electronic standby device. All avionics are
focused on maximizing the pilot's safety and awareness of the aircraft and its environment,
providing more information such as engine performance, navigation, synthetic vision,
traffic, and terrain in an intuitive way. SYSTEMS
The Baron G58 features an ice and rain protection system,
and is even certified to fly in icing conditions, something that many other aircraft would not be
able to do safely. It is able to achieve this because of automated pneumatic de-icing boots,
a standard electrothermal propeller de-icing system, and special stall warning paddles with
standard heating, as well as fuel vents. The aircraft also includes a backup alternator,
and a secondary backup battery capable of providing the electricity required by the
engine in the case of a primary battery failure. All this, added to the complete avionics system,
makes the Baron G58 a highly reliable aircraft, perfect for flights under almost any condition,
including the most adverse ones. VARIANTS
Perhaps no other family of aircraft has as many variants as the Baron line, which literally has
dozens and dozens of variants and sub-variants, with the 55 and 56 series being the short-body
versions and the 58 series being the long-body versions. The Baron 55 series was produced between
1961 and 1983 as an economy aircraft mounting 260 hp Continental IO-470 engines, seating up to
5 occupants. This series had five sub-variants: A, B, C, D, and E. Around 3,651 aircraft of the
Baron 55 series were produced. The 56 series was launched in 1967 as a pressurized model,
faster than its predecessor, equipped with two 380 hp Lycoming TIO-541-E1A4 turbocharged engines.
Between 1967 and 1971, a total of 93 Baron 56 series aircraft were built, 82 of the 56TC model
and 11 of the A56TC. As for the 58 series, this was introduced in 1969, featuring the
brand's first long-body models. In addition to the original Baron 58, four sub-variants
were developed, of which the G58 model is the one that has managed to stand over time.
There are 3 variants of the Baron G58, the G58TC, the G58P, and the G58 ISR. The turbocharged Baron
G58TC and the pressurized Baron G58P. These 2 variants were launched in 1976 and were powered
by Teledyne Continental TSIO520 engines of 240 kW each. Both versions ended production in 1985,
mainly due to the fact that both the G58TC and G58P had very limited and restricted space for
the pilot and co-pilot, which did not make them very attractive aircraft for potential buyers.
The G58 ISR is a special version developed for an agency in the Puerto Rico Police Department,
and incorporates a FLIR 230-HD electro-optical / infrared (EO / IR) camera, a computer for
mission map management, a recorder, a multi-band communications radio system, and a data link for
special mission operators. There are many models to choose from, which can be good or bad for the
undecided. Fortunately, you won't have to think about it too much because the G58 is the only one
still in production these days. MARKET
Finally we get to the point you've been waiting for, let's talk about HOW MUCH this plane COSTS.
Sorry for making you wait, but believe me, it will be absolutely worth it. The price of the
Beechcraft Baron G58 is... 1.5 million dollars! And a used Beechcraft Baron G58 is worth about a
million dollars. The annual budget for the fixed and variable costs of the aircraft,
estimated at about 450 flight hours in a year, is approximately 503,000 dollars.
Giving a near cost per flight hour of almost 500 dollars, it is not particularly economical
to fly one of these. Now, of course, the Baron G58 is not the only piston aircraft out there,
so we will briefly present you with a comparison with one of its very close rivals, the Diamond
DA62, an aircraft announced in March 2012 and produced in 2015, a more recent aircraft as you
can see. Are you ready for this battle? The DA62 is an Austrian-rooted aircraft that seats up to 5
people in the European version and 7 people in the U.S. version. As far as avionics are concerned,
they have practically the same system. In terms of power, the DA62 has two Austro
Engine AE-330 engines, with a power output of 180 hp each, so that when talking about speed,
it reaches a maximum of 192 knots and a maximum range of 1,283 nautical miles, in both cases,
less than what the Baron G58 has to offer. If we talk about the price, a significant difference
can be observed, since the DA62 has a value of 1.8 million dollars. The annual budget for fixed
and variable costs, considering 450 flight hours for 12 months, is 374,000 dollars. That means that
both the total value of the aircraft and the annual costs of the Baron G58 are ostensibly
lower in the Diamond DA62, plus it is a larger aircraft, so depending on the configuration,
the internal space in this one may be a little more comfortable than that of the Baron G58. With
all this in mind, it is up to you to decide which you consider to be a better option.
Both have important differences and particular attractive features, but ultimately, they are
great alternatives to take to the skies, don't you think? Which of the two would you vote for? In the
end, it all comes down to what your priorities are, and what you want to do with this aircraft.
If you want to go fast, then choose the Baron, and if you want to burn less gas, then buy the
Diamond, which, by the way, has an impeccable safety record. You may also be interested in a
more modern aircraft; it's up to you. PROS
The Baron G58 is still tremendously popular among charter pilots because of all the comforts it
has in the cockpit, but also because, behind its appearance, the truth is that it is a real flying
workhorse that stands out for its versatility and enormous capabilities. Another advantage
that users of this aircraft greatly appreciate is the ease of access to the cockpit thanks to its
wide double doors, something uncommon in utility aircraft of this style, which is undoubtedly an
attractive aspect of this aircraft. The list of good things about this aircraft is pretty long,
and YOU KNOW IT. CONS
Although it is marketed as an aircraft with a capacity for a pilot and 5 passengers,
the truth is that in reality the Baron G58 is more of a luxurious 4-seater aircraft, capable of
accommodating 6 seats if necessary. The club-style seating arrangement places them facing each other
for better communication between passengers. One aspect to keep in mind is that, despite the
comforts it offers, the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) warns that the seats may not be
suitable for most adults. Another aspect to take into account is that it is an expensive aircraft,
with a high operating cost, so if you are on a tight budget and you are not willing
to spend a lot of money on operating costs, this is definitely not the aircraft for you.
CONCLUSION All in all, this aircraft achieves
the perfect balance of power and reliability and has maintained its essence without changing
much since its introduction in the 1960s. It has only been updated in the avionics suite, systems,
and interior redesign. The amazing thing is that it perfectly blends the antique air of its origins
with flashes of modernity that will captivate more than one. Soooo… The Beechcraft Baron G58 is an
option that offers great flexibility for business flights or pleasure rides. Let's just say that if
you have money to spare and want to include an extravagant and luxury bird to your collection,
you know what to do. But the question is... Are you ready to take the best flight of your life?