Baron or Duke?

T

Torque beast

Pre-takeoff checklist
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Bryan
Would like to hear arguments for or against my idea. I currently own a P2 Baron and am thinking about moving to a Duke. Cross country flights mainly 400 kn miles will a few 750+ Wife is getting knee replacements and I’m thinking she could get in the Duke easier than the Baron AND since looking for easy egress I might as well go for pressurized cabin as well. I know pressurized is more to maintain but excluding that what are your thoughts?


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asicer said:
Dukes are pigs and will not run lean of peak.
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Speaking of that, what is min distance to make a Duke worthwhile? Short trip that won’t let you climb into the flight levels or having to stay low which hurts its speed and efficiency


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Nothing cooler looking than a Duke. No question. However it’s tight inside and the engines are very expensive and problematic to overhaul. Check the lead time on a cylinder.
I’d encourage you and spouse to checkout a Cessna 340 or 414. I know…it’s not a Beechcraft. But it might be a much more practical solution and either would fit your mission perfectly.
 
Lance F said:
Nothing cooler looking than a Duke. No question. However it’s tight inside and the engines are very expensive and problematic to overhaul. Check the lead time on a cylinder.
I’d encourage you and spouse to checkout a Cessna 340 or 414. I know…it’s not a Beechcraft. But it might be a much more practical solution and either would fit your mission perfectly.
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340 is a consideration as a ram vii but don’t think a 414 will fit in my hangar but will double check. I have several leads to get engine parts but yes they are not cheap


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Lance F said:
Nothing cooler looking than a Duke. No question. However it’s tight inside and the engines are very expensive and problematic to overhaul. Check the lead time on a cylinder.
I’d encourage you and spouse to checkout a Cessna 340 or 414. I know…it’s not a Beechcraft. But it might be a much more practical solution and either would fit your mission perfectly.
Click to expand...
T-Bone is much cooler looking, imo
 
There is a reason why most Dukes for sale are cheap... My next door hangar mate has a Duke and said it's cheaper to fly his C501 than it is the Duke most of the time.

If you must, get one with winglets (so I have heard.)
 
$700 a month will only cover an overhaul after you fly 1000 hours ;)
 
flyingron said:
The only thing worse than one GO-435 is two GO-435s.
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I gave up two GO435s for two TIO541s. Sold a B50 Twin Bonanza and got a A60 Duke. The TBone has more ramp presence, but the Duke is 100% sexier.

For the OP, as noted in the BT thread, and like with Twin Bonanzas, many of the people who bash both have never even flown one, let alone owned one.
 
k9medic said:
There is a reason why most Dukes for sale are cheap... My next door hangar mate has a Duke and said it's cheaper to fly his C501 than it is the Duke most of the time.

If you must, get one with winglets (so I have heard.)
Click to expand...
Probably a little hyperbole in there.

The Duke burns about 40gph (well, 60 first hour, 40 after that). I flight plan at 200 KTAS. On a 3hr flight, I'll burn 140 gallons and go say 600 miles. So that 4.28nm/gal.

The 501 burns 150gph at lets call it 330 KTAS. Let's ignore first hour fuel burn in the Citation, which will be higher. So on a 3hr flight, the citation burns 450gal and goes 990 miles. That's 2.2nm/gal.

Of course, depending on where you're buying fuel, it could get closer.

I figure $5.50 is about average for what I'm paying for AvGas (under $5 near home, but more away from home). I think a "good" price on jet-a right now, assuming you're on CAA, is around $4/gal (for rounding purposes).

Let's also assume I need to cover the 990 miles that the Citation does.

In the Duke, that's a 4.5hr flight (but 2 first hours because the Duke won't do 4.5hrs w/ a 1hr reserve). So the duke will burn 220 gallons to cover the same distance as the Citation at 450 gallons (140 for the first 3 hours, 80 for the second post-fuel-stop 1.5 hr leg).

So for the hypothetical 990 mile trip, the Duke takes 4.5hrs and uses 220gal at $5.50/gal, for a total of $1210 in fuel.

The Citation does it in 3 hours for $1800 in gas.

But insurance, scheduled maintenance, engine programs (for the jet), hangar, etc. for the Citation will be far, far more than the Duke.
 
The market has largely spoken. Duke and T-Bone's never sold that well in comparison to the Cessna twins.
In terms of fuel flow, the Aerostar I had, in go fast mode you are flying around 260KTAS at 50GPH. Long range mode, you are closer to 200 KTAS but only burning 25 GPH.
Here is a long thread on it: https://www.beechtalk.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=49&t=112926

Even though I loved my Aerostar I had for two years; I doubt I would go the route again of such a plane.

Depending on requirements; if you want cabin class, I would more likely be looking at the PA-46 line.

Tim
 
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