BE60 Duke Question

[LJ45]

Happy Thanksgiving everyone.

 

[av8tortype]

So, what eactly was your point?

I think you've proved my point ...

 

[icefr8dawg]

dosn't the duke have a life limited airframe? something lilke 9000 hours?

 

[Golden Falcon]

A Duke is kinda like a Corvette..not really a very "useful" airplane in many ways, but spent a bit of time in the very pointy front end of one and enjoyed every minute of it...I wasn't paying the bills though..and I actually managed to get a noise-violation in it at KSMO this is in the early eighties.but inside it was reasonably quiet...in it's day it would pass everything but a fuel truck..including the smaller King Airs (I seem to recall high-speed cruise was around 240kts) the one I flew very carefully made TBO then some..with lots of tlc included..the small stubby props turned 2900rpm I seem to recall..the geared version installed on the P-Navajo fared much worse..there is a version of the Baron with these 380hp TIO-541's installed as well.. the Duke had a not large but very nicely apointed (Beech quality is surpassed by none) cabin,and ample nose-baggage storage area, and looks that would give any"vette" driver a good stiffy...if you are looking for useful...forget it...but then a Corvette isn't really useful either is it? want looks and fun..and dont mind shelling out for it..then go for it!!! Still think it's by far the sexiest piston twin out there, and a lot nicer to fly than the "tinny" C-340 and the other competitors..
add..Blackjet's post contains some very good advice especially the bit about cycling the props..when properly warmed up, the oil will have travelled throught the governing system..a Duke is an expensive but very fun airplane..best way to make a small fortune in GA is to start with a large one and buy a Duke..but it sure is fun while it lasts..enjoy!! I personally would buy a run-out one and factory new "firewall forward" the thing...

 

[727gm]

BE 60
UGLY airplane - One thinks of it as an airplane designed to appeal to the those types that would add a whale-tail spoiler and fender flares to a Vette, wears lots of gold rings and an loud, open shirt with gold chains.

It does have the advantage of saving on tie-down fees as it's always in MX.

The turbine conversion does improve its looks a little.

 

[f-5]

The only duke that could show apositive climb rate on one engine was the one they used for certification. With additional equipment, like radios and things that hang frome the plane to cause drag, the plane will do good to hold altitude. Also, its like a helicopter, fly it an hour, then work on it three hours if you are lucky.

 

[Lead Sled]

The only duke that could show apositive climb rate on one engine was the one they used for certification. With additional equipment, like radios and things that hang frome the plane to cause drag, the plane will do good to hold altitude. Also, its like a helicopter, fly it an hour, then work on it three hours if you are lucky.

Twenty five years ago, I had a buddy that flew one for a company. The maintenance costs were so high back then that they ended up selling it and buying a Lear 24. He told me that the operating costs were actually lower with the Lear. I don't think that thing have improved any during the previous 2 and a half decades.

 

[sky4]

I have personaly owned several Dukes, buying them when they were real cheap, cleaning them up got offers and sold them. I really enjoyed the Duke as a personal airplane and ran them very easily. I would fly it 4 or 5 times a month and never had many problems with it, as for a corporate aircraft flying several times a week you are really gonna need to baby it. I have overhauled several engines and it was always around 50k per engine no matter how you did it. If you try to go cheap it will bite you and cost you. It was the parts around the engine that would really get me, one time the generator case cracked, it is a whole unit and can not be repaired, it cost me 10k to replace a working gen because the case was cracked. The Duke is where the name "lead sled" came from, it is a runway hog! but really flys nice. I have owned C414 and C421, the 421 was by far the better runway performer but a lot more up front money and more engine problems but a larger airplane. The 414 does not have the speed that the Duke or 421 have. If you fly the Duke much it will cost you as much in operating cost as an older C90 and your reliability in the C90 is much better.

Hope this helps

 

[sky4]

PS. There are good Dukes and bad Dukes out there, do a very good pre-buy by a good company that knows Dukes and know what you are getting into. A cheap Duke will cost you more in a very short time! This goes with any airplane but a Duke has some very expensive parts that you don't want missed.

 

[GIVDrvr]

Thanks to all for the informative and entertaining comments.

 

[sleepy]

Why not get a BE-58P.

 

[RoyBoy]

Dont forget the Engine beam corrosion issue... The Duke I was forced to work on had a usefull load of "The owner and his little dog" buy a cessna 421 the big continentals are much more forgiving than the Lyc's