BE60 Duke Question

[GIVDrvr]

Anyone have any experience maintaining a Duke? Looking at 1979 that looks like a good a/c for the money. What are the weak points and is the bad reputation deserved? Thanks

 

[PowerCurve]

I believe the engines on a Duke will cost you a small fortune to overhaul.

 

[Diesel]

engines, payload and cg.

They do make a turbine duke now though.

 

[Mason]

I believe the engines on a Duke will cost you a small fortune to overhaul.

What does it run to overhaul one. I heard around 50k each.

 

[Diesel]

Sounds about right. Had a friend that owned one but he swore by it.

 

[mzaharis]

They do make a turbine duke now though.

http://www.pilotjournal.com/content/2005/julyaug/301_knots.html

 

[mzaharis]

engines, payload and cg.

They do make a turbine duke now though.

http://www.pilotjournal.com/content/2005/julyaug/301_knots.html
http://www.royalturbine.com/

 

[Rxflyer]

If you can find a copy of Aviation Consumer's Used A/C Guide, they do a review on the Duke. Not a short-field aircraft, either.

 

[GIVDrvr]

Is that 50k a side? Yikes.

 

[TXDA2000]

At least 50 a side, they won't make TBO either.

I've got around 250 hours in one of the nicest, lowest time, best equipped Dukes with all of the mods. Winglets, intercoolers, VG's.

Having flown just about every airplane in its class, I'd put the Duke at the bottom of the list.

 

[tommyd]

Runway hog, expensive on maintinence, underpowered, slow cruise and poor on resale. you would be probably be much better off with a larger twin cessna.

 

[LJ45]

and...burns lots of fuel for the cabin size and speed.

 

[CarjCapt]

Hot Rod

If you don't care about pressurization and want a Beech product consider the BE56 Baron. It is a 55 baron with the Duke engines. If you find one you will be paying for the engines and getting the airframe for free.

 

[Lead Sled]

If you don't care about pressurization and want a Beech product consider the BE56 Baron. It is a 55 baron with the Duke engines. If you find one you will be paying for the engines and getting the airframe for free.

I have quite a bit of time in a 56TC. I can't imagine the circumstances under which I'd recommend anyone buying a nearly 40 year-old Baron with Duke engines. Wait, I just thought of a scenario...

I'm involved in a horrific automobile accident and they have to remove half of my brain - the half associated with logical thought.

I've flown a couple different 56TCs and have several hundred hours in them. What a hot-rod! A straight 55 was just as fast up to about 8,000' or so, but after that there was no contest. I understand that there are STC'd mods to fix the cam problem with the big Lycomings; however we never had any problems with the engines.

To give you some idea of how the airplane performed, the original airframe was basicially the old Beech Travel Air which uses 180 hp Lycs on each wing for a total of 360 hp. The 56TC had 380 hp hanging on each wing! The story goes that Beech used a 55 Baron as a flying test bed for the Duke engine installation. When one of the company executives flew the airplane he had to have one and they ended up building a few.

If you happen to be seduced by the thought of flying one of those beasts and the priviledge of having to maintain a nearly 40 year-old Beech light twin just imagine how your mechanic will shed tears of joy for his sudden good fortune and his wife's thrill as he explains his new found job security and how they will now be able to afford that new car and new home, not to mention that their kids will now be able to attend the college of their choice.

Yep, it sounds like a win-win situation to me.

LS

 

[AA717driver]

Well, the good news is, in a Duke you could probably fly through a brick building and walk away.

The bad news is, if you lose an engine, you'll probably have to...

A Duke would make an excellent gate guard for a civilian airfield. Good looking, sexy airplane that won't fly anymore. TC