Beech Dukes

[flyboyzz1]

Whats up with the Duke. I was sitting dreaming about buying a plane and it seems like all the Dukes are cheap. Even Dukes with low time engines are cheap. Why?

 

[Vladimir Lenin]

oh, yea, great airplane
why don't you get yourself an Aerostar, too
you can fly one of them while the other is being worked on

 

[RockyMnt1]

Be-60

Maybe it is the 40 gal/hr cruise fuel consumption for 215 KTAS. Maybe it is the perception of Dukes being a hanger queen/maintenance hog. Maybe it is the Cam shaft/lifter grinding issue where the Cam shaft and lifter don't have enough lubrication to prevent one from eating the other. Firewall Forward in Ft. Collins, Co has an STC to very successfully address this Cam shaft issue, but it ain't cheap. Lycoming won't admit that there is a problem even though engines last a whole 250 hours after a complete overhaul without the STC before needing new lifters.

 

[flyboyzz1]

That might do it... but boy the plane looks sexy!

 

[414Flyer]

Fly it for a while and tell us how cheap it is

 

[Headwind]

Had a friend who operated one in the mid 90's. It was a 2nd aircraft to a Citation and he liked flying it. He tried to buy a used enging to OH and have available if needed. This would mean no downtime for OH if you do one at a time. None available! Parts are very expensive for this engine. The money you save burning only 40 GPH is spent on extra engine maintenance.
If you need to fly in the flight levels, you need turbine power.

HEADWIND

 

[Knob]

I flew a Beech Baron 56tc for 2 years.(This Baron came from the factory with the Duke Engines- Lycoming TIO 541's.) After the cams grind down (They will) the engines need to be refitted with the Firewall Forward cams that lubricate the cam lobes at a cost of $22k apiece. Overhall of each engine runs $52k apiece, and a three bladed, heated prop will set you back $15k apiece. Takeoff fuel burn is 80 GPH, Cruise climb 60 GPH, Cruise 40 GPH. The Duke is a great looking plane, however the cost to operate one is around $350-$400 per hour if its well taken care of. Hope this helps.

 

[BD King]

Gee Whiz, Golly Shimbag. I must be one lucky SOB. The subject is DUKE. With fresh engines, I flew one for darn near 1000 hours. No major problems. Quite frankly, the airplane is not worth a **CENSORED****CENSORED****CENSORED****CENSORED** in ice, but however, I have passed KinAirs at altitude. Huh? I figured 100 gallons for the first two hours of flight. I liked the airplane. Why? Because it could bite, unlike a darn KingAir. ..........................That's why I married a red haired Irish lass, she ain't worth a darn in ice but she can bite.