Best plane for 3-4M

[HA XPEH]

I think, and there are more that know more around here, that you'll find that it's important to figure how many trips you're talking about that are between the 500-1000 mile range. Up to about 5 or 600 miles I think the king-air and citation would be fine, beyond that you're talking real jet. 1000 miles isn't a short leg. Less than 1000 miles but greater than 500--how many of those we talking about? And just about anything can handle 4800 feet(depending on field elevation)

In a month of flying about 30-40 hours average our trips have been something like this:

500-1000-10hrs
500-600 -15 hrs
Less than 500-15 hrs

 

[KeroseneSnorter]

I appreciate all of the good info. We are looking to keep it a single pilot operation, but hiring another pilot is not out of the question. Most trips are under 1000 nm. And the shortest runway that we fly to is around 4800'.

PC-12 if you don't mind the single thing, cheaper operating than a ka 200, same pax load and only 10 knots slower. LOTS of range.

Citation Bravo can be had for the range you are talking (97 to 00 or so) 395 kts, single pilot (with waiver), better fuel burn than the older 550's, can easily do the 4800' strip you need (can do 3700 or so if you watch the weight), Ifr range is 1200 to 1500 with reserves, 1900 nm to flame out. Not as spacious as a KA but a lot faster.

 

[G100driver]

A Falcon 20 or 10 with the TFE-731 Retrofit with the Bendix EFIS/Auto-pilot . You can smoke a CJ2 and a 350. You will be at FL410 going 450 knot True.

You have obviously spent a great deal of time in the Falcon 10 ...:erm:

 

[CMI]

You have obviously spent a great deal of time in the Falcon 10 ...:erm:

Best bang for your buck. But what do I know, you sound like a smart A$$. So you tell me.

 

[Daytonaflyer]

Beech Premier I, maybe.
Costs just over 4 mil for one about 4 years old.
Single pilot IFR certified, 7 passengers, larger cabin, 450 kt, FL410 and 1300+ nm range.
It's got a nice look to it too.

http://www.raytheonaircraft.com/beechcraft/aircraft/Default.aspx

 

[Corona]

Beech Premier I, maybe.

It's got a nice look to it....

Well, that's entirely one person's opinion...

C

 

[deadstick]

Beech Premier I, maybe.
Costs just over 4 mil for one about 4 years old.
Single pilot IFR certified, 7 passengers, larger cabin, 450 kt, FL410 and 1300+ nm range.
It's got a nice look to it too.

http://www.raytheonaircraft.com/beechcraft/aircraft/Default.aspx

That's 450 kts at over 1200lbs/hr. The CJ2 will do over 390 kts at 750 lbs/hr.
That's 2.67 lb/nm (.375 nm/lb) for the Beech and 1.92 lb/nm (.52nm/lb) for the CJ2.

 

[G100driver]

A Falcon 20 or 10 with the TFE-731 Retrofit with the Bendix EFIS/Auto-pilot . You can smoke a CJ2 and a 350. You will be at FL410 going 450 knot True.

You have obviously spent a great deal of time in the Falcon 10 ...:erm:

Best bang for your buck. But what do I know, you sound like a smart A$$. So you tell me.

You are right I am a smart a$$ ... but the Falcon 10 has always had TFE-731's ...

 

[CMI]

You are right I am a smart a$$ ... but the Falcon 10 has always had TFE-731's ...

I will not argue with that. So, would you agree best airplane for under 4 Mil?

 

[svcta]

Beech Premier I, maybe.
Costs just over 4 mil for one about 4 years old.
Single pilot IFR certified, 7 passengers, larger cabin, 450 kt, FL410 and 1300+ nm range.
It's got a nice look to it too.

http://www.raytheonaircraft.com/beechcraft/aircraft/Default.aspx

Good looking!? That's the first time I've ever heard a premier called that. I hear that they're great for brake failures and overruns, too.

 

[blzr]

I will not argue with that. So, would you agree best airplane for under 4 Mil?

nope, till the good 'ole Sabre-65. Goes farther than the falcon-10, easier to maintain than the Falcon-20, great fuel economy, payload, and range. MTX isn't so bad even with fewer parts, because it was ORIGINALLY built to last.

The falcons are great, but waaayyyy too much "overengineering" by the Frogs and Super expensive to maintain. Avmats in SUS is overrun by old 10's and 20's trying to stay airworthy.

If interested in a good -65, there's one in out hangar for sale. $1.8-$2.2 mil probably. anyone need info, P.M. me.

 

[irapilot]

I would look carefully at the Premier's range and payload issues - 1300 miles in ferry mode maybe. I would only consider a 1A - the "lift dump" system on the older one was automatic and needed all three tires to be on the ground before it deployed itself, now the pilot can manually deploy. Also the 1A has new brakes that are much improved and a much quieter cabin.

The Vref is a bit high and it needs a longer distance for landing than the equivalent Citations – but it is faster too. The Pro Line 21 is pretty nice too.

Pretty neat aircraft – for what it is and what mission it fulfills. Not pretty. Also out of the price range of this thread..

 

[ultrarunner]

Citation Bravo can be had for the range you are talking (97 to 00 or so) 395 kts, single pilot (with waiver)...

Do your research if you're considering a C550/560 and operating it with a single-pilot waiver.

I think, but am not certain, that if you operate any of the part25 cert. airplanes on a SP waiver, you are restricted to 12,500 lbs.

Cessna also delivered part 23 versions, designated by C551, etc..and these aircraft may also have been restricted to 12,500 lbs.

The primary difference in the ability to operate one SP is that you do NOT need a waiver to fly the SP'd airplanes as they were Part 23 birds. All you need is a C500 type, and of course your underwriters blessing.

The waivers come into play if you want to operate the Part 25 birds. But you need to check on the weight issue that I mentioned above. That can be limiting if you want to fill it with seats and fly a thousand miles or so. As those airplanes have BOW's of at least 8500 lbs, in the case of 550's. You put 1200 lbs in the cabin and that leaves room for 2800 lbs of fuel to stay under 12.5.

Good luck.

 

[G100driver]

Both the Sabre and the Falcon 10 were great airplane's in the 70's and early 80's.

Get something as modern as you can afford that is still supported by the OEM. Anything short of that you are going to get nothing but headache's until you cannot afford to operate it. More restrictive regs are coming and these aircraft are not equipt to handle the up and coming BS.

The argument about Sabre's this, Falcon's that and Westwind's bla bla bla, is like listening to the accolades of used condom's.

 

[blzr]

Hey, used condoms are GREAT!!!