Duke Pilots
02-14-2008 | 11:55 AM
#11
Flying Farmer
Joined: Jul 2006
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From: Turbo-props' and John Deere's
I read an article in Flying magazine last year about a company that is putting PT-6's on Duke's. They are rehabbing the carcass and making it an almost new airplane. If I recall the article said that this is the plane Beech should have built in the first place. I think that the total cost is somewhere around $1.5 million (old Duke, restoration, Turbines) - but then you have a really nice fast personal airplane. Considering that a new Baron costs around a million bucks today it seems like a bargain!
02-14-2008 | 01:44 PM
#12
Thread Starter
New Hire
Joined: Feb 2008
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From: Beechcraft Be60
that turbine duke has close to 3500 fpm climb rate all the way to 25k
we looked at converting our bird . but then the boss wants to be able to haul more peeps. the duke is a sexy plane but you have all the costs of owning a
something like Be90
we looked at converting our bird . but then the boss wants to be able to haul more peeps. the duke is a sexy plane but you have all the costs of owning a
something like Be90
02-14-2008 | 03:07 PM
#13
Gets Paid Vacation
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 192
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From: King Air 200, PA-31P-350 Mojave, Bellanca 17-30A Super Viking
there is also a company in germany doing diesel conversions on the duke using 4l tielerts..... i have heard that the duke was program was originally going to be equipped with jet's but beech decieded that there was not a market deman for such aircraft at the time....anyone else heard this ever??
02-18-2008 | 05:23 PM
#16
Gets Weekends Off
Joined: Jan 2008
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From: Citation Driver
02-18-2008 | 05:28 PM
#17
Gets Weekends Off
Joined: Jan 2008
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From: Citation Driver
Could you be thinking of the Piper Aerostar? My understanding is that is why it has such long gear, so that it can make clearance for the props that weren't originally designed to be there.
02-19-2008 | 08:03 AM
#18
Flying Farmer
Joined: Jul 2006
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From: Turbo-props' and John Deere's
The landing gear is long because of it's location in the nacelle. The nose-wheel is rather short because the way the fuselage is designed, in combination with a mid-mount wing.
02-21-2008 | 07:09 AM
#19
On Reserve
Joined: Mar 2007
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From: My own boss!!!
Nope, but I know that the 421 was in the shop a heck of a lot more than the Duke was. So man hour to man hour the 421 was costing a lot more than the Duke did. We were constantly having problems with the governor, pressurization, electrical and some other things on the 421. The only issue I really had on the Duke was a generator going bad which just for the part alone was costly and that was with a core replacement.
02-21-2008 | 08:45 AM
#20
Gets Weekends Off
Joined: Dec 2005
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I talked to one of the demo guys at OSH last year. He was saying that thing will do 1000 fpm on a single engine go-around with gear & flaps hanging out. 300 kts true & 4-5000 feet per minute when light.
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