Beechcraft Duke

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File:Beechcraft B60 Duke C-FFFU 01.JPG
Three-quarter rear view of a Beechcraft 60 Duke showing the highly swept stabilizer

The Beechcraft 60 Duke is an American-built twin-engine, piston-driven fixed-wing aircraft designed and produced by Beechcraft. The aircraft has retractable tricycle landing gear and a pressurized cabin. The engines are turbocharged, which also pressurize the cabin with bleed air.

Design

Development of the Beechcraft 60 began in early 1965, which was designed to fill the gap between the Beechcraft Baron and the Beechcraft Queen Air. On December 29, 1966, the prototype made its first flight.[1] On February 1, 1968, the FAA issued the type certificate.[1][2] Distribution to customers began in July 1968. The passenger cabin is fitted with club seating and entry is by means of a port-side airstair entry door in the rear fuselage.[3]

The Page Template:Visible anchor/styles.css has no content.Beechcraft A60, which came onto the market in 1970, represented an advancement over the Baron, with an improved pressurized cabin utilizing advanced bonded honeycomb construction, lighter and more efficient turbochargers, and improved elevators. The last variant, the B60, was introduced in 1974. The interior arrangement was renewed and the engine efficiency again increased by improved turbochargers.[4] The Beechcraft 60 was, despite its very good performance, only a moderate seller, principally because the complicated technology demanded a high expenditure on maintenance. Production was stopped in 1983.[5]

Most of the Duke B-60s still flying have retained their original equipment. Electro-mechanical systems, which were highly advanced when the aircraft was introduced, were superseded in other aircraft with simpler I/C controlled mechanical parts. The aircraft design uses turbocharged Lycoming TIO541-B4 engines that develop 380 horsepower (280 kilowatts) each. Other systems, parts, and FAA-certified technicians are increasingly difficult to locate. Normally, pilots figure 45 gallons per hour (170 L/h), plus another 40 US gal (150 L) for each takeoff and climb as typical fuel consumption for cross-country planning. Owners compare the Beechcraft B60 to classic sports cars—noting that they do not fly Dukes to economize.[6]

Modifications

File:BeechcraftDukeRocket.jpg
Rocket Engineering Duke conversion

Some Dukes have been modified by Rocket Engineering of Spokane, Washington, replacing the Lycoming piston engines with Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-21 or -35 turboprops. Called the Royal Turbine Duke conversion,[7] the modification increases fuel capacity by 28 US gal (110 L) and the maximum useful load by 400 lb (180 kg). The take-off length required is shortened by over 1,500 ft (460 m) to only 1,000 ft (300 m) and the landing distance is reduced by over 2,000 ft (610 m) to only 900 ft (270 m). The maximum rate of climb is increased from 1,600 to 4,000 ft/min (500 to 1,200 m/min), reducing the time to climb to 25,000 ft (7,600 m) from 25 to 9 minutes. The cruise speed is increased to 290 knots (540 km/h) at 29,000 ft (8,800 m). The modification does have some disadvantages as it increases fuel burn from 56 to 66 gal/h (210 to 250 L/h) and lowers the certified ceiling from 30,000 to 28,000 ft (9,100 to 8,500 m).[8][9] The supplemental type certificate was issued on May 12, 2006.[10]

Operational history

File:Beech A60 DukeN7620D Corona CA 16.10.86 edited-2.jpg
Beech A60 Duke in 1986

The Duke was purchased by corporate and private pilot owners. Most were registered in the United States but examples were exported to many countries including Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Croatia, Finland, France, Germany, Honduras, Iceland, Serbia, Slovenia, Sweden, Switzerland, South Africa and the United Kingdom. One Duke was flown by the Jamaica Defense Force. Many remain in service in the early twenty-first century.

In reviewing the aircraft in 2008, Rick Durden of AVweb stated,[11] Template:Quote

Production figures

[12][13]

  • Beechcraft 60 : 125
  • Beechcraft A60 : 121
  • Beechcraft B60: 350

Operators

Military operators

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Jamaica Defence Force[15]

Specifications (B60)

3-view line drawing of the Beechcraft 60 Duke
3-view line drawing of the Beechcraft 60 Duke

Data from Janes's All The World's Aircraft 1976–77 [16]

General characteristics

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  • Takeoff distance to 50 ft (15m): 2,626 ft (800 m)
  • Landing distance from 50 ft (15m): 3,065 ft (934 m)

See also

Related development

Notes

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  1. ^ a b Taylor 1976, p.216.
  2. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Type Certificate Data Sheet No. A12CE, Rev 27". faa.gov. Federal Aviation Administration. November 27, 2017. Retrieved August 24, 2024.
  3. ^ Simpson, 2001, p. 85
  4. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Olcott, John W.; Wilkinson, Stephan (January 1974). "Musclebird: the Duke B60". Flying. New York, New York: Ziff-Davis. Retrieved October 15, 2014.
  5. ^ Cite error: The named reference Donald World p101 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  6. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."The costs of pleasure". beechcraft-duke.net. Retrieved December 30, 2016.
  7. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Rocket Engineering. "Royal Turbine". royalturbine.com. Retrieved December 30, 2016.
  8. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Royal Turbine (2010). "Performance". Archived from the original on May 1, 2011. Retrieved September 14, 2010.
  9. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Royal Turbine (2010). "Comparison". Archived from the original on November 14, 2010. Retrieved September 14, 2010.
  10. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Supplemental Type Certificate Number SA01672SE: Installation of two Pratt & Whitney PT6A-21 or two Pratt & Whitney PT6A-35 engines, two Hartzell HC-E4N-3N/D8292B-2 propellers and associated hardware in accordance with Rocket Engineering Master Drawing List 600.00.000, Rev H, dated March 31, 2007, or later FAA-approved revision". faa.gov. Federal Aviation Administration. November 20, 2008. Retrieved August 24, 2024.
  11. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Durden, Rick (May 19, 2008). "The Pilot's Lounge #126: The Less-Than-Great Planes". AVweb. Archived from the original on October 11, 2014. Retrieved October 16, 2014.
  12. ^ Cite error: The named reference SNList was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  13. ^ Simpson, 2005, p. 50
  14. ^ Pelletier 1995, p. 141
  15. ^ Wheeler Flight International August 4, 1979, p. 362.
  16. ^ Taylor 1976, pp.216–217.

Bibliography

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