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Bonanza Turboprop - is it good?

I just came across this bird

At 259,000 $ it looks like a bargain to me. Am I overlooking anything? OK, a new prop usually means they had a prop strike; or at least they need a good explanation. And if you want to read the ad the wrong way, you could play devil’s advocate:

  • “Stored in climate controlled hangar” (since the prop strike; has been living outside the rest of its life…?)
  • “ONLY selling because my kids are getting bigger, looking to move to bigger turbo-prop” (that is a bit unfortunate if a turbine isn’t enough to haul the kids)
  • “all logs since new” (usually at this point, you add “no accidents” or something similar)

OK, I just saw on the FAA register that this is an experimental. So you can basically not fly it IFR in Europe, right?

Last Edited by Rwy20 at 26 Aug 20:26

Weird. It doesn’t say a word about being Experimental in the ad. They do obviously exist as CofA.

On CofA, I would sure love one. Of course, it doesn’t have pressurization, so one would have to use oxygen or, more often probably, just fly FL100ish and accept the higher fuel burn.

What I have never checked is the W&B on these things. I guess the payload is very meagre if you want to fly a certain distance and have proper reserves…

EDIT: just saw, the one in the AD is an Allison turbine conversion. Don’t know anything about that one. The Bonanza Turbine Air by Rocket Engineering has a PT6. PT6s obviously burn more fuel.

Also, I just saw it does say “Experimental” in the ad.

Last Edited by boscomantico at 26 Aug 21:09
Mainz (EDFZ) & Egelsbach (EDFE), Germany

With Vmo at top of the green of a piston 36 presumably you are backing off on the power big time, unless you are up at FL280 with a full face oxy mask.

Oxford (EGTK), United Kingdom

The Allison powered version is the one I’ve seen… but there are both P&W and Allison conversions.

US Exp is useless in Europe – except as a local circuit avtur burner, or flying everywhere with Mode S turned off It’s the Lancair Evolution scenario. It’s OK if you are happy to fly only in certain airspaces, are based somewhere where nobody cares (and you have a discreet hangar) and/or the various financial scenarios are immaterial.

Turboprop conversions normally lose about 1/3 from the range of the piston predecessor. The PA46 Jetprop does better, but that’s because it can practically fly at FL260 or so.

Administrator
Shoreham EGKA, United Kingdom

Here is one with the PT6, “priced to sell” according to the ad on Trade-a-Plane but they don’t give a price.

At least it seems like it’s not in the experimental category?

Avionics sure look nice with the Aspen 2000. But do you also lose the attitude information if your pitot tube is blocked on that one?

Last Edited by Rwy20 at 26 Aug 22:43

If you want cheaper overhauls and maintenance, go for Allison. The C20-250 engine is in every helicopter in the world, pretty much. A PT6 will be a lot more to keep up, but it will also be more powerful. The 250 loses it’s will to live at high altitudes, but that might be OK on a plane that isn’t pressurized – you won’t be up at FL250 very much anyway.

Last Edited by AdamFrisch at 27 Aug 01:31

AdamFrisch wrote:

The C20-250 engine is in every helicopter in the world, pretty much.

Not by a long shot. For example, I don’t think Airbus (Eurocopter) has a single type with an Allison (Rolls-Royce) on offer.

Last Edited by Martin at 29 Aug 13:33

For such a plane, without pressurization, isn’t the Allison more appropriate ?
I mean, it will burn less at lower altitude, and the lack of power above FL200 won’t be an everyday problem.
Plus the Allison is cheaper to maintain.

This is the chosen engine for the P210 silver eagle, and looks good on it ! Pressurization being the real plus… When it works :-)

Anyway 250k$ seems to reflect the “experimental” side. Silver eagle are at least twice as expansive.

@boscomantico
Do I remind correctly, a friend of yours, who had a hot start with its Silver Eagle, somewhere in a northerly island ?

PetitCessnaVoyageur wrote:

This is the chosen engine for the P210 silver eagle, and looks good on it

Is the Silver Eagle an experimental under the N-register? How about EASA?

Because even if the Allison is technically the better choice, the experimental status immediately rules it out for flying in Europe, in my opinion.

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