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Anyone flown a Beech C23 Sundowner?

Not just posting this because I bought one in the course of my trade, but more as a revelation as to how nice they are to fly.

I picked up one yesterday in Turweston and brought it home to Birr in Ireland. We were right at max all up weight and it performed beautifully. I was expecting for a well built 180hp fixed gear/fixed pitch aircraft would be sluggish and dogged to fly. The control harmony and the way it handles is such a pleasant surprise, you would think you were in a much sportier aircraft. We were indicating 108kts indicated when heavy, and 118kts when we were 2 pax less and lighter on fuel. Lovely feel to the switches, doors and leather bound flight manual. All original paint, interior and N number make it like going back to 1979. Propwash did a full detail on it for me and it really made a great job of it.

Like to hear if anyone else has flown one. If anyone here is passing EIBR they are welcome to try her out!

Buying, Selling, Flying
EISG, Ireland

Haven’t flown a Sundowner but got checked out in a Musketeer (A23-19A) at VTBT Bang Phra on my trip to Thailand. Nice in handling but not as fast as I’d guessed from its look and power/weight ratio (150 hp / 998 kg).

LKBU (near Prague), Czech Republic

I looked at buying one at one point. I thought it was a step up from a Warrior. Nice aeroplane and built like a Beech.

EHLE / Lelystad, Netherlands, Netherlands

My maintenance company maintain a Musketeer and they always say its so much better built than a PA28

Our club had a Musketeer – the 200hp IO-360 version. Due to the C172 needing a new engine part way through my training I transitioned to the Musketeer to do my cross country flights, and flew it a fair bit after getting the PPL. I really enjoyed it, it felt solid – it wasn’t fast, but with the 200hp the climb rate was good.

It had a reputation for being “difficult to land” but that was only because people were adding 5 knots for Grandma on approach. If you flew it at book speeds you could consistently make perfect landings (and thus it was a great plane for taking non-pilot passengers flying, since your ability as a pilot is judged solely by the quality of the touchdown).

Incidentally, during PPL training I flew 3 different types. It did not delay my training, and I think it made me a better pilot come the PPL checkride. Too many people suck the air between their teeth and say “oooh, you mustn’t change aircraft during training, it’ll add at least $MANY hours to training and set you back”. I found this to be completely untrue and I’m glad I did fly three different types during training (C152, C172 and the Musketeer).

Andreas IOM

I flew about 15hrs in a C23 many years ago. A nice solid feeling plane, comfortable and spacious compared to others. A bit stiff-legged on landing. Much better built than the Cessna or Piper equivalents. They are now great value for money.

Looks like this one is now online…

Link

Avionics mosty from a different era; would need 30-50k to get it to 2017 European IFR standards. Plus a very old engine. Also, the aircraft must have sat quite a bit. But otherwise it’s looking quite nice.

Mainz (EDFZ) & Egelsbach (EDFE), Germany

Thanks Boscomantico

Avionics mosty from a different era; would need 30-50k to get it to 2017 European IFR standards. Plus a very old engine.

I don’t expect to have any difficulty selling it. I am dealing with aircraft everyday, bought one yesterday and looking at another this week. I know how the dance goes! Of the 100’s of pilots I know I can only think of a handful that fly IFR in IMC conditions so your perceived use is not representative of the whole GA community. Whoever buys it can and will, spend as much or as little on avionics as their heart desires. A 1991 O-360 with 400hrs with good compressions, burning no oil, clean oil filter and boroscopes well is good enough for me. There are engines flying that haven’t been opened since the 60’s so its not old in the context of whats out there. I didn’t make any secret of the fact it would be for sale, that was in the first sentence of the OP.

I posted to see if anyone else had flown one, and had experienced first hand how nice they are to fly.

Buying, Selling, Flying
EISG, Ireland

I would have thought for a high proportion of flyers such a nav kit would be ideal. And is far better kitted out than most flying school aircraft that I fly. Also you have a year to upgrade to 8.33 and the addition of a GPS/com would give excellent capability.

Yes. Marco stuff isn’t great but you only need to replace it when it fails.

Well, the Sundowner is not really an ideal IFR platform, is it. This one lacks an autopilot first and foremost for IFR, but it’s more than enough for a VFR pilot who wants a capable airplane to fly. She looks nice and clean, yes, will need a 8.33 com in a year but other than that? Replace the Loran Rig which appears to be in there with a 2nd hand GNS430 and you’re done in all respects for VFR ops.

I think Narco avionics are better than what people say about them. I had a 122a in my Cessna for years and it worked just fine, gives a full ILS/MKR capability. 2 VOR’s like that plus the DME and the ADF are still valid avionics, so would the coms be if it wasn’t for the 8.33 mania in Europe. Maybe this plane would be better off in America, where it would be seen as pretty well equipped.

LSZH(work) LSZF (GA base), Switzerland
13 Posts
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