Pressurised light twin question

None that I am aware of. The P337 has a MTOW of 4700lb which translates to 2130 kg. So also not sub 2T.

Aerostar 601P is 6000lbs. Amazing traveling aircraft.

AdamFrisch wrote:

Aerostar 601P is 6000lbs. Amazing traveling aircraft.

For Europe, a LOT of people will not go beyond 1999 kg when flying IFR. The Eurocontrol taxes are quite hefty and also I hear they are quite a hassle to deal with. I just heard from a guy I know who operated a twin Cessna for 4 years and now has changed to an SR22T partly because he had enough of the hassle with EC taxes (and a number of other reasons).

That is why lots of people give up valuable payload and render their planes single seaters via 1999 kg STC’s, most prominently Jetprops and Senecas, who are much more capable outside Europe.

If you want to fly pressurized in Europe, C210P and PA46’s up to Jetprops are it unless you can find a M22. All singles. So it’s either twin or pressurized.

The pressurised Baron 58P is an great aircraft with a good payload. Got introduced to it in Argentina pilot plus 4 adult passengers plus a load of heavy kit. We used to fly from Buenos Aires down to a small grass farm strip on the Pampas and back in the day, early morning to late evening. I loved it. The problem in Europe has been said before. It’s over 2 tonne, so Eurocontrol charges and by far the bigger problem, the cost and availability of Avgas.
If you want to go jet fuelled you need to fly a much bigger aircraft. The Baron was as big as I wanted to go. I tried a King Air C90 but I felt like I was working.rather than enjoying.a hobby.
I think buying a plane is in some respects like buying a house. You can have all the plans in your head of what you are looking for but when you stand in that house or sit in that aircraft, something inside says, I want this and you have to force yourself to listen to the surveyor.

gallois wrote:

The problem in Europe has been said before. It’s over 2 tonne, so Eurocontrol charges and by far the bigger problem, the cost and availability of Avgas.

The 2 ton limit is really a massive deterrent for many. Personally I think it is the wrong approach to this to set a weight limit. Why not rather exempt non-commercial transport from commercial air transport. But then again, better not bring the issue up, as there have been voices to even drop the 2 ton limit and charge everybody…

gallois wrote:

I tried a King Air C90 but I felt like I was working.rather than enjoying.a hobby.

Some folks are quite happy with a Cheyenne. It is said to be cheaper to operate than a C90 and basically the entry level turboprop twin.

gallois wrote:

I think buying a plane is in some respects like buying a house. You can have all the plans in your head of what you are looking for but when you stand in that house or sit in that aircraft, something inside says, I want this and you have to force yourself to listen to the surveyor.

Very true. What I do tell any prospective buyer is to keep their mind open over all. You can quite often find a super deal which is totally outside your initial idea which you’d miss on if you keep your mind closed up. E.g. when I came back to ownership 12 years ago, I was looking for a PA28-140 originally. I never considered a Mooney for the fact that most of them were outside my budget and I considered them to be out of my reach. When I found my C model, I was surprised that I could get 40-50kts more speed for basically the same price and operating cost. Or someone I recall who was looking for a 6 seat single and is now happily flying a Grumman Cougar. So keeping that mind open is very important.

arj1 wrote:

I know! I’m trying to find the nimblest pressurised twin. :) If that is possible!

The Cessna 337 is indeed the smallest pressurized twin I could find. I don’t know if a 1999kg STC is possible with it, with a MTOW of 2130 kg it might be possible if you intend to fly it alone mostly. In any case, giving up 130 kgs is already quite a lot, even though the same goes for most Senecas.

There are not really a lot of pressurized light twins available.
The Baron 58 is one.

The Beech Duke is another, but it is really not a light twin anymore and it is very expensive to maintain and operate.

Cessnas start with the 340.

Pipers, actually the only pressurized one in the “light twin” region is the Aerostar.
There is also the Mojave, which is a pressurized Navajo or rather a Cheyenne I with Avgas engines.
There is a pressurized Navajo too, the PA31P, but it has very costly engines, similar to the Duke, with a very low TBO, whereas the Mojave has straight TIO540ties with 2000 hrs TBO. Still, these are 3 ton plus airplanes.

And that is it I think.

As for “nimble” twins without pressurisation:
My absolute favorite there is the Twin Commanche, particularly the turbo normalized one.
Followed by the Grumman Cheetah. That one can do most the Twinco (NA) can do but with a lot less complexity (Fuel system) and it is a more modern design.
Thereafter, below 2tons, only remains the good old Seneca. A II with 123 USG and 1999kg STC is to this day pretty hard to beat.