Beech B60 Duke

jrh

Well-Known Member
Anyone have experience with these?

Just curious about how they fly, and why a person might want to own a Duke versus something like a Cessna 340.

I always thought the Duke was an odd airframe, but according to the owners' group there are still 400+ Dukes flying. I didn't realize they are so common, relatively speaking.
 
They're not that fast, a B58 will fly past them................

And do it at 8,000'

But on the serious, save yourself the headache and look at something else. Even with the turbines on the one I fly, it's a huge headache. Factor in a one off engine that was thrown together overnight, and you got yourself a major POS. We're going through a lengthy process of nixing corrosion on the nose landing gear, empennage, and even the rudder bell crank; all the magnesium components of the aircraft.
 
Well, I'm not really looking to buy, I'm looking to sell...

Trying to learn what type of pilot/mission the Duke would actually be the best fit for, compared to similar piston twins.

Are so many Dukes still flying simply because they look great and are a conversation piece? Or are there operational advantages?
 
Well, I'm not really looking to buy, I'm looking to sell...

Trying to learn what type of pilot/mission the Duke would actually be the best fit for, compared to similar piston twins.

Are so many Dukes still flying simply because they look great and are a conversation piece? Or are there operational advantages?

There's a group called Duke Flyers or something like that. It's like the Waco Club or something...but for Duke's. Anyway - you can use the Google and find them - might be able to find a buyer or something.
 
There's a group called Duke Flyers or something like that. It's like the Waco Club or something...but for Duke's. Anyway - you can use the Google and find them - might be able to find a buyer or something.

Yeah, I've already run across their site. Looks helpful, but I need to keep digging.

Finding buyers isn't really the problem. The main issue is that I have zero experience with Dukes and am trying to educate myself on the reasons why a person would want one.

TFaudree_ERAU, why does your operation fly one?
 
I run my boss back and forth to DC most of the time (45-50 minutes). Occasionally we'll take a weekend trip somewhere an hour or two away. As I mentioned, we have a T-Duke, so it's not AS bad...but it's still bad.
 
I know one thing about the duke, they are dirt cheap to buy but boy do they cost an arm and a leg to maintain. plus there aren't that many people that know how to work on them so find the right mechanic is key.

I love to take a ride in one.
 
Cool looking, fun to fly, not to own.


I take that back... Fun to fly as long as both engines are working. Single engine performance is not all that great. Due to ground clearance issues the prop diameters are relatively small. From what I remember, that version of the TIO-540 is pretty unique to that airframe and like 10lbs of crap packed into a 5lb box. Never met a mechanic who liked working on them.
 
I worked for a sales company that sold a few Dukes while I was there and basically, you're getting a cabin-class twin without much of a cabin. If you want to fly 6 people around in pressurized comfort, a Malibu is a more cost effective option. C340s, 414s and 421s are superior in terms of cabin flexibility and equal or better in terms of speed. I flew one a couple of times and it wasn't that impressive. Nice, but nothing special.

And I can tell you from watching those Dukes sit around for a long time at my old company, most pilots/owners think pretty much the same thing. Good luck!
 
They're not that fast, a B58 will fly past them................
Are you sure about that? The 58P will, but the B58 will not.
Dukes are elegant, sleek and have lots of sex appeal. However, they lack luggage space and have a lot of magnesium components (it's a beech thing).

A C340 will carry more bags, but is severely weight restricted with full fuel. A C421B will carry full fuel and still 1000+ in the cabin, a 421C a bit less in the cabin.
 
Back
Top