Flying the Duchess

Turbine

Turbine

Well-Known Member
Anyone fly a duchess that can shed some light on what you think about it? Flying characteristics, ever had any problems, things to watch for, is it a stable airplane, etc..?
 
It's a real nice airplane to fly. Only odd handling characteristic is the "Beechcraft Boogie" where it will tend to yaw back and forth in turbulence. Systems are pretty straightforward for a twin. If you've been flying little Cessnas landing will be a bit different, you'll touch down pretty much as soon as you get the throttles to idle. Single engine handling is pretty straight forward, though performance on one motor is, as with most light twins, less than stellar. Also, they are getting old so your airplane is likely going to have it's idiosynchrasies.
 
Great trainer, forgiving, and the single engine performance was good on the ones I flew. It's a climber though, so if you're not used to an aircraft that climbs and maintains a 1000fpm climb, you'll start busting altitudes. Only problem I've had was, a gear up haha Nose wheel wouldn't come down so we put it on the nose, apparently it was a recurring problem with the BE76. Also if this is your first Beech, go EASY on the trim. The slightest touch and you'll be climbing or diving, no big rolls of the trim wheel like a Cessna or Piper
 
Turbine said:
Anyone fly a duchess that can shed some light on what you think about it? Flying characteristics, ever had any problems, things to watch for, is it a stable airplane, etc..?
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I've got 100+ hours in the Duchess. It's a peach of an airplane. Docile and forgiving, and the counter-rotating props make single engine ops pretty simple.

That said- they don't build them anymore, and parts are expensive. If you're buying, that's something to consider. The airframes have a limited life on the spars, I believe, and one heavy use operator resorted to buying up every Duchess he could find because he knew he'd wind up parting them out as they retired.
 
Great airplane, got my MEI in one. One thing not mentioned is that the dash sit a lot lower than Cessnas/pipers. In short you'll find yourself climbing when trying to fly straight and lever your first few flights, otherwise as previously stated, good platform. Throttles are a lot more smother than in pipers, i.e. does not take much effort to move the levers.
 
Thanks for all the responses! Ive been flying Cessna, and Piper for quite a while. Ive got some time in a Seneca and Navajo..only Beech ive flown is a C90..and thats just because i used to work at a 135 op (not flying). Will be flying the Duchess soon, so just wanted some input. I Spoke with another instructor and he geared up once also! Sounds like a solid plane though. Thanks for the info!
 
Good visibility, fairly comfy if you're not real tall, easy to fly, built like a bridge. I've enjoyed my time in it.

Trailing link gear makes for excellent landings, you have to work really hard to get a bad landing.

Be careful on the brakes on landing, you can brake really heavy and stop real short if you're careful, I've put it on the numbers and stopped it in 500 feet without locking a wheel, but if you absolutely stomp on them you'll blow tires repeatedly, and that makes your mechanic angry ;)

Always make sure to open the little door for the emergency gear extension valve and make sure the valve is closed (perpendicular) before your flight. We've had the same instructor TWICE forget to close the valve after doing an emergency extension demo and the next person who flies the airplane burns up the gear motor because you select gear up and the motor just keeps running.

Please be nice to the gear doors and avoid putting the gear down right at the gear speed if you can help it, the main gear doors are just sheets of aluminum that attach to the gear legs and they crack... repeatedly... from people throwing the gear right at the gear speed or even slightly above (Don't even try to tell me you don't ;)) Give yourself a 5 or 10 knot buffer, for your mechanic's sake ;)

Be real gentle with the fuel strainer sumps on the side of the engine cowling. The fuel strainer bowls are "composite" (read: plastic) and if you put side load on those sumps you risk cracking the bowl or the associated hardware, and them bowls aint cheap (see the airplane buying thread).

uhmmmmm.... OH! Do NOT pull the pilot's door shut by opening the storm window and pulling on the frame... I've replaced like 323525234234 pilot door windows because someone does that and cracks the window out from the frame.

On the same token, most Duchess doors are slightly bent so do give the door a good shove after you close it to make sure it's actually latched and not going to pop open on takeoff. If it does pop open on takeoff don't freak out and do come back and land before you try and yank it shut with the storm window (see above).
 
Did my initial multi in one N6002C if I remember correctly. A great flying airplane. If you are doing training in it it is very docile. If I remember the duchess would almost always stall before it would Vmc role. It also has a nice roomy cabin as well.


Keith
 
trafficinsight said:
Please be nice to the gear doors and avoid putting the gear down right at the gear speed if you can help it, the main gear doors are just sheets of aluminum that attach to the gear legs and they crack... repeatedly... from people throwing the gear right at the gear speed or even slightly above (Don't even try to tell me you don't ;)) Give yourself a 5 or 10 knot buffer, for your mechanic's sake ;)
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IIRC someone out there has an STC to remove the main gear doors.
On the same token, most Duchess doors are slightly bent so do give the door a good shove after you close it to make sure it's actually latched and not going to pop open on takeoff. If it does pop open on takeoff don't freak out and do come back and land before you try and yank it shut with the storm window (see above).
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Yeah, if it DOES pop open, there is no way you're closing it in flight so just suck it up and come back to land.
 
Roger said:
IIRC someone out there has an STC to remove the main gear doors.

Yeah, if it DOES pop open, there is no way you're closing it in flight so just suck it up and come back to land.
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Sierra holds the gear door STC, it was 175$ the last time I checked.
 
I have about 7 hours in one, in order to get my multi so I go Get Back To Work, Peon. Speeds are almost exactly identical to a 210. Climbs a little better, won't go as fast downhill, cruises a little slower, and has two spinny things. Non-event. As someone said, just get in and fly it, it's a sweetheart.
 
Roger said:
Yeah, if it DOES pop open, there is no way you're closing it in flight so just suck it up and come back to land.
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Oh, it closes, just make sure you've got someone else flying the plane while you attempt to close it. Don't ask how I know. Might have just been luck, but we managed to get it closed
 
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