Beechcraft Baron SSP

ough inspections and preventive main- tenance. Three principal weaknesses that were not operator-caused and were the subject of ADs showed up in early operations: cabin window and frame integrity, cracking cases on the early L series engines and propeller blade-shank cracking. Eight ADs have been issued; all but one (for fuel pump leaks) were announced before 1980. Unlike the rest of the Baron family of airplanes, the 58P was certificated to FAR 23 standards, even though it shares much of its design, configura- tion and construction with the rest of the 50 series. Quite a few changes have been made to the model during its nine-year production cycle. In the spring of 1976, an optional wing-tip auxiliary fuel sys- tem was offered to increase usable fuel from 166 to 190 gallons. For the 1979 model year, the intercooled 310-hp Continental TSIO-520-L engines were replaced with 325-hp I TSIO-520-WBs, which also employ intercoolers to re- duce induction air temperature. At the same time, maximum pressure dif- ferential was moderately increased from 3.7 to 3.9 pounds per square inch (the higher differential provides a 10,000-foot cabin altitude at 22,000 feet), and maximum takeoff weight was raised from 6,100 to 6,200 pounds. Basic empty weight increased 14 pounds. In 1982, internal corrosion- proofing was made standard, time be- tween overhauls (TBO) was increased from 1,400 to 1,600 hours, and the static discharge system was improved. From a pilot's point of view, perhaps the biggest changes were introduced in the 1984 model. The yoke, power con- trols, panel and arrangement of gear and flap controls were reconfigured to what is the currently accepted layout. (FAR Part 23 contains broad require- ments for the standardization of gen- eral aviation cockpits. However, there is a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking that proposes to enhance standardiza- tion.) The throttles have been moved from the center of the power quadrant to the left side, and the large throw- over control column has been replaced with individual control yokes and col- umns on either side of the cockpit. Pi- lots making the transition to the reconfigured Baron 58 series will wel- come the change, but pilots with Baron experience will have to be careful not to succumb to old habits when operat- ing gear, flaps and engine controls. The net result is that the lower por- tion of the instrument panel is much easier to see, the controls are similar in placement to most other retractable singles and twins, and-with the use of smaller engine gauges-what had been a very full panel now has lots of room for avionics and other acces- sories. Relocation of all engine gauges to the center left of the panel makes them much easier to monitor. Members of the Pilot staff recently flew a new 58P for about 30 hours on a variety of business trips that ranged from relatively short dashes to long, cross-country hauls. During most of the period, the weather was poor to bad, with considerable icing, lots of turbulence and other conditions that affected flight planning and in-flight decisions. These circumstances pro- vided opportunities-or require- ments-to use every system and acces- sory. The only condition we did not experience was high ambient tempera- ture. The highest temperature experi- enced was lOoC above standard. The trips ranged across the eastern half of the United States and from the Canadian border to the Gulf Coast and operated into a wide mix of hub air- ports and small, uncontrolled fields. Many onlookers, ramp attendants and pilots consider Barons small aircraft, so the reactions to N2058V were interest- ing. Comments about the exterior and interior were uniformly positive and admiring. Several pilots, including three operators of light and medium twins, said that the 58P was their ulti- mate twin. Unfortunately for most pilots, ulti- mate connotes desired but beyond reach. And for an incre'asing number of us, the ability to purchase the aircraft of choice is driven by genuine business need and hard financial analysis. For those with the supportable need, the pressurized Baron is an interesting al- ternative, particularly in the owner- or operator-flown category. It provides competitive performance with the AOPA PilOT· 71 COllti"ued 72· APRIL1985 The reconfigured cockpit, reduces pilot work load and provides more space for avionics. The controls are now standardized. BEECH BARON SSP Cabill is airy, comfortable alld arrallgemellt is flexible. Tire aft seats fold dOWIl to provide access to tire rear baggage compartmellt alld call be stowed or completely removed to illcrease floor area. Optiolls illclude club seatillg with reclillillg chairs alld a foldillg writillg table. A small refreshmellt cabillet is allother optioll. It holds hot beverages, ice alld cOlldiments. Massive lockillg pins on aft door help ensure pressure vessel integrity. When loading passengers or cargo, pilot must make sure the rear door seal is not damaged and the door is locked properly. smaller turboprops at about half the cost, can be equipped for all-weather operations, has the operational flexibil- ity to mix in with other high-perfor- mance traffic at big airports or handle relatively short, rough strips. For the properly trained pilot, it is both easy and pleasant to fly. On the used mar- ket, the S8P is holding its value rela- tively well. I have flown several 36-series Bo- nanzas and 58 Barons with the reconfigured panel and controls, and I am very impressed with the changes. Switches, gauges and controls that you had to stretch, duck or crane your neck to see are now in full view. The reorga- nized panel, with the smaller, turbine- size engine gauges, seems bare com- pared to the original configuration. During the check-out, there was no difficulty locating things in the cockpit, so we were able to concentrate on sys- tems, operating techniques and flying. There is one arrangement in the cock- pit that I would like to see changed: The switches for the fuel pumps are mounted directly above the cowl flap switches just to the left of the gear se- lector. They operate in opposite direc- tions (fuel pumps up for on, cowl flaps down for open). Especially with the in- dicator for the cowl flaps up on the annunciator panel, the two controls should operate in the same direction. Also, while the S8P that we flew is very well equipped, a counter-drum pointer altimeter should be part of the standard kit for any aircraft designed and equipped to fly at middle and high altitudes. For the most part, preflight, engine start and runup are straightforward. A couple of items require extra care, however. While the S8P has a good payload with full fuel for this category of airplanes (20S8V has 709 pounds), careful planning is required to stay within limits. Fueling should be carefully moni- tored, not just out of general concern to ensure that the proper grade of fuel is loaded, but also because the out- board filler port for aircraft with the auxiliary tank demands careful inser- tion of the nozzle to preclude damage to the tank. The sight gauges just out- board of the engine nacelles are helpful when taking on partial fuel or when fuel must be offloaded for weight and balance/payload adjustments. The pilot should personally monitor passenger boarding and ensure that passengers entering the cabin step over the threshold to avoid damage to the rear door pressure seal. He should per- sonally secure the aft door, then check the visual indicators for proper locking. (There are cockpit annunciators for the fore and aft doors.) Pilots with experience in Bonanzas or Barons should find the transition very easy. Pilots unfamiliar with these aircraft should find it a delightful ex- perience. The S8P, while heavier and not quite as responsive as other Bar- ons, shares the same well-harmonized and still very responsive controls. The only time you have to work consciously to get the S8P to do what you want is during landing, particu- larly with little or no weight in the cabin. The S8P's weight bias is for- ward, and it takes a lot of trim plus effort to keep the airplane's nose wheel off the ground. The gear is beefy, but the nose gear is the weak link. Repeated abuse can result in maintenance problems or me- chanical damage. This (or the nose- heavy tendency) is not peculiar to the S8P, but it is a characteristic that re- quires awareness and operational care. The fortunes-or vagaries-of weather and departure delays resulted in the first two legs being flown in what Snoopy calls "a dark and stormy night." The first approach was flown in poorer-than-forecast conditions of low ceiling and visibility with snow, turbu- lence and a long but contaminated run- way. The second leg was even worse, with occasionally severe turbulence, multiple layers of ice and a line of thunderstorms at the destination for good measure. The only system we did not employ that night was the air con- ditioning. It is a tribute to the basic good flying qualities of the airplane, the layout of the cockpit and the per- formance of the systems that we com- pleted the trip rather than divert. Maximum operating altitude is 25,000 feet. Climb performance is good enough to use higher altitudes regu- larly for cruise. For most trips, we used a cruise climb power setting and 130 KIAS, with cowl flaps half open with an average rate of climb of slightly over 1,000 fpm. At gross weight, maximum cruise AOPA PilOT • 73 contillued power (2,400 rpm/33 inches manifold pressure) produces speeds of from 216 knots at 12,000 feet to 241 knots at 25,000 feet. The fuel burn and the noise level at this power setting are high. We regularly used a lower setting that is between 60 and 65 percent power of 2,200 rpm/30 inches mani- fold pressure that results in lower noise level, an average of nearly another hour endurance with IFR reserves (ap- proximately 5.5 hours versus less than 4.5) and true airspeeds of from 194 knots at 12,000 feet to 218 knots at 25,000 feet. Most trips were operated at 100 to 500 pounds below maximum takeoff weight of 6,200 pounds, so av- erage true airspeeds were higher. The combination of relatively high never exceed, maximum structural cruising and maneuvering speeds and maximum approach flap and gear ex- tension speeds makes descent manage- ment an easy task while maintaining good engine operating temperatures. Speed management is good and can enable jet-speed approaches to be BEECH BARON SSP With a trained pilot, the SSP has the systems and performance to fly the same missions as a turboprop. flown; yet patterns can be flown com- fortably behind much slower aircraft. Equipped to use the full capability of the design, there are many systems, operations and procedures the pilot must know completely. That is where training-initial and recurrent-comes in. Beech provides transition training to customers in a three-day program at the Beech training facility in Wichita. The ground school program covers all systems, procedures, performance, op- erational considerations and emergen- cies; a significant portion is devoted to the powerplants. School ends with a familiarization flight in the customer's aircraft during which all flight regimes and emergency procedures are cov- ered. The program is available to own- ers and operators of used 58Ps for $565. It is well worth the fee. The POH is very informative. It pro- vides quite a bit of performance data that should be part of the manual for any piston twin, such as accelerate/go, single engine climb gradient and take- off and landing data for grass fields. It also contains more information on gen- eral operating and safety consider- ations than most manuals. In short, the 58P has a lot of capabil- ity and flexibility and provides compet- itive performance. Passengers can be very comfortably taken care of, even during long trips. There are a variety of interior arrangements available to make carrying a mix of people and baggage or cargo simple. From the pilot's point of view, it can be a useful tool to accomplish a variety of missions and, thereby, satisfy the bean counters' requirements while giv- ing us a lot of pleasure along with the transportation. 0 Powerplant(s) Beechcraft Baron S8P Base price $473,000 AOPA Pilot Operations/Equipment Category' All-weather $575,000 to $630,000 Specifications Length Height Wingspan Wing area Wing loading Power loading Seats Cabin length Cabin width Cabin height Empty weight Empty weight, as tested Max ramp weight Useful load Useful load, as tested Payload w/full fuel Payload w/full fuel, as tested Max takeoff weight Max landing weight Zero fuel weight Fuel capacity, std 25,000 ft 81 K1AS 102 KIAS 115 KIAS 170 KIAS 161 K1AS 87 KIAS 95 KIAS 115 KIAS Approach (15 deg) 177 KIAS 162 KIAS Vne (Never exceed) Limiting and Recommended Airspeeds Vmc (Min control wj critical engine inoperative) Vsse (Min intentional one-engine inoperative) Vx (Best angle of climb) Vy (Best rate of climb) Vxse (Best single-engine angle of climb) Vyse (Best single-engine rate of climb) Va (Design maneuvering) Above 23,000 ft Vfe (Max flap extended) Above 21,000 ft VIe (Max gear extended)j Vlo (Max gear operating) 177 KIAS Above 21,000 ft 162 KIAS Vno (Max structural cruising) 196 KIAS; (Reduce 4 kts per 1,000 ft above 16,000) 235 KIAS (Reduce 5 kts per 1,000 ft above 16,000) Vr (Rotation) 81 KIAS Vs1 (Stall clean) 84 KIAS Vso (Stall in landing configuration) 78 KIAS All specificatiolls are based 011 mallufacturer's calculatiolls. All performallce figures are based 011 stalldard day, stalldard atmosphere, at sea level alld gross weight, ulliess otherwise Iloted. 'OperatiollsjEquipmmt Categories are defilled ill JUlie 1984 Pilot, p. 108. The prices reflect the costs for equipmmt recommmded to operate ill the listed categories. 25,000 ft 25,000 ft Fuel capacity, w/opt tanks Oil capacity, ea engine Baggage capacity 1,176 Ib (1,140 Ib usable) 196 gal (190 gal usable) 12 qt Nose: 300 Ib, 18 cu ft Aft: 120 Ib, 10 cu ft Performance Takeoff distance, ground roll 1,555 ft Takeoff distance over 50-ft obst 2,643 ft Accelerate/stop distance 3,300 ft Accelerate/go distance 5,020 ft Max demonstrated crosswind component 30 kt Rate of climb, sea level 1,474 fpm Single-engine ROC, sea level 270 fpm Max level speed, 25,000 ft 261 kt Cruise speed/Range w/ 45-min rsv, std fuel (fuel consumption, ea engine) @ approx. 77% power, best economy 15,000 ft 222 kt/917 nm (118.2 pphjl9.7 gph) 241 ktjl,013 nm (111 pphjl8.5 gph) @ approx. 62% power, best economy 15,000 ft 201 ktjl,107 nm (87 pphjl4.5 gph) 218 ktjl,170 nm (86 pphjl4.3 gph) @ approx. 53% power, best economy 15,000 ft 185 ktf1,200 nm (74 pphj12.3 gph) 202 ktjl,235 nm (74 pphjl2.4 gph) 25,000 ft 13,490 ft 2,427 ft 1,378 ft Max operating altitude Single-engine service ceiling Landing distance over 50-ft obst Landing distance, ground roll Two Teledyne Continental TSIO-520-WB, 325 hp @ 2,700 rpm/39.5 in mp Recommended TBO 1,600 hr Propeller(s) Two McCauley constant speed, three blade, 78 in dia. Recommended TBO 1,500 hr or every five years 29 ft 11 in 9 ft 2 in 37 ft 10 in 188.131 sq ft 33 lb/sq ft 9.5 lb/hp 6 12 ft 7 in 3 ft 6 in 4 ft 2 in 4,0101b 4,391 Ib 6,240 Ib 2,230 Ib 1,8491b 1,090 Ib 7091b 6,200 Ib 6,200 Ib 5,7001b 1,032 Ib (996 Ib usable) 172 gal (166 gal usable) I •