Airworthiness Directives for Beechcraft C-23 Sundowner

owning a Beechcraft. For many pilots, the company name is synonymous with quality and luxury. And then there are the more substan- tive virtues, such as the airplane's rug- ged construction. Structural limit loads for the Sundowner are +6 and -3 Gs. Initial Sundowner purchasers were of- fered an optional aerobatic package which included cowling strakes, a ven- tral fin, strakes ahead of the stabilator, a G-meter, quick release doors and a checkerboard paint job. Thus modified, the sedate Beech Sun downer was approved for loops, rolls and other maneuvers. Without the aerobatic modifications, the Sundowner can be operated in either the Normal or Utility categories. To op- erate in the Utility category only the front seats can be occupied, gross weight is limited to 2,030 pounds and the aft CG limit is 114 inches, versus 118.3 inches in the Normal category. A 1974 airworthiness directive re- scinded the aerobatic certification of the Sundowner and prohibited intentional spins in the Utility category. The air- worthiness directive was issued in order "to prevent inflight situations in which prompt spin recovery may not be as- sured." Installation of Beech spin im- provement kit 23-4007-1 reinstated aerobatic certification and lifted the re- striction on spins. The Sundowner's cockpit is spacious and comfortable. Two large adults can ease into the front seats without much elbow jostling. With a door on each side, it is not necessary to crawl over a seat to settle into the Sundowner. Visibility out the high-domed, single- piece windshield and out the large side windows is quite good. Large windows for the rear seat passengers help prevent back seat claustrophobia. The panel is logically organized with instruments in the standard T-arrange- ment, and it has plenty of room for op- tional avionics. The power quadrant houses throttle and mixture control le- vers with the carburetor heat control sit- uated between them. A simple "Johnson bar" manual flap actuation system, simi- lar to the one found in Piper Cherokees, extends flaps to 15, 25 and 35 degrees. Some Sundowners are equipped with an optional electrical flap actuation system. With full fuel (60 gallons), an IFR- equipped Sundowner's payload is about 550 pounds and range is 546 nautical miles at 75 percent power with a 45- minute reserve. Loaded with four aver- age-sized adults, you will be limited to 20 gallons of fuel. The Sundowner makes a nearly ideal family airplane, if your family consists of Mom, Pop and two pre-adolescents. Up to 270 pounds of luggage can be AOPA PilOT • 69 I stored in the airplane's baggage com- partment. The baggage door appears to be large enough to accommodate bulky suitcases. The Sundowner has a rather generous CG range. However, as with any airplane, weight and balance should be checked before takeoff. Though somewhat sluggish in terms of speed, the Sundowner is not cumber- some in control response. Roll control is swift and sure, similar in feel to that of the Bonanza. The ailerons are a modi- fied Frise design: The leading edge of the raised aileron drops slightly into the airstream beneath the wing to counter- act adverse yaw. The rudder and stabilator also are fairly light and re- sponsive controls. Owners praise the Sundowner's sta- bility. Medley, who is an instructor and FAA-designated flight examiner, says the Sundowner is a terrific instrument training airplane. Indeed, the Sun- downer is so simple that the pilot can concentrate on the business of flying the gauges with few distractions. Also, nothing happens very fast on an ap- proach, so there is plenty of time to think ahead of the airplane. If the Sundowner can be said to have any weaknesses in handling, they would have to be those encountered while landing. A National Transporta- tion Safety Board study of 33 single-en- gine models found that the Sundowner had the highest incidence of hard-land- ing accidents. Reading through the FAA's accident/incident reports reveals some common factors in these accidents. Gusty winds playa role in a number of mishaps. In many cases, it appears that the pilot landed hard on the nose gear BUDGET BEECHCRAFT first, causing the airplane to porpoise down the runway until the nose gear either broke off or cocked to one side, inducing a ground loop. In many of these accidents, the aluminum alloy landing gear struts (usually the nose gear) either bent or snapped off. With only front seat occupants aboard and no baggage in the rear, it is some- what difficult to achieve a nose-high flare in the airplane. In about two dozen attempts, I never managed to hold the nose wheel off for more than a fraction of a second longer than the mains. The following airworthiness directives for Model 23- and Model 19-series airplanes re- quire repetitive inspections. In most cases, the inspections are no longer required if certain modifications have been made. The first two digits of an AD number denote the year of issuance. • 72-24-3. Inspection of oil filter adapter bracket. • 73-20-7. Inspection of wing attach points. Required at each 100-hour or annual inspection. • 74-14-5 and 74-23-9. Spins and other aerobatic maneuvers prohibited until Beech modification kits are installed. • 75-1-4. Fuel selector valve modification. • 76-7-12. Inspection of Bendix ignition switch. • 78-9-7 R2. Inspection of Bendix magnetos. • 80-25-7 R1. Inspection of Stewart- Warner oil cooler. • 82-13-1. Inspection of Bendix magnetos. • 84-26-2. Inspection of paper air induc- tion filters. Required every 500 hours. But landing a Sundowner is not a daunting experience. Adherence to rec- ommended approach speeds will ensure that the airplane is not too slow to flare or so fast that an early touchdown may induce a porpoise. Beech recommends 68 knots on final with full flaps. Medley suggests 74. Both work well, although with Medley's speed there is more time to round out and a bit more float. Service difficulty reports (SDRs) do not betray any particular hidden weak spots in the Sundowner. However, when inspecting a Musketeer, Sun- downer or Sport prior to purchase, it would be a good idea to give the landing gear and surrounding structure a careful going over for signs of damage from a hard landing. For those considering the purchase of the Sundowner's close cousin, the Sport, SDRs do highlight a few areas that merit close attention during a pre-purchase in- spection: Fuel cells should be checked for signs of delamination; the firewall, for corrosion; the right keel assembly that runs under the right-side rudder pedals, for cracks; and the stabilator spar, for cracks, following the proce- dures outlined in Beech service instruc- tion 1167. Most of the airworthiness directives affecting Sundowners should have been attended to by this time. A list of ADs requiring repetitive inspections ac- companies this article. In most in- stances, modification kits have been made available that, when installed, eliminate the need for continued inspec- tions. One very recent AD (85-5-2) must be complied with. It requires a modifica- tion of the fuel selector valve. The Sundowner may not stir the AOPA PILOT· 71 BUDGET BEECHCRAFT blood,of pilots whose main purchase cri- teria are stylishness and speed. But the airplane's comfortable interior, pleasant handling, economical operation and quality construction should appeal to those looking for an inexpensive, but not cheap, airplane. 0 Oil capacity Baggage capacity Performance Takeoff distance ground roll U32 ft Takeoff distance over 50-foot obst 2,004 ft Max demonstrated crosswind component 17 kt Rate of climb, sea level 765 fpm Max level speed 123 kt Cruise speed/range w / 45 min rsv, std fuel (fuel consumption) @ 75% power 7,500 ft 1974 Beech C-23 Sundowner Base price, new: $19,350 Current market value: $15,500 Specifications Powerplant Lycoming 0-360-A4j, 180 hp @ 2,700 rpm Recommended TBO 2,000 hr Propeller Sensenich fixed pitch, 76 in Length 25 ft 9 in Height 8 ft 3 in Wingspan 32 ft 9 in Wing area 146 sq ft Wing loading 16.78 lb / sq ft Power loading 13.61Ib/hp ~~ 4 Cabin length 7 ft 11 in Cabin width 4 ft Cabin height 3 ft 8 in Empty weight, basic aircraft 1,425 lb Empty weight, as tested 1,542 lb Gross weight 2,450 lb Useful load 1,025 lb Useful load, as tested 908 lb Payload w /full fuel 665 lb Payload w /full fuel, as tested 548 lb Fuel capacity 360 lb (352.8 lb usable) 60 gal (58.8 gal usable) 8 qt 270lb @ 65% power 7,500 ft 115 kt/546 nm (65 pph/10.8 gph) 106 ktj601 nm (54 pph/9 gph) @ 55% power 7,500 ft 94 ktj632 nm (45,6 pph/7.6 gph) Service ceiling 12,600 ft Landing distance over 50-ft obst 1,493 ft Landing distance, ground roll 746 ft Limiting and Recommended Airspeeds Vx (Best angle of climb) 69 K1AS Vy (Best rate of climb) 75 KIAS Va (Design maneuvering) 117 KIAS Vfe (Max flap extended) 96 KIAS Vno (Max structural cruising) 133 KIAS Vne (Never exceed) 152 KIAS Vsl (Stall clean) 63 KIAS Vso (Stall in landing configuration) 51 KIAS All specifications are based on matzufacturer's cal- culations. All perform alice figures are based 011 standard day, stalldard atmosphere, at sea level and gross weight, ulliess otherwise nOled.