AOPA PILOT February 2013

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SPECIFICATIONS Powerplants I 2 Honeywell TPE331-10N Recommended T60 I 5,000 hr Propellers I four-blade Hartzell or McCauley, 86/88 in Length I 39 ft 0 in Height I 13 ft 1 in Wingspan I 49 ft 4 in Wing area I 253.6 sq ft Seats I 8-11 Cabin length I 12 ft 11in Cabin width 14ft 7 in Cabin height 14ft 4 in Empty weight, as tested I 6,257 Ib Max ramp weight I 10,240 Ib Useful load. as tested I 3,983 Ib Payload w/full fuel. as tested I 800 Ib T-10 I AOPA PILOT February 2013 Max takeoff weight I 10,165 Ib Max landing weight I 9,360 Ib Zero fuel weight I 8,815 Ib Fuel capacity I 475 gal usable I 3,182 Ib usable PERFORMANCE Max cruise speed. FL350 I 300 KTA5 Max cruise speed. FL290 I 311 KTA5 Max operating altitude I 35,000 ft All specifications are based on manufac- turer's calculations for airplanes with -10 and four-blade prop conversions. All per- formance figures are based on standard day, standard atmosphere, sea level. gross weight conditions unless otherwise noted. .- Longtime Conquest II owner Lee Gilbert is among those who wish Cessna would have stayed the course with the big turboprop and further developed the prod- uct. Stepping up from a Piper Aztec, Gilbert picked up his 1981Conquest II new at the factory and has flown it 5,700 hours. While he loves the performance, he is quick to point out shortcomings as well. "It irks me that they didn't do more with that airplane; it's under-engineered;' he laments. "It's like they took parts off a Cessna 172 for an airplane flying at 35,000 feet:' He notes the small-diameter, light- weight hydraulic lines and an anemic pressurization system as examples. Cessna was in catch-up mode in the mid-1970s when it hustled into the turboprop market years after it had cer- tified the first Citation. While turbofans looked like the future, Beech, Rockwell Commander, and Mitsubishi- among others-were having grand success further developing turboprops, airplanes with performance and capabilities that fit neatly between Cessna's 400-series pis- ton twins and the Citation. Brand-loyal Cessna customers were leaving the family for step-up turboprops. Never a company to let an obvious niche go untapped for long, Cessna ultimately fired back with the Conquest, deliver- ing the first one in 1977.It followed with a second, smaller turboprop, the Model 425 Corsair, which later became the Conquest I and the 441 was anointed the II. MADE UP OF two Fowler segments. the 44,.s flap system (left) is electrically operated and hydraulically actuated. Dual elevator trim tab actuators (below) helped fix early tail problems. The "tail feathers" paint scheme (far left) shows off owner Lee Gilbert's creative personality. \ www.aopa.org/pllot AOPA PILOT I T-l1 J THE WIDE CABIN and plentiful windows (above) provide a comfortable capsule for passengers on long flights. The bird-like paint scheme continues across the airplane from nose-gear fenders to engine cowling. T-12 I AOPA PILOT February 2013 www.aopa.org/pilot AOPA PILOT I T-B The price of performance Well-maintained441s maintaintheir value well. according to aircraftvaluation publisher Vref. The latest pricingdata show a 1978model with the -10 engine and four-blade prop conversions retailing for about $1.1million-more ifit has RVSMcerti- fication.That's about 124percent of its original retail price. Last-model1986 Conquest lisretail for about $1.55million,about 81percent of new. There are 212stillon the FAAregistry.and about another 100 flyinginternationally;363 were built. Buyersshould planto deduct $150.000 to $200.000 ifthe airplane has not had Cessna's "mandatory" supplemental inspection document (SID)checks done. Cessna modified its mainte- nance manual in 2007 to incorporate the SID, which required numerous additional maintenance phases, a largegroup of which must be accom- plished allat once to kickoffthe program. Russ Williams,who heads the turboprop and lightjet program at West Star Aviationin GrandJunction, Colorado.estimates 80 percent of the fleet has completed SID. There issome debate inthe community and even withinthe FAAabout the validityof the man- date. but most owners have complied anyhow. Similarly,Cessna added language to its mainte- nance manual that basicallysays the continuing airworthiness program stops at 22,500 hours and that the airframe "should"be retired at that time. Averagefleet hours inthe UnitedStates are less than halfthat, so it's not a big concern. How- ever. some heavilyused aircraft inAustraliaare already there and inat least one case. an operator was seeking a lifeextension to 44.500 hours, accordingto Williams.The airplanes are popular inAustraliafor movingminers and gear from the coasts to mines deep inthe continent. Their speed, load-carryingcapability,and ability to landon rough strips are important attributes inthe Outback. -TBH With nine to 11total seats, a "wide-oval" fuselage lined with six squarish win- dows per side, and an optional potty, the Conquest II cabin is comfortable-although most have been upgraded with improved soundproofing to soften the din from the two big Honeywell/Garrett engines just outside. A switch from stock three-blade to shorter, but more efficient, four-blade props also quiets the cabin and improves ground clearance, climb rate, and cruise speed. Another almost universal upgrade is the switch from the stock TPE331-8 engines, derated from 800 shaft horsepower to 635.5 shp, to the more fuel efficient TPE331-1O engines. The -10 engines are rated at 1,000 shp, but derated to the same 635.5 shp, generating a higher climb rate and, for an increase in fuel burn, a higher cruise speed. In his -10 airplane, Gilbert flight plans for 300 KT AS and frequently sees a bit more, usually flying at or near the airplane's max certified ceiling of 35,000 feet where fuel burns decline to about 335 pounds an hour total-about 25 gph per side. In the mid-20s, cruise speeds climb even higher, but at the expense of range.