CESSNA 441 CONQUEST II

good short runway performance and get to altitude fast, powering the climb at a rate of 2,435 feet per minute. Cessna made many product improvements and retro- fit kits available for the 441 during its nine-year produc- tion run–and the aftermarket added others. Chief among these was the Dash 10 engine conversion pioneered by West Star Aviation in Grand Junction, Colo. Most of the fleet has been converted to Dash 10 power, and because of the superior performance and maintenance intervals, you simply do not want a 441 without it. The conversion typically is done when the original Garrett TPE331 engines are timed out or need a mid-life inspection; the cost is north of $500,000 for two engines. Stainless exhausts are another popular option and cost around $5,000 per side. The original fiberglass exhaust area is prone to cracking. Next come the propellers. If your 441 hasn’t been converted to four-blade Hartzell propellers already, con- sider it. The four blades yield 2.5 inches more ground clearance, reduce cabin noise, improve the climb rate by 200 feet per minute and add four to five knots of air- speed, according to Greg Thibodeau, airframe mainte- nance director at National Flight Services in Toledo, Ohio. Two new props, installed, run about $65,000. National also offers winglets for the 441. Installation requires eight to 10 days of downtime and painting costs $14,000. Thibodeau said pilots report speed gains of three to five knots and that the winglets make the airplane “more stable about the roll axis.” Next come avionics. The factory-installed Cessna autopilots on this airplane are, to be blunt, junk–and about 70 percent of the 441s still flying have them. They are unreliable analog dinosaurs prone to failure, and parts are hard to get. Most 441s are flown single-pilot and you need a good autopilot to reduce pilot workload. Cessna figured this out eventually, installing Sperry SPZ500s on the last 20 airplanes out the door. Retrofits are primarily the Rockwell Collins APS-65 or the S-Tec 2100. Some operators already made the switch when they installed RVSM altimeters, which are now required to fly above 28,000 feet. A complete avionics upgrade of a 441 with an ancient panel will run about $400,000 and that gives you everything–good autopilot, XM satel- THE FACTORY-INSTALLED AUTOPILOTS ON THE CESSNA 441 ARE UNRELIABLE AND PARTS ARE HARD TO GET, BUT AVIONICS UPGRADE, SUCH AS THE AVIDYNE ALLIANT INTERGRATED GLASS PANEL SYSTEM (LEFT), ARE AVAILABLE FOR RETROFIT. CABIN DIMENSIONS – Height: 4.3 ft – Width: 4.6 ft – Length: 14.35 ft – Volume: 235 cu ft – Door height: 4.25 ft – Door width: 2.08 ft BAGGAGE: 51 cu ft (internal) 26 cu ft (external) TYPICAL SEATS: CREW/PASSENGERS (EXECUTIVE): 2/6 MAXIMUM WEIGHTS – Takeoff: 9,850 lb – Landing: 9,360 lb – Basic operating: 6,200 lb – Usable fuel: 3,183 lb – Maximum payload: 2,300 lb – Payload with full fuel: 542 lb specifications RANGE (IFR NBAA 200 nm reserve) – Seats full: 1,200 nm – Ferry range: 1,720 nm RATE OF CLIMB – 2,435 fpm CRUISE SPEED – Max: 311 ktas – Long range: 253 ktas SERVICE CEILING – 35,000 ft Source: Conklin & de Decker, Orleans, Mass. performance CESSNA 441 CONQUEST II COMPARED Model First Year Built Variable cost/hour Seats exec/max Range (nm) Max cruise (kt) Max takeoff weight (lb) BEECHCRAFT KING AIR F90-1 1979 $1,370 6/8 1,040 265 10,950 CESSNA 441 CONQUEST II-10 1978 $1,111 7/9 1,494 314 9,850 MITSUBISHI MU-2 1979 $1,089 6/9 1,012 300 11,575 PIPER CHEYENNE IIIA 1984 $1,493 6/9 1,240 305 11,200 ROCKWELL TWIN COMMANDER 690B 1977 $1,279 6/7 942 285 10,325 Assumptions: All aircraft are 1984 models except the Commander, which is from 1979 (last year produced). Jet fuel $5.92/gal; variable cost: fuel plus maintenance reserves and misc. expenses; four passengers; NBAA IFR reserve fuel; passenger weight 200 lb includes baggage; two pilots. Cost source: Conklin & de Decker Life Cycle Cost Performance source: Conklin & de Decker Aircraft Performance Comparator, Orleans, Mass. WEST STAR AVIATION USED JET REVIEW USED JET REVIEW lite weather, RVSM, GPS/comms and traffic and terrain avoidance. The Avidyne Alliant integrated glass-panel system is also available. Making a big investment in a 30-year-old airplane is not without risk, and operators must adhere to a rig- orous, recently mandated inspection program for all 441s. The initial inspection under this program is pricey, anywhere from $120,000 to $180,000 or more, depending upon what is uncovered. The engines, pro- pellers, de-icing boots, tail and landing gear must all be removed. Once the boots come off, you cannot put them back on–you have to buy new ones. Ka-ching. The interior also comes out of the airplane as part of this initial inspection. This is a good time to refur- bish. Turboprop cabins are generally noisy places and the 441’s is no exception. However, a 50-pound Flight Environments sound-dampening package can cut noise by up to nine decibels. In conjunction with an inspection, it takes a week to install and costs about $25,000. New paint and interior averages $75,000, unless you go crazy with cabin electronics. The initial inspection takes four to eight weeks. Less intensive recurring inspections are required over the aircraft’s life and will add $50 an hour to direct operating costs. Cessna is also limiting the life of a 441’s airframe to 22,500 hours (about 77 years of average use), but that limit applies only to aircraft flown commercially—although some insurers will also apply that standard to private-use aircraft. Cessna claims the new inspection and life-limit rules are necessary. “Our main concern is corrosion related to the age of these airplanes,” said Steve Howard, Cessna’s manager of field service for pro- peller aircraft. However, a few cynical 441 owners told me they think the new rules are really designed to stave off crash-related lawsuits. In 1994, Congress eliminated aircraft manufacturers’ product liability for aircraft that are more than 18 years old unless those aircraft are used for a variety of commercial purposes. The rules also don’t cover lawsuits filed outside the U.S., where about one third of the 441 fleet resides. But most 441 owners have taken the new inspections rules in stride and are using them as an opportunity to refurbish and add equipment, according to West Star’s vice president of business development, Russ Williams. “They’re not asking, ‘How much?’” Williams commented. “They are asking, ‘When can I get my airplane back?’” Williams said there is a compelling reason for this. “No twin-engine turboprop that I know of is more effi- cient in terms of cost per seat mile and cost per hour,” he explained. Not bad for a design that first took to the drawing board in 1974. n Mark Huber welcomes comments and suggestions at: mhuber@bjtonline.com. CESSNA IS LIMITING THE LIFE OF A 441’S AIRFRAME TO 22,500 HOURS– ABOUT 77 YEARS OF AVERAGE USE. SUPPORT & SERVICE | CESSNA CONQUEST & COMPETITORS Model Overall Average 2008 Overall Average 2007 Authorized Service Centers Factory Service Centers Parts Availability Cost of Parts Aircraft on the Ground Response Warranty Fulfillment Technical Manuals Technical Reps Aircraft Reliability MITSUBISHI (MU-2, SOLITAIRE, MARQUISE) 9.17 N/A 9.27 9.49 9.25 8.12 9.38 9.09 8.94 9.32 9.64 HAWKER BEECHCRAFT (KING AIR) 7.14 7.07 7.26 6.75 7.21 5.67 7.22 7.01 7.46 7.42 8.11 CESSNA (CONQUEST) 6.61 5.88 7.38 6.54 6.29 6.00 6.09 5.22 6.92 6.27 8.07 PIPER (CHEYENNE) 5.96 5.97 6.88 4.00 5.82 5.41 6.05 4.50 5.75 6.06 7.82 Rating scale–1 to 10: 1-inadequate; 3-poor; 5.5-average; 8-good; 10-excellent. Ratings are for turboprops that are more than 10 years old. Source: Aviation International News, 2008 Product Support Survey CESSNA 441 CONQUEST II SAFETY RECORD COMPARED (accident rates per 100,000 flight hours) PIPER CHEYENNE 1.81 0.79 0.97 0.49 CESSNA 441 CONQUEST II 1.89 0.95 1.19 0.59 BEECHCRAFT KING AIR 90 1.97 0.61 1.24 0.41 ROCKWELL COMMANDER 690 3.46 1.3 1.69 0.85 MITSUBISHI MU-2 3.89 1.69 1.39 0.88 Model All years (through 2007) Last five years (2003-2007) All Accidents Fatal Accidents All Accidents Fatal Accidents Source: Robert E. Breiling & Associates WEST STAR AVIATION 50 I BJT october_november 2008