If you’re in the market for a complex airplane, the Beechcraft B-60 Duke might just be what you’re looking for. This pressurized, twin-engine aircraft is a step above the rest with its uncommon Lycoming TIO-541 engines, each boasting 380 horsepower and a combined 17.74 liters of power.

In this article, we’ll dive into the complexity of the Duke and compare it to its competitors, as well as discuss its outstanding performance and popular modifications. We’ll also touch on the maintenance and cost of owning a Duke, and its reliability and operation. Keep reading to discover if the Duke is the plane for you.

Key Takeaways

  • The Beechcraft B-60 Duke is a complex airplane with outstanding performance compared to its peers.
  • Popular modifications include winglets, strakes, and vortex generators, and the ultimate mod is the Royal Turbine Upgrade.
  • While the Duke has a reputation for being expensive and complex to maintain, proper maintenance and operation can lead to good reliability.

Complexity of the Beechcraft B-60 Duke

If you’re considering purchasing a Beechcraft B-60 Duke, you should know that it’s a complex airplane in every sense of the word. While technically an airplane with retractable gear flaps and a variable pitch propeller is considered complex, the Duke takes complexity to another level. It’s pressurized, it’s also a twin, and it has uncommon Lycoming TIO 541 engines. Each engine has 380 horsepower, and combined they display 17.74 liters, the equivalent of about 15 Toyota Corollas.

The Duke, of course, competes with other large pressurized piston twins like the Cessna 421 and 414, Piper P Navajo, and the 601P Aerostar. Naturally, performance is outstanding and can be had for about the price of a well-used 40-year-old Cessna 182.

Compared to its peers, the Duke has a great useful load, and while the Aerostar is faster, there are a handful of popular mods that improve mostly climb and stall speeds, including winglets, strakes, and vortex generators. The ultimate mod is the Royal Turbine upgrade, which slaps two Pratt Whitney Canada PT6A21 engines for about 1100 total horsepower. You’d be forgiven for thinking that this is just basically a King Air 90, but you’d be wrong. Compared to the King Air 90, the Turbine Duke is smaller and faster and lands shorter, and it’s a hundred times better looking. The King Air 90 is more roomy and carries more.

When it comes to money, purchase prices are similar to other large pressurized twins, which isn’t very much. That’s because the assumption is that these planes come with fat maintenance bills, and that’s true, they do. But there is a little more to the story. Dukes have a reputation not only for being expensive to maintain but also unreliable with poor dispatch rates, which is not always true. Even the best Dukes are expensive and complex to maintain. Remember those unusual engines? Also, they must be flown extremely proficiently with very careful attention paid to engine management. Warm-up and cooldown procedures need to be followed precisely. If a Duke operator doesn’t skimp on maintenance and flies it properly, reliability can be quite good, and often the engines will exceed the 1600-hour TBO.

At 70 power, it burns 45 gallons. Overhauling both engines is about $110,000. The Beech Duke is a real hot rod. If you’re up to the task of footing the maintenance bills and keeping your pilot skill sharp, the Duke is a lot of airplane for the money, well, for the purchase price anyway.

Comparison with Other Pressurized Piston Twins

When it comes to pressurized piston twins, the Beechcraft B-60 Duke competes with other aircraft such as the Cessna 421 and 414, Piper P Navajo, and the 601P Aerostar. In terms of performance, the Duke stands out with its great useful load. While the Aerostar is faster, there are popular modifications available for the Duke that can improve its climb and stall speeds, including winglets, strakes, and vortex generators.

It’s worth noting that the Duke’s ultimate modification is the Royal Turbine Upgrade, which replaces the Lycoming TIO-541 engines with two Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-21 engines, resulting in a total of 1100 horsepower. This modification makes the Duke faster and able to land on shorter runways. However, it’s important to remember that the Turbine Duke is not just a smaller version of the King Air 90.

While purchase prices for the Duke are similar to those of other large pressurized twins, its reputation for being expensive and complex to maintain is not entirely accurate. The Duke’s unusual engines require careful attention to engine management, warm-up, and cooldown procedures. Failure to follow these procedures can result in poor dispatch rates and reliability issues. However, if proper maintenance is performed and the engines are operated proficiently, the Duke can be quite reliable.

Overall, the Beechcraft B-60 Duke is a great option for those looking for a pressurized piston twin with outstanding performance. While it may require more maintenance than other aircraft, it is a lot of airplane for the purchase price.

Outstanding Performance

When it comes to piston planes, the Beechcraft B-60 Duke offers outstanding performance. In the civilian general aviation world, the Duke is among the best in its class. It has a great useful load and can fly faster than some of its competitors like the Cessna 421, 414, Piper P Navajo, and the 601P Aerostar.

Although the Aerostar is faster, there are some popular modifications that can improve the Duke’s climb and stall speeds, including winglets, strakes, and vortex generators. The ultimate mod is the Royal Turbine upgrade, which replaces the Lycoming TIO-541 engines with two Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-21 engines, each with 550 horsepower. This upgrade provides a total of 1100 horsepower, making the Duke much more powerful than a King Air 90.

The Duke is also pressurized and a twin-engine aircraft, with uncommon Lycoming TIO-541 engines, each producing 380 horsepower. Combined, they display 17.74 liters, which is equivalent to about 15 Toyota Corollas.

Compared to the King Air 90, the Turbine Duke is smaller, faster, and lands shorter. It’s also a hundred times better looking. However, the King Air 90 is more roomy and carries more.

The Duke’s purchase price is similar to other large pressurized twins, but its reputation for being expensive to maintain and unreliable may deter some buyers. However, if you don’t skimp on maintenance and follow proper engine management procedures, the Duke’s reliability can be quite good. Overhauling both engines costs about $110,000.

Overall, if you’re up to the task of footing the maintenance bills and keeping your pilot skills sharp, the Duke is a lot of airplane for the money.

Popular Modifications

The Beechcraft B-60 Duke is a fantastic airplane that can be modified to enhance its performance. Some of the most popular mods that pilots use to improve the Duke’s climb and stall speeds include winglets, strakes, and vortex generators. These mods are relatively inexpensive and can significantly improve the plane’s performance.

One of the ultimate modifications that can be made to the Duke is the Royal Turbine upgrade. This upgrade replaces the Lycoming TIO-541 engines with two Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-21 engines, which provide a total of 1100 horsepower. This modification transforms the Duke into a real hot rod that can outperform most other piston planes.

Compared to its peers, the Duke has a great useful load and outstanding performance. While the Aerostar is faster, the Duke is smaller and faster, lands shorter, and is a hundred times better looking. However, it’s important to note that the Duke is expensive and complex to maintain due to its unusual engines. Overhauling both engines can cost around $110,000, and you must follow precise warm-up and cooldown procedures to ensure proper engine management.

In conclusion, the Beechcraft B-60 Duke is a fantastic airplane that can be modified to enhance its performance. With popular mods like winglets, strakes, and vortex generators, you can significantly improve the plane’s climb and stall speeds. For the ultimate upgrade, the Royal Turbine modification transforms the Duke into a real hot rod that can outperform most other piston planes. However, it’s important to keep in mind that the Duke is expensive and complex to maintain, and proper engine management is crucial to ensure reliability.

Comparison with the King Air 90

When it comes to pressurized piston twins, the Beechcraft B-60 Duke competes with other aircraft like the Cessna 421 and 414, Piper P Navajo, and the 601P Aerostar. However, compared to the King Air 90, the Turbine Duke is smaller and faster, and it lands shorter. It’s also considered a hundred times better looking.

In terms of performance, the Turbine Duke has a great useful load and can climb and stall at impressive speeds. While the Aerostar is faster, the Turbine Duke has a handful of popular mods like winglets, strakes, and vortex generators that can improve climb and stall speeds. The ultimate mod is the Royal Turbine upgrade, which replaces the Lycoming engines with two Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A21 engines for a total of 1100 horsepower.

While some may mistake the Turbine Duke for a King Air 90, they are quite different. The King Air 90 is more roomy and can carry more, but the Turbine Duke has its own unique advantages.

When it comes to maintenance, the Turbine Duke has a reputation for being expensive and complex, but that’s because of its unusual Lycoming TIO-541 engines. Proper engine management and maintenance procedures must be followed precisely to ensure reliability. Overhauling both engines can cost around $110,000, but if you don’t skimp on maintenance and operate the aircraft properly, reliability can be quite good.

Overall, the Beechcraft B-60 Duke is a great option for those looking for a pressurized piston twin with outstanding performance. While it may come with a higher maintenance cost, it’s still a lot of airplane for the purchase price.

Maintenance and Cost

Maintaining a Beechcraft B-60 Duke can be expensive due to the complexity of the airplane, especially with the uncommon Lycoming TIO-541 engines. However, if you do not skimp on maintenance and operate the engines properly, reliability can be quite good.

The engines must be flown proficiently, and warm-up and cooldown procedures need to be followed precisely. Overhauling both engines can cost about $110,000.

While the purchase price of a Duke is similar to other large pressurized twins, the assumption is that these planes come with fat maintenance bills. While this is true, there is more to the story. Even the best Dukes are expensive and complex to maintain, but they are not necessarily unreliable with poor dispatch rates.

Compared to its peers, the Duke has a great useful load and outstanding performance for a piston plane. It can compete with other large pressurized piston twins such as the Cessna 421 and 414, Piper P Navajo, and the 601P Aerostar.

Overall, if you are up to the task of footing the maintenance bills and keeping your pilot skill sharp, the Duke is a lot of airplane for the money.

Reliability and Operation

The Beechcraft B-60 Duke is a complex airplane with retractable gear flaps and a variable pitch propeller. It’s pressurized and has uncommon Lycoming TIO 541 engines, each with 380 horsepower. Combined, they display 17.74 liters, equivalent to about 15 Toyota Corollas.

Compared to its peers, the Duke has a great useful load and outstanding performance. It’s faster than the Piper P Navajo and the Cessna 421 and 414. The ultimate mod is the Royal Turbine upgrade, which slaps two Pratt Whitney Canada PT6A21 engines for about 1100 total horsepower.

However, the Duke has a reputation for being expensive to maintain and unreliable with poor dispatch rates. The engines must be flown extremely proficiently with very careful attention paid to engine management. Warm-up and cooldown procedures need to be followed precisely. If a Duke operator doesn’t skimp on maintenance and flies it properly, reliability can be quite good, and often the engines will exceed the 1600 hour TBO.

Overhauling both engines is about 110,000 bucks, and the Duke is a real hot rod. If you’re up to the task of footing the maintenance bills and keeping your pilot skill sharp, the Duke is a lot of airplane for the money.

Conclusion

In summary, the Beechcraft B-60 Duke is a highly complex airplane that offers outstanding performance for its class in the civilian general aviation world. It is a pressurized twin aircraft with uncommon Lycoming TIO-541 engines, each boasting 380 horsepower and a combined display of 17.74 liters. The Duke competes with other large pressurized piston twins such as the Cessna 421 and 414, the Piper P Navajo, and the 601P Aerostar.

While the Duke is expensive and complex to maintain, it has a reputation for reliability if flown properly and maintained regularly. The engines require careful attention to engine management, and warm-up and cooldown procedures must be followed precisely. The Duke’s performance can be improved with popular mods such as winglets, strakes, and vortex generators.

The ultimate mod is the Royal Turbine upgrade, which adds two Pratt Whitney Canada PT6A21 engines for a total of 1100 horsepower. This upgrade makes the Duke faster, shorter landing, and more attractive than the King Air 90, but it is still smaller and carries less.

Overall, the Beechcraft B-60 Duke is a great option for those looking for outstanding performance in a pressurized twin aircraft. While it may come with higher maintenance costs, it offers a lot of airplane for the purchase price.

My name is Sean Walsh, and I'm the founder and writer of this website. For as far back as I can remember, I've always been interested in flying. A few years ago, I passed my check ride and got my PPL certificate! I'm now a private pilot with over 500 hours of flying time. Read more about me here.