Used Aircraft Report

Slow but sure

In general, when aircraft are designed to be comfortable and sturdy, speed is a sacrificial trait. With a wide, comfortable cabin and rugged construction, the Beech Sundowner wears that aerodynamic stereotype like a glove. Other 180-horsepower, fixed-gear singles are 10 knots faster in cruise, but the Beech's selling points are comfort and stout, utilitarian construction.

Its stumpy, wide-stance landing gear and tubular braces flanking the inside of the windshield speak volumes of the Sundowner's sturdiness. To back the looks with figures, the Sundowner's paperwork claims a load limit of +6 and -3 Gs. It's a good thing, too, because these airplanes were — and still are — used heavily in student training.

In the 1970s, when Beech started the Beech Aero Center training network, Musketeers, Sundowners, retractable-gear Sierras, and twin-engine Duchesses were taking students to the skies and drilling brand loyalty into their pilots. Beech hoped that these future pilots would eventually step up within the family into Bonanzas, Barons, and King Airs.

The BE-23 line began with the 160-hp Lycoming O-320-powered Musketeer in 1963. The then-new Musketeer brought innovations in the form of a nearly symmetrical laminar-flow wing. The wing skin is bonded to honeycombed aluminum ribs, which leaves a smooth, rivetless surface throughout the first half of the wing's chord.

Over the years, Musketeers were offered with 150-, 165-, 180-, and 200-hp powerplants and had confusing names or suffixes such as Sport, Super, and Custom III. In 1972, Beech gave up the suffixes, made a few cosmetic and ergonomic changes, and renamed the airplanes. What emerged were the more-familiar Musketeer Sport (Model 19), Sundowner (Model 23), and Sierra (Model 24).

One of the makeovers that transformed a Musketeer 180 into a Sundowner was the addition of a second cabin door on the pilot's side as standard equipment. This feature is especially useful in loading large or ungainly cargo or passengers. Adding a second door did not compromise the airframe's strength, either — in fact, the airframe was stout enough to introduce an aerobatic version of the Sundowner. It's approved for most of the less-sickening maneuvers, including loops and rolls. Aside from some strakes, fins, and quick-release doors, the aerobatic version is the same airplane as the regular Sundowner.

Once strapped in, one notices the abundance of room in all areas. Headroom, legroom, and elbow room — there's plenty of all. In fact, the cabin is two inches wider than that of the Sundowner's bigger siblings, the Bonanza and the Baron. Visibility is also excellent, with large windows inviting riders to gaze out. Even the front-seaters have a view straight down, thanks to the wing's aft placement. And despite the greenhouse's letting in a tremendous amount of light, excellent ventilation keeps the Sundowner's cabin cool.

Panel layout is standard; however, better placement of engine instruments (residing on a sub-panel just above the pilot's left knee) and the pitch trim (located between the front seats) would be welcome. Some Sundowners are equipped with placebo gear switches and the accompanying lights, for the pilot to practice gear operation. This could be chalked up as a tactic by Beech to attract owners to its bigger retractable-gear airplanes.

In flight, the Sundowner feels similar to other Beech products. While in many ways that can be considered advantageous, there are some negative aspects. If you're looking for an airplane that behaves like a Cessna Skyhawk or Piper Warrior but has 180 horsepower, you're looking in the wrong direction. Unlike the 172 or Cherokees, which are content at low airspeeds, the Sundowner appreciates 70 knots or better at all times. "It likes to be flown like a Bonanza," said Dick Busch, a former Beech salesman who has logged thousands of hours in type. "Its handling makes it easy for a pilot to step up to the Bonanza."

On the advantageous side of being a Beech product is the Sundowner's handling throughout normal operating speeds. In cruise, the control feel is light and sensitive, especially in roll control. Although not as fine-tuned as a Bonanza, the Sundowner's handling is much more precise than the Cessna and Piper competition. Stalls, flaps up or down, are pretty benign, producing a slight bump at the stall point, followed by a slight right-wing drop-off. With two people and three-quarters fuel on the day of our test flight, the Sundowner stalled at 51 knots with flaps down and 60 knots with the flaps up.

Perhaps the greatest weakness of the Sundowner is its anemic cruise speed. In our two-way test run using the groundspeed readout from a loran, the Sundowner turned in an average of 107 knots at 2,500 rpm and 3,500 feet. Rather optimistic book figures promised 116 knots true at the same power setting and altitude. The Archer III we recently tested claims 129 knots on 75 percent power (" III Times a Cherokee," November 1994 Pilot), and the 150-hp Skyhawk's pilot's operating handbook says 112 knots.

Approaches are best flown between 72 and 75 knots. Any slower and you'll invite a precipitous sink rate — and you'll run out of stabilator in the flare. Too fast and you'll float until the proper landing attitude is achieved. Slow, steep, power-off approaches are possible but not preferable. In the flare, the stabilator may run out of travel. If the airplane is still a few feet above the runway, the nose will pound on first, setting the stage for a nasty porpoise that could become violent enough to break off the nose gear. Accident statistics compiled by the AOPA Air Safety Foundation show that hard landings were cited as the leading cause of Beech Model 23 mishaps. Between 1982 and 1989, there were 28 hard landings that accounted for 17.3 percent of all BE-23 accidents.

Installing the smaller-diameter 5.00 x 5 nose tire instead of a 6.00 x 6 will reduce the possibility of a nosewheel-first arrival, said Busch. The airplane has an inherently forward CG which is accentuated with only two riders up front. One owner recommended putting a complete survival kit and some oil in the baggage compartment to help maintain the stabilator effectiveness and keep the airplane within CG. Using less flap or just flying a flatter, power-on approach also makes for a more stable and comfortable arrival for pilot and passengers.

Another weak area of Sundowner performance is in short-field operations. At sea level on a standard day, the Sundowner's POH states that it requires 1,955 feet to clear a 50-foot obstacle on takeoff. By comparison, the Archer III requires 1,210 feet, and the 150-hp Skyhawk needs 1,520 feet. "It's a ground lover," said Neal Samonte of Hagerstown, Maryland, who has owned eight Sundowners over a number of years. "It acts underpowered on the ground; but once it gets in the air, it's like the other 180-hp airplanes."

As in takeoffs, the Sundowner's landing distances over a 50-foot obstacle were longer than those of its competitors. At 1,484 feet, the Beech requires about 100 feet more runway than the Archer and 234 feet more than the Skyhawk.

As-tested useful loads of the Sundowner were about on par with its competition. Most Sundowners have a large fuel capacity (58 usable gallons); however, depending on the airplane's serial number and whether or not a service instruction was complied with, it may hold as little as 52 usable gallons. The 58-gallon Sundowners will allow you to carry full fuel plus three people and bags for about five hours with reserves. In a windless world, the Sundowner could take you 535 nautical miles between stops.

As with any airplane purchase, the decision lies with personal preference. Samonte prefers a large, comfortable cabin and sturdy construction over cruise speed and short-field capabilities. Samonte pointed out that on a 400-mile trip, the Sundowner will arrive only 20 minutes later than an Archer. In that time, the Archer riders are more cramped than the Sundowner's occupants, who enjoy a comfortable ride and superb visibility.

Using a 1974 model as a guide, the prices for the Sundowner are comparable to those of the 172 and below that of the Cherokee 180, according to the Aircraft Bluebook-Price Digest. In airplanes within this category, the cruise speed seems to reflect directly upon the airplane's price. The Sundowner starts at $31,000, the Skyhawk is a close second at $32,000, and the relatively speedy Cherokee 180 asks $37,500.

If you find that there are only high-timers out there, don't fret. The Sundowner's durability has brought many examples well over the 10,000- hour mark. The University of Illinois' Institute of Aviation is currently operating a fleet of 19 of these aircraft and praises the Musketeer family's durability. Two of their Sports (BE-19s) have surpassed 10,000 hours; one has more than 12,000.

According to Ted Horvat, maintenance manager at the institute, the only problem they have encountered was cracking in the magnesium landing gear castings. The cracks initiate at brake-line clamps that were bolted in at the factory. A service bulletin highlighted a fix; however, the damage was already done to many airplanes. Subsequent landings that introduced side loads on the gear led, in some cases, to gear failure. Other than that, the airplane has been bulletproof.

Brothers Shawn, Marshall, and Jim Hill, in partnership with Bill Sullivan, recently bought a Musketeer 180 after looking at 172s and Cherokees. They paid $26,500 for a 1969 model with 2,100 hours. "There's no doubt in my mind that these are the best-kept secrets in the industry," said Marshall.

The BE-23s have received plenty of negative press over the years, and it has taken its toll on many pilots, explained Marshall. "Pilots of any experience level pass judgment on the airplane based on what they've heard or read, and they gave it a bad rap."

Shawn liked the Beech because of the "heavier, more solid feel. When you knocked on the fuselage, it didn't sound like a tin can," he recalls.

Sundowner owners are a loyal and proud bunch despite the airplane's shortcomings. Its relative exclusivity evokes curiosity among the airport tire-kickers. Just having the Beech nameplate on the side makes many owners feel, well...elite. The popularity of the 172 and Cherokee shrouds the Sundowner, but if you're in the market to buy into this category, don't turn down a ride in the Beech. Those in aircraft sales consider the airplane to be a sleeper in the 180-hp, fixed-gear single arena. Perhaps the negative press that hammered the airplane's cruise speed has kept the costs low. Regardless, the Sundowner definitely deserves a chance.