A sampling of high-value used turboprops
What constitutes a good buy on the twin turboprop market right now? That all depends, of course — on the price you're willing to pay, on the trips you plan to fly, on your personal preferences, and on the maintenance and other costs you're willing to assume. After all, with the exception of the Raytheon's Beech King Airs, they're not making turboprop twins any more. The pool of nice used turboprops is aging quickly, and with that age can come some serious maintenance expenditures. Even so, a lot of prospective customers are chasing a shrinking number of used turboprops, and the market is hot — and getting hotter. Whether you're a prospect or a gawker, here are some airplanes that we think are worthy of consideration.
Beech C90, E90, and F90 King Airs
The 1964 Model 90 King Air was the first of this now-popular line. From it evolved a whole series of "baby King Airs," the 90 series. All of the 90 series are delightful to fly and have the feel of quality and substance that has always been a Beech hallmark. The cabins are famously comfortable and evocative of those found in much larger airplanes. C90s, introduced in 1971, have earned reputations for being slow, however, because of the early models' 215-or-so-knot cruise speed. In 1982, the C90-1 appeared, and it could fly as fast as 223 knots. In 1984, max cruise speed increased to 240 knots (on a good day) with the introduction of the C90A model. C90s are powered by 550-shp Pratt & Whitney PT6A-20 or -21 engines.
The E90, with its 680-shp PT6A-28 engines (flat rated to 550-shp), squeeze out a little more speed. Max cruise speed is 245 knots. Its weight and range are greater than those of the C90, and for this reason the E90s, in their day, came to be known as the hot rods of the 90 series. E90s were built between 1972 and 1981.
The F90, recognizable by its T-tail, was in production from 1979 to 1985. Its 750-shp PT6A-135 engines yielded 260-knot cruise speeds, and at a max takeoff weight of 10,950 pounds, it was the biggest and heaviest of the 90 series. A slightly faster version, the F90-1, was sold from 1983 to 1985.
Today, these King Airs will run you anywhere from $570,000 (for a 1971 C90) to $1,020,000 (for a 1983 F90). Vref, a publication that rates the prices and market activity of used airplanes, says that any nice "baby King Air" offered up for sale will be sold near its asking price within two to three months.
Piper Cheyennes I, IA, and II
Cheyenne Is and IIs make sense for those looking for a nice buy in a relatively fast and roomy Pratt-powered twin turboprop. A 1981 Cheyenne I, for example, sells for around $605,000, according to Vref, whereas Cessna Conquest Is of that vintage go for $995,000, and a 1981 Beech C90 now retails at about $770,000. The Cheyenne IA's cruise speed, at 248 knots, is comparable to an E90 King Air's, and useful loads of the Cheyenne Is are comparable to those of the Conquest I.
Cheyenne Is use 500-shp P&W PT6A-11 engines, which help to propel these airplanes to max cruise speeds in the 250-kt range. Compared to the fire-breathing, 270-knot Cheyenne IIs and IIIs, the Cheyenne Is are tamer in more ways than one, and more available.
Although Cheyenne IIs and II XLs are faster (they have 620-shp Pratts), a cloud hovers over them, thanks to a number of crashes blamed on the airplane's alleged oversensitivity in pitch. For a while, insurers were queasy about covering them. But the less powerful Is and IAs came across as safety improvements.
Good used Cheyenne IIs are becoming as scarce as hen's teeth. Although they carry the II designation, some are actually older than the Is. Built from 1974 to 1984 in three variants, they are outgrowths of the Piper Pressurized Navajo, Piper's big piston twin. Hang two 620-shp engines on an airframe originally meant for 425-hp Lycomings and the extra power can be destabilizing. What's more, the Pratts are 500 pounds lighter than the geared Lycomings used in the P-Navajo — another complicating factor. To bring about a stick-force feel that complied with certification requirements, Piper gave the IIs a stability augmentation system, which consists of an angle-of-attack sensor and an elevator downspring to provide correct, though artificial, stick forces — especially with the airplane in a high power, aft cg, and low airspeed condition. Detractors, however, blame the II's touchiness in pitch for those highly publicized accidents. But any bad karma surrounding the II seems to have vanished, in view of their popularity on the used market. They can be good buys, too. A well-maintained 1974 II goes for about $520,000. A 1982 II should run you around $760,000, and a 1984 II XL is now selling for approximately $940,000.
Cessna Conquest I
Conquest Is — also known as Cessna Corsairs (for the first few serial numbers) and Cessna 425s — are in huge demand. They'll sell for anywhere between $995,000 (for a 1981 model) and $1,165,00 (for an airplane delivered in 1986, the last year the airplane was officially in production).
Docile handling, simple systems, a respectable center-of-gravity range, good runway performance, and a nice "wide oval" cabin mark the 425. Sometimes called a "baby carriage," it has earned that name because it's an easy step up for those wanting to transition out of piston twins. The cockpit is excellent for single-pilot operations, too. The 425 is powered by 450-shp P&W PT6A-112 engines.
Mitsubishi MU-2
Yes, the MU-2. When it comes to bang for the buck, the MU-2 is hard to beat if you have the need for speed. The early MU-2s — the -B through -P models of the 1970s — had Garrett engines that produced anywhere from 605 to 776 shp and turned in max cruise speeds from 260 to 295 knots. Those airplanes now go for between $272,000 and $480,000, making them the fastest used turboprops for the money. According to Vref, these airplanes are increasing in value to the tune of $45,000 to $50,000 per quarter.
The post-1979 MU-2-B-40 (Solitaire) or the MU-2-B-60 (Marquise), which can run you between $725,000 and $865,000, depending on condition, are in particularly high demand. The Solitaire is the hot rod, with a short fuselage and a 321-knot max cruise speed. The Marquise is a 308-knot 11-seater that's favored by many charter operators. They're both powered by 715-shp Garrett TPE-331-10 engines, which have 5,400-hour TBOs.
Many scorn the MU-2 because of its lousy accident record and quirky handling. Several made unexplained dives into the ground from altitude. In other cases, it was believed that the airplane's autopilot malfunctioned or that ice buildups on the MU's big belly were to blame. But at the root of most problems were poor pilot judgment and rusty skills. MU-2 drivers have to constantly pay attention to trim demands, for example, and consistently landing one well can be a challenge.
Even so, the MU's full-span flaps and high wing allow landings on short and/or rough fields, while at the same time its high power and wing loading let it cruise at the top of the turboprop heap. It's really quite a clever design — but it can bite back, so pilots must be well-trained and maintain currency standards much higher than legal minimums.
Twin Commander 690A/B
These 717-shp, 5,400-hr-TBO Garrett-powered Twin Commanders were built between 1972 and 1979, and they're going like hot cakes now — at anywhere from $375,000 to $735,000. Their strong suit is their combination of performance, and 1,500-lb full-fuel useful loads.
The cockpits of all the Twin Commanders are on the tight side, but have some distinctive touches — the ram's-horn yokes, the overhead panels, the windshield wipers — that give the front office an airliner feel. Takeoffs and landings are a rush, because you sit so low to the runway.
There's a skeleton in the closet, however. The spars of many 690As and -Bs experienced dissimilar metals corrosion, caused by the airplane's use of a stainless steel-plus-aluminum web and cap design. An expensive AD lets owners replace these spars, and many have done so. Expect to pay a $100,000 pre-mium above usual retail prices for airplanes with this fix.
Those with original spars have to be periodically inspected according to the provisions of a service bulletin, to look for signs of any corrosion's advance. Complying with the AD eliminates the need for these recurrent inspections.
Another service issue facing Twin Commander owners is replacement of any leaking or deteriorated rubber fuel cells. There are 22 of them. Even so, aging fuel cells don't affect Twin Commanders only. Any used turboprop with this kind of fuel system is now a candidate for fuel cell replacement.
Are there other good twin turboprops on the market these days? Certainly. But the ones listed here were chosen for their suitability either as step-up airplanes (90-series King Airs, Conquest Is, Cheyenne Is) from piston twins, or as step-ups from smaller turboprops to larger ones (MU-2, Twin Commander 690A/B). That, and their enduring appeal as high-value, reasonably priced workhorses.
Just remember: Caveat emptor. As a pilot new to these or any other turbine-powered aircraft, you'll need to budget for initial training. All pilots will need to pursue recurrent training periodically to stay fresh on little-used procedures, and to further satisfy insurance requirements.
Like all aging airplanes, the ones discussed here can be horrendous maintenance nightmares. The antidote is a thorough examination of the airplane's maintenance history, a pre-buy inspection by a reputable pro who knows the airplane you're scoping out, and a negotiated price that takes any discrepancies into account.
Links to previous Pilot articles about these airplanes can be found on AOPA Online ( www.aopa.org/pilot/links.shtml). E-mail the author at [email protected].
