Two roaring engines, front and rear entry doors, unique high-wing looks, silky handling, and one of the world’s coolest names make Twin Commander’s 500S Shrike Commander a pilot’s dream. Oh, and don’t forget that aviation legend Bob Hoover used to barrel roll it while pouring a glass of iced tea.
Designed in 1946 by the legendary Ted Smith, the Aero Commander 520 was one of the first twin-engine civilian aircraft on the market. Although it never matched sales from Piper and Cessna, the Ted Smith design flourished over time as the fuselage was stretched, the gross weight increased, and more powerful engines were fitted. Later versions added turboprop engines, and a derivative was morphed into a business jet.
It was during Rockwell’s stewardship of Twin Commander, between 1958 and 1981, that Bob Hoover traveled the world as a sales ambassador and performed full airshow routines in the Shrike. Pilots who have been around for a few decades still rave about Hoover’s fantastic feats of skill and energy management, executing low-level aerobatic maneuvers with first one, then both propellers feathered.
The Shrike was built between 1968 and 1979. It featured two 290-horsepower Lycoming IO-540 engines, and with a gross weight of 6,750 pounds, power loading is a respectable 11.6. In the marketplace it fits between a late model Piper Seneca or Beechcraft Baron, and it also competes in the cabin-class category with the Piper Navajo and Cessna 402. It’s not a stretch to say it’s in a class of its own.
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Engines (2) Lycoming IO-540-E1B5, rated at 290 horsepower each
Normal cruise speed 176 kt
VSO 59 kt
Gross weight 6,750 lb
Standard empty weight 4,635 lb
Max range 732 nm
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Barons have similar panache for some but less space; Navajos also offer a big airplane feel but there’s that low wing.