B60 DUKE

Fantasy airplane for most of us, but a very solid performer for the select few
BY EDWARD G. TRIPP

PHOTOGRAPHY BY ART DAVIS AOPAPilOT· 33

cOlltitlurd

nlw:i'
.aJ world's ultimate
business airplane"personal
is how
Beech literature presents the Duke,
"Even on a crowded, wing-tip to wing-
tip flight line, there is no mistaking a
pressurized Beechcraft Duke .. .It sits
tall and proud on the ramp, dominat-
ing everything around it. .. From the
very beginning, the Duke was de-
signed to be more than an exceptional
airplane .. .It was designed to be a visi-
ble extension of your personality. To
be testimony to your lifestyle. And to
make a bold statement about your
achievements no other airplane can."
As a matter of fact, that is the way
almost everyone talks and writes about
the Duke. It certainly is different-spe-
cial-looking and is perceived as an
aircraft with a peculiar little niche.
Last year, I had several opportunities
to use B60s, the current Duke model.
One was several years old and had
about 1,400 hours on it; the other, the
aircraft used to illustrate this article,
was brand new. The particular image
of the Duke was reinforced whenever
we taxied onto a ramp as people volu-
bly expressed their admiration (and
even secret desires) for the airplane.
There are some negative aspects to
the image. It is known as "the tank,"
as a runway hog, very cramped inside,
a maintenance technician's dream and
very, very expensive. People talk about
those aspects of the Duke, too.
My reintroduction to the Model 60
renewed my appreciation for it as an
airplane and for several of its design
and construction features.
When Beech announced the devel-
opment program in the fall of 1966,
the technical and operational strong
points of the design were emphasized;
the romance did not start until several
years later. It was termed "the lowest-
priced pressurized twin-engine Beech-
craft in history." The higher priced
ones were the Models 88 (pressurized
Queen Air) and 90 (King Air). Cessna's
first pressurized twin, the Model 421, dral in the horizontal tail surfaces re- Lycoming engines as ones designed
was in development and was about to mained. from the beginning for high-altitude,
be marketed. The Duke was to start The early advertising copy talked of turbosupercharged operation (however,
deliveries in the fall of 1967, but the the Duke as an aircraft of the future: the original recommended TBO was
program slipped a year. "It's happened ... One of the most phe- only 800 hours). The propellers were
When it did appear, the large dorsal nomenal aviation breakthroughs of all controlled by nitrogen or dry-air
fin, which runs from the top of the time ... The best performing, lowest charges, rather than engine oil, to pre-
cockpit to the base of the vertical stabi- priced, IFR-equipped, pressurized twin in clude the problems of coagulated oil at
lizer, was still very much of the visual the world! ... This is tomorrow's air- low temperatures. Promotional litera-
signature of the airplane, but the com- plane-here today ... The most conclu- ture also focused on the advanced con-
panion ventral fin had disappeared. sively provel' twin in the sky." Promo- struction techniques and materials
The large amount (10 degrees) of dihe- tional literature singled out the 380-hp used: "[Beech engineers] saved enor-

34· FEBRUARY 1983

 pared to the standard arrangement of
the mid to late 1960s. The Duke did
not borrow the center control of the
Bonanza and Baron series; it has con-
ventional yokes. Nor did it use the re-
versed propeller and throttle or gear
and flap switches of the smaller, more
popular Beech designs. Fuel manage-
ment was simple, since the system has
only three positions for each side: Off,
On and Crossfeed. From the start, it
had a dual-bus electrical system, 125-
amp generators and a nickel/cadmium
battery. Independent pitot-static sys-
tems were available for pilot flight in-
struments as well as for the copilot
flight instruments, which were op-
tional. There was a great deal of
thought given to the installation and
maintainability of instruments and avi-
onics and other components.
The aircraft was developed to be cer-
tificated for flight into known icing,
and the optional air conditioning sys-
tem could be operated during takeoff
and landing.
The flaps, which extend beyond the
trailing edge of the wing, are semi-
Fowler in principal, extending aft as
well as down to increase chord and
provide a bit of additional lift.
The pressurization differential was
4.6 psi maximum (now 4.7 psi), which
provided a 1O,000-foot cabin at 24,800
feet and a maximum operating altitude
of 30,000 feet (originally 31,300).
The Duke originally was designed as
a four-seater (with optional fifth and
sixth seats); the familiar club seating
option came later. The elaborate nose
contains a large baggage compartment
with a flat floor (the nose gear rotates
90 degrees on retraction to provide the
flat floor).
The most significant original limita-
tion was the low standard fuel capacity

DUIm
mous amounts of weight, space and fu-
(142 gallons/852 pounds usable and
204 gallons/l,224 pounds optional).
From the original concept to the fin-
ished product, the original Duke was a
in excess of the required load factors." significant technical exercise and devel-
ture maintenance costs ... No airplane The pressure vessel was tested through opment.
ever built has been more thoroughly 30,000 cycles (it has a 15,000-hour life It was designed as a single-pilot air-
and thoughtfully engineered." And, in- limit); computer-aided design was em- plane, and much to Beech's credit, a
deed, the Duke from the beginning has ployed; and a fuselage mock-up was school for pilots and maintenance peo-
employed sophisticated metal bonding, constructed in part to help study cock- ple was offered almost from the start.
honeycomb structure (in the tail sur- pit arrangement and pilot work load. The school runs four days: three days
faces), chemically milled skins and ex- It is interesting that, for all the of classroom and one day (or part of a
tensive flush riveting-methods and changes and improvements made to day) for a checkride. At a current cost
materials only lightly explored for gen- the Duke over the years, very little has of $350 (free with the purchase of a
eral aviation applications back then. been done in the cockpit. It was a very new Duke), it is very cheap insurance
The airframe was "designed and tested well-done job, particularly if it is com- for anyone who owns or flies a Duke.
continued

AOPA PILOT • 35
COl1rillltt'd

The company anticipated an average certain amount, from maintenance to the engineers and the finance de-
production run of 200 units per year shortcomings (one service manager, ag- partments and which work fine during
(the initial base price was $166,500). gravated by my constantly squawking factory analysis and test, don't do too
Sales never reached company projec- pressurization, governor and turbo- well in the field. Or, continuous use
tions. In fact, in the now-IS-year run charger problems years ago, asked: points out shortcomings of design or
of the Duke, a total of 596 have been "How perfectly do you want it to oper- materials or installation.
built. The original Model 60 had a pro- ate, anyhow?"). To put it another way, For whatever reason, some of the
duction run of approximately 126. The a lot of the problems that have oc- early Duke owners had very unsatis-
A60, a 1971 model year introduction, curred with any high-performance, factory experiences. An acquaintance of
had a production run of about 120. particularly high-altitude, aircraft over mine, who had owned several Bonan-
The B60, the current Duke, was intro- the years have been a combination of zas and Barons, was so unhappy with
duced in the 1974 model year, and 350 lack of knowledge on the part of both his and with the difficulty he had in
have been produced to date. operators and repair shops, and the getting it maintained satisfactorily that
Initial response was enthusiastic, but need to develop a different strategy for his company bought a non-Beech
there were still some attributes of the both operation and maintenance. product when they moved up to a
airplane that proved unsatisfactory be- Powerplant management and mainte- turboprop. It was from early owners
cause of either service-life experience nance and the acceptance of progres- that the Duke garnered the reputation
or customer-acceptance complaints. sive as opposed to "don't fix it unless it of having poor runway performance
Many of the customer or potential- breaks" service are requirements that and gained such nicknames or epithets
customer objections had to do with the many operators still don't follow. The as the tank, the turtle and the truck.
relatively small amount of room in the Duke and anything else that regularly And quite a few of them decided it was
cabin for passengers (people in the operates at extremes of altitude (and a maintenance hog, too.
front seats are taken care of quite well, temperature), and any complex, so- Beech, along with its suppliers, re-
except for what some pilots consider phisticated agglomeration of systems, sponded to a lot of the operational dif-
too much squeezing, crawling and gen- requires a great deal more care and ficulties. As previously mentioned,
erally undignified processes to get into feeding-and thoughtful operation- there have been two model changes.
the seats). than a basic or even moderately so- There also have been quite a few im-
A certain amount of the mechanical phisticated aircraft. provements that did not result in a
and systems problems owners experi- There is another side to it, of course: new model designation. The first was
enced have resulted from lack of the primary and component manufac- an increase in engine TBO to 1,200
knowledge of the aircraft and the envi- turers. Some pieces or systems, which hours, announced for the 1970 model
ronment in which it operates and, a appear perfectly functional and suitable year. There were pressurization prob-

DUIm

36. FEBRUARY 1983

 lems and problems with the security or added, along with longer exhaust years. The first one our records show
sealing of the cabin door. There also stacks to deal with the flap corrosion was issued in 1971 and restricted oper-
were problems with the turbosuper- problem. In 1976, TBO was increased ations from known icing conditions un-
chargers, and exhaust gases were caus- to 1,600 hours and an optional wing- til an electrical transducer was added
ing corrosion, particularly to the flaps. tip fuel tank system was offered that to the deice system. Another required
Passengers 'complained it was a noisy increased total usable fuel to 232 gal- replacement of the pilot side window
airplane. There were valve, connecting- lonsj1,392 pounds. before pressurized flight could be con-
rod and crankcase problems, too. In 1978 and 1980, Beech paid even ducted. There was one that required
The A60 was introduced as a 1971 more attention to the passengers. The replacement of the elevator hinge sup-
airplane, and many of the difficulties flow of pressurization air was rede- ports and two dealing with the wing
had been addressed. The turbos were signed and interior soundproofing was outer panel to center section attach
made of stainless steel, and the exhaust improved. The interior was redesigned nuts. Two ADs dealt with the problems
system had been redesigned. A new yet again to provide more elbow and of moisture in the cabin and fuselage
pressurization system was fitted, steps hip room and to create a greater visual and one with possible interference be-
had been taken to deal with water illusion of space. tween the fuselage moisture barrier
leaks, and the flap motor was changed. The original nicad batteries, which and elevator controls. There was a
The maximum takeoff rate was in- had caused service problems, were re- problem with potential propeI1er blade
creased from 6,725 to 6,775 pounds. placed with two, 12-volt, 25-amp lead shank cracking, another with engine
For the 1974 model year, the Duke acid batteries mounted in series. piston pins and yet another with fuel
became the B60, with a lot of internal By this time, the combination of in- cell leaks. There are several ADs on
engine changes that made the desig- flation and more-profit-per-unit pricing accessories, many of which are com-
nated model TIO-541-EIC4 from the policies had taken hold. The base price, mon to several aircraft.
previous E1A4. The pressurization out- which had risen to $187,000 in 1974 By the time the B60 was introduced,
flow valves were moved to the back of ascended to $258,000 in 1977, Beech was marketing the airplane as a
the aft pressure bulkhead, which in- $313,000 in 1979, $341,700 in 1980 personal business machine directed at
creased the cabin length by six inches. and $433,250 in 1982. successful individuals who had made it
In 1975, a new pressurization system There have been a few airworthiness on their own and wanted to show it. It
manufactured by AiResearch was directives affecting the Duke over the had lost its niche as the fastest pressur-

AOPA PILOT • 37
continued

ized piston twin by a few knots to the

Aerostar 601 and 602P (see September
1982 Pilot, p. 36) and found a more
limited market slot due to competition
from larger cabin and lower cost air-
craft. It had become a very limited pro-
'lOiuctionaircraft, much as the Models
~ 18 and 65 (Queen Air) had before it.
It may be that the macho image and
the visceral visual appeal of the Duke
took it out of contention for many po-
tential buyers. It may be the hangar
tales that grew out of its flying and
maintenance characteristics. Or, it may
be that people or companies buying
aircraft in this price and performance
range want to see larger interior cubic
space even if the available payload is
little different. For whatever reason,
the Duke is not taken seriously as a
competitor in the pressurized twin
market. Although it is not the most
fuel efficient, it does have competitive
useful load and performance, and, de-
spite its reputation, it is price competi-
tive. Particularly when the usual pas-
senger load (less than four) in this
category aircraft is considered, the
Duke has a lot to recommend it.
It also is a delightful airplane to fly,
so long as the pilot understands the
nature and the characteristics of the
airplane (again, it makes sense to go to
school). Pre- and post-flight checks are

38· FEBRUARY 1983

straightforward. The only real caution, of climb speed is slow, particularly pensive engines or for loss of pres-
particularly for those aircraft with the when it is hot. This is the period of surization. High-speed and high-rate
optional 232-gallon fuel capacity, is maximum exposure. When the aircraft descents with power can be made
that the Duke is another airplane that is clean and initial climb speed is clean. Even faster ones can be made
should not be topped off immediately reached and the first power reduction thanks to the 174 KIAS gear- and ap-
after flight if it is going to be left in the is made (preferably at 1,000 feet agl), proach-flap extension limits. The pres-
sun or otherwise subjected to substan- the rush is over and things both settle surization controller enables the pilot
tial temperature variations. (Pilots must down and quiet down-those short, fat to ensure that even the highest-rate de-
be cautioned not to leave a fully fueled propellers make a lot of noise when scents do not bother the passengers.
aircraft in the sun for too long lest they they turn at 2,900 rpm. In fact, to com- Instrument flight in the Duke is en-
get a face full of gasoline when the ply with Federal Aviation Regulation joyable and secure so long as the pilot
caps are removed.) If maximum endur- Part 36, the maximum continuous knows the airplane and its characteris-
ance is the goal, it is strongly recom- power setting of 2,900/41.5 has been tics (so what, we say the same thing
mended that the pilot monitor the re- supplemented with a "Maximum Nor- about any airplane). Pitch stability is
fueling and ensure that it is done on a mal Operating Power" of 2,750/36.5, excellent, and configuration changes,
level surface to preclude imbalanced which is the old recommended normal such as gear and flap extension or re-
loads. Line personnel must be cautioned cruise climb power setting. Aside from traction, provide little if any pitch
not to insert the nozzle too far into the noise relief, the initial fuel flow setting change. Yaw stability is about the same
tank to avoid damaging the bladder. of 520 pounds per hour can be reduced as in the Bonanza and Baron families.
There are three parts of the flight to 396 pph (or about $40 per hour less In other words, in turbulence, Dutch
regime that deserve good training and at the fuel pump). roll is very apparent. What a difference
careful attention from any Duke pilot: From here on up to cruise altitude, a good yaw damper makes.
takeoff, landing and low-speed man- Pitch forces are fairly high; roll input
agement. These three areas probably
have done more to fill the hangar tale
books on the Duke than all others
combined.
The operating manual says that a
nUIm
the pilot can enjoy the surroundings,
requires a bit less effort, and yaw even
less. Control response is positive and
crisp, even at low airspeeds, and the
airplane is highly maneuverable.
I settled on an approach speed of
Duke will get off the ground and over the view (which is a lot better from the 130 knots, until it was time to commit
a 50-foot barrier in 2,626 feet and that cockpit than it may appear to be while to land, for the best combination of
it will get on and stopped over a 50- standing on the outside looking in) and stability, response and quick reaction to
foot barrier in 3,065 feet (unlike some the very well organized cockpit. A missed-approach decisions. Work load
aircraft, if you can land the Duke there, cruise climb of 140 knots provides was very low, even when hand-flying
chances are you can get it back off). To good visibility and an average of 700 the approaches in tight conditions anp
do the first requires careful use of all fpm or better to altitude. high ATC-induced work load.
760 horsepower. To do the latter re- Cruising at altitude is where the Attitude and power changes do re-
quires very precise descent, speed and Duke excels. At an average power set- quire attention to the trim of the air-
power management; it also requires ting of 65 'percent, it is quiet, quite fast plane, and three-axis trim controls-
several decisions during the approach and very comfortable. The cockpit de- particularly rudder and elevator-are
and, at all but long runways, a definite sign may be 15 yea,rs old, but it is still welcome pilot aids.
commitment to continue the landing. unsurpassed by the competition and by Final approach and landing is where
Despite its 380-hp engines, the Duke quite a few of the turboprops and tur- a lot of pilots-including long-time
is not going to win any drag races. It is bojets. ' Duke pilots-have decided it is a
slow to accelerate initially. Among Night lighting is excellent, and there tough airplane. Pilots tend to be tough
other considerations, it requires that are several variations as well as seg- on brakes. Part of this is that pilots
the pilot learn to take density altitude mented controls to adjust them to any tend to land too fast; the Duke floats
considerations very seriously. Operat- pilot's preference. Exterior lighting, just like a Cherokee or Bonanza or
ing off runways of less than 4,000 feet with all the options, is excellent, too. It Mooney if you attempt to plant it on
(or even more than 4,000 feet in more would be pretty hard not to see a Duke the ground at too high an airspeed.
than sea level, standard temperature at night with a navigation, two rotating The technique that works best for
conditions) suggests establishing full beacon, a wing-tip recognition, three me (and it was taught by a very experi-
power before brake release. Rolling strobe, and taxi and landing lights on enced Duke pilot) is to keep the ap-
takeoffs and during-the-roll power during an approach. proach speed above blue line (Vyse)
applications greatly lengthen the re- Even in the older Duke we used last until the decision is made to land, par-
quired runway length. Precision in ro- year, but particularly with the 1982 ticularly if runway length is a consider-
tation (lighten the nosewheel at 85 model, there is more than enough ation. At the decision point-about 200
knots and plan to fly off at 95 knots) room for five in the airplane for long feet in the air-start reducing power
and both aircraft and airspeed manage- flights. The seats are quite comfortable, and airspeed (the manual recommends
ment are important. with good support and a variety of ad- an approach speed of 95 knots at nor-
Thank goodness for the short gear justments, for four-hour legs. mal approach weights). I call it a deci-
retraction and extension time, because Descent management is easy without sion point because from there on you
acceleration to best single-engine rate concern for rapid cooling of those ex- should not attempt a balked landing

AOPA PILOT • 39
continued

DUKE BEECH
Model
DUKE
B60
Base price $433,250
Price as tested $644.452
Cruise speed/Range

(fuel consumption,
Approx.
26,000 ft
w /45-min rsv,
232 gal fuel @ 6,125 Ib mid-cruise
both engines)
79% power, best economy
240 kt/1,068
weight

nm
AOPA Pilot Operations/Equipment Category":
unless you are on the razor edge of All-weather $559,000 to $650,000 (est.) (260.4 pph/43.4 gph)
competence. If there is any doubt at ]6,000 ft 222 kt/927 nm
this point, execute a missed approach Specifications (284.4 pph/47.4 gph)
unless you are blessed with a very long Powerplants 2 380-hp Lycoming Approx. 65% power, best economy
TIO-541-E1C4, 6 cyl, 760 hp total 26,000 ft 226 kt/1,127 nm
runway in front of you. j
@ 2,900 rpm/41.5 in (225 pph/37.5 gph)
The Duke is a good airplane in Recommended TBO 1,600 hr 16,000 ft 207 kt/1,032 nm
which to demonstrate the concept of Propellers 2 Hartzell, 3 blade, constant 235.2 pph/39.2 gph)
getting behind the power curve. The speed, full feathering, 74 in dia Approx. 55% power, best economy
Length 33 ft 10 in 26,000 ft 219 kt/1,178 nm
best place to check this out is at alti- 12 ft 4 in
Height (209.4 pph/34.9 gph)
tude. Just as during takeoff, a lot of Wingspan 39 ft 3 in ]6,000 ft 201 kt/1,088 nm
time is required to accelerate from a Wing area 212.9 sq ft (216 pph/36 gph)
slow-speed maneuver, such as ap- Wing loading 31.8 Ib/sq ft Max operating altitude 30,000 ft
8.9Ib/hp Single-engine service ceiling 15,100 ft
proach to stall or, even more telling, Power loading
Seats 6 Landing distance over 50-ft obst 3,065 ft
Vmc. So long as a pilot knows the 11 ft 10 in ],3]8 ft
Cabin length Landing distance, ground roll
technique and the characteristics of an Cabin width 4 ft 2 in
airplane, a -missed approach or any Cabin height 4 ft 4 in Limiting and Recommended Airspeeds
other change in plans is strictly no Empty weight 4.425 Ib Vmc (Min control w /
Empty weight, as tested 4,919lb critical engine inoperative) 85 KIAS
sweat, so long as power and airspeed 99 KIAS
Max ramp weight 6,819lb Vx (Best angle of climb)
and descent rate are all in hand. In a ] 20 KIAS
Useful load 2,394 Ib Vy (Best rate of climb)
Duke, knowing, practicing and adher- Useful load, as tested l,900lb Vxse (Best single-engine
ing to the characteristics of the airplane Payload w/202 gal/1,212 lb fuel l,1821b angle of climb) 100 KIAS
make all the difference between com- Payload w /232 gal/1,392 Ib fuel, Vyse (Best single-engine
as tested 508 lb rate of climb) 112 KIAS
petent confidence and hair-raising ad- ]60 KIAS
Max takeoff weight 6,775 Ib Va (Design maneuvering)
venture. Stalls, single-engine work and Max landing weight (with 10 ply tires; Vfe (Max flap extended)
approaches to minimums can be han- 6,600 w /8 ply tires) 6,775 Ib 15° ]74 KIAS
dled as a matter of course if you are Fuel capacity 147 gal (142 gal/852 Ib usable) 30° 140 KIAS
207 gal (202 gaJ/1,212 Ib usable) Vie (Max gear extended) 174 K]AS
trained properly. 174 KIAS
237 gal (232 gal/1,392 Ib usable) Vlo (Max gear operating)
And it makes it easier on the air- 207 KIAS
Oil capacity, ea engine 13 qt Vno (Max structural cruising)
plane and its systems, and any passen- Baggage capacity Vne (Never exceed) 233 KIAS
gers who may be on board, too. front (nose bay) 500 Ib, 32 cu ft Vr (Rotation) 85 KIAS
aft cabin (6-seat configuration) 701b,- VSl (Stall clean) 81 KIAS
My reunion with the Beech Duke,
Vso (Stall in landing configuration) 73 KIAS
which included a lot of night and IFR Performance
hours, was a pleasure. It renewed my Takeoff distance, ground roll 2,075 ft All specificatiolls are based all mQ/lUfacture~s
appreciation for an airplane that is Takeoff distance over 50-ft obst 2,626 ft calculatiolls. All performallce figures are based
competitive in many ways but that suf- Accelerate/stop distance 3,600 ft all stalldard day, stalldard atmosphere, at sea
Max demonstrated crosswind component 25 kt level alld gross weight, uJ/less otherwise 1I0ted.
fers from its reputation as an aircraft
Rate of climb, sea level 1,601 fpm "Operatiolls/Equipmellt Category reflects
only for those high rollers who have Single-engine ROC. sea level 307 fpm this aircraft's maximum potelltial.
made it big and who want to show it Max level speed, 23,000 ft 246 kt See JUlie] 982 Pilot p. 93.
to the world. D

40· FEBRUARY 1983