BeechTalk - BT

Username Protected · **Posted:** 18 Oct 2025, 12:44

Sold my aerostar and ended up purchasing a Merlin IIIB! Any other Merlin owners on here?

Username Protected · **Posted:** 18 Oct 2025, 13:38

Someone not long ago asked me to duplicate is IIB door seal

great aircraft, door is bulit like a mu2 door

I stock Mu2 door seals

:stir:

Username Protected · **Posted:** 18 Oct 2025, 14:16

Not the most fun to hand fly, but everything else is great! Excellent pressurization, efficient, and built like a tank!

Username Protected · **Posted:** 18 Oct 2025, 17:15

Get the STC for adding the JATO bottle in the tail.

The saying on the Metroliner is it help ARFF to find your crash location by following the smoke trail.

Username Protected · **Posted:** 18 Oct 2025, 19:35

Bad ass! Always loved Merlins. Congrats! :thumbup:

Username Protected · **Posted:** 19 Oct 2025, 08:31

A friend flew a longer one (III?) long ago. He said it did not have an autopilot. I don’t recall if that’s because it was not equipped or broken. He regularly talked about range issues. It was a commuter airline.

Username Protected · **Posted:** 19 Oct 2025, 10:00

Username Protected wrote:

A friend flew a longer one (III?) long ago. He said it did not have an autopilot. I don’t recall if that’s because it was not equipped or broken. He regularly talked about range issues. It was a commuter airline.

That would have been the Metro (Metroliner). Affectionally called the “San Antonio Sewer Pipe” an homage to Swearingen’s base and the extremely long, round tube.

Username Protected · **Posted:** 19 Oct 2025, 11:59

Username Protected wrote:

A friend flew a longer one (III?) long ago. He said it did not have an autopilot. I don’t recall if that’s because it was not equipped or broken. He regularly talked about range issues. It was a commuter airline.

Pffffffffft, back when the “San Antonio Sewer Pipe” was found at every major airline hub the saying was, “First Officers are cheaper than autopilots.”

Username Protected · **Posted:** 19 Oct 2025, 15:51

Username Protected wrote:

A friend flew a longer one (III?) long ago. He said it did not have an autopilot. I don’t recall if that’s because it was not equipped or broken. He regularly talked about range issues. It was a commuter airline.

Are the metros short-legged? I thought merlins had insane range (2000nm?)

Username Protected · **Posted:** 19 Oct 2025, 16:12

Username Protected wrote:

A friend flew a longer one (III?) long ago. He said it did not have an autopilot. I don’t recall if that’s because it was not equipped or broken. He regularly talked about range issues. It was a commuter airline.

That would have been the Metro (Metroliner). Affectionally called the “San Antonio Sewer Pipe” an homage to Swearingen’s base and the extremely long, round tube.

Username Protected · **Posted:** 19 Oct 2025, 21:07

Username Protected wrote:

A friend flew a longer one (III?) long ago. He said it did not have an autopilot. I don’t recall if that’s because it was not equipped or broken. He regularly talked about range issues. It was a commuter airline.

Are the metros short-legged? I thought merlins had insane range (2000nm?)

Username Protected · **Posted:** 19 Oct 2025, 21:12

The Merlin IIIB holds 650 gallons, I assume the Metro is the same, but do not know.

Username Protected

I flew a IIIC for a while and it had transcontinental range, though no-one ever used them that way.

I did fly round trip from San Diego to Lake Tahoe three or four times one day on a tank of fuel.

Username Protected

Username Protected wrote:

A friend flew a longer one (III?) long ago. He said it did not have an autopilot. I don’t recall if that’s because it was not equipped or broken. He regularly talked about range issues. It was a commuter airline.

Are the metros short-legged? I thought merlins had insane range (2000nm?)

Fairchild Merlin