You guys are trying to make a three airplane debate into a two plane.
The 421c is a different bird, and I suspect everyone here would chose it over the duke, all things being equal. But Todd is right they are not and similar Dukes can be bought for 1/3 a 421c, My Lazarus will sell for around 100k with garmin 530/430, new paint and interior. I don't believe you will find a comparable 421c for under 400k.
I had a 100,000 dollar 421b, and no thanks I made 5k on the sale. Went to a KA90 then down to a Duke. I am happy.

I firmly believe there is a "421 syndrome."

The signs/symptoms are as follows:

1) A desire to own the king of pistons when for chump change more a turbine is within reach.

2) A strong desire to never let anyone else touch the throttles without written consent. I would get sick every time I saw someone jockeying the throttles.

3) The ability to swallow a 30,000 dollar annual without even a groan.


Interesting discussion. I can not afford a 421 at this point. But if you are going to go pressurized twin, go with the biggest and baddest. What else compares, a Navajo chieftain? A duke is a great value but really can be compared. Where do put a seventh person in a a Duke, or my pee for that matter. Can I call RAM for a new engine? Lycoming?

Ryan,

When I am paying for the fuel I don't care how the 7th person gets to the destination. My Pee went out the relief tube in the cockpit floor. The passengers went in the potty seat.

In the 421 a passenger does not have to give up their seat so someone else can pee in it.

+1, when I bought my first Baron in 1978, gas was $.99/gal Today at $6.00/gal that makes a 600% increase in fuel prices. In thirty years 100LL will be $36/gal. and a piston airplane will still be a lot cheaper than flying a jet engined airplane.

Many dream about flying cross country in their personal jet. They better have a high net worth or own a Corporation that can justify the huge operating cost. For the rest of us flying a piston airplane for personal transportation will remain the the dominate choice for many years to come.

+1, when I bought my first Baron in 1978 gas was $.99/gal Today at $6.00/gal that makes a 600% increase in fuel prices. In thirty years 100LL will be $36/gal. and a piston airplane will still be a lot cheaper than flying a jet engined airplane.

I look forward to flying 800 mi in an electric airplane on a single charge and then landing and charging it up in 30 min to continue on the next leg.

:-)

In less than 36 years you will

We're already getting pretty close in the automotive world and battery technology is still in it's infancy.

Think ahead 36 years!!!

In 36 years I will be a dead MF, but my 49 Bonanza may still be chugging along on mogas. All I got to do is stash away a couple of spare 225s.

It's hard to argue with that.

.99 adjusted for inflation from 1978 is $3.60. I filled up today for $5.38 so I guess things aren't all that bad, at least in fuel price terms. I don't see electric airplanes serving the need any time soon, but I'm pretty certain that my next car will be electric.

I love the smell of "Electricity In The Morning"???????????

Rocky, they're gonna fix that too. Gonna take a pill to make you younger Cost a little more than your average prescription though.

Larry, electricity generated by the sun gonna smell real good

The only reason we have a positive association of 100LL or Jet-A is because of childhood memories of planes going zoom. The reality, they both smell horrible; but I will never admit it.

Tim

Gasoline stores 46 MJ/kg. The latest "breakthrough" battery stores 0.80 MJ/kg. As i said, physics it's quite rude that way ([Link]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Energy_density[/Link])

This doesn't even get into the fact that batteries are not a source of energy. All those Prius/Tesla drivers giving you the superior look are DRIVING A COAL POWERED CAR.

When some friend giddily gave me the news last year that this solar plane got to Phoenix, 24+ hr after leaving SF, my first question was - what did they do, they TAXIED there??

And this is just physics, before we get to economics. Everytime I'm being served this kool aid, I point out to your one-a-minute 747 on the take-off roll at SFO. "That thing weighs 800,000 lbs+. Do you understand what it takes to make that go up in the air?"

Yeah, we will be flying piston airplanes for a long time (at least as long as we still get to fly, which is a whole question altogether).