As best as I can measure it on an Aerostar drawing I found the engine-to-engine spacing on the Aerostar is 14'5". The spacing on my 58P is 11'7". The distance from the props to more or less the center of the rudder is about 19'4". On my 58P it is about 23'8". That latter measurement might be better taken from the CG rather than from the props. Making an estimate of the CG locations, the 58P still comes out about 2' longer than the Aerostar.

Conclusion: While the Aerostar my have excellent single engine performance it is not for the reasons stated.[/quote]

Well, then the Baron must be even better on one engine. But look at 414's, 421's etc - they sit quite far apart.[/quote]

The 58P is pretty poor on one engine. It will only do about 200 fpm at sea level under standard conditions at gross weight.[/quote]



In Florida, that can't be good at all.

Greetings All, I’m a Bonanza/Barron guy that has finally decided to scratch the A* itch. I wanted to share my experiences as Imake the conversion. It’s pretty evident from the threads that the A* world is a community of like minded pilots who share a love for this incredible aeronautical wonder. I’m currently in a 1984 A36 and have owned and enjoyed several Barrons and Mooneys. The wife has declared she is unsatisfied with duty of always keeping track of our nearest airport in case of emergency as we travel in the A36. The engine out glide radius sealed her sentiments and back to piston twin we go.
I’m on the look for a 700 and wanted to share a few initial observations. First, the market for the remarkable traveling machines is very attractive. As an A* neophyte and relatively low time (1400 hr CFII w/400 mel) pilot, having training and maintenance support from reliable and responsive sources is essential. I have yet to purchase an aircraft from Jim Christy, but if I do, it will be from Jim’s incredible outfit in Idaho. (Or one maintained by) Jim has spent more time with me discussing his great product than any of the “other guys “ in past aircraft I’ve bought and operated. It also is clear that the A* world is peopled by a different breed, unique but loyal.
My impression is that technical and parts support is but a long distance call to Idaho on an A* specific part and you have the top honchos responding to your needs. Plus there’s a tight knit if not somewhat dysfunctional brother hood of pilot owners looking out for one another. I’d like to think I might fit in. I’d have to say I’m not sure how comfortable I’d be making this transition to A* were it not for JC and I have not yet met him in person. From what I’ve read I’m not alone. Feel free to share your input. Mission is 10-12hrs/ mo. Hauling family over 300 mi. I sort of settled on a 700 with the beefed up undercarriage. Considering the winglets for reasons other than the cool look. I’m sure there are some.
Feel free to share your thoughts. I’ve already got the sweets for N700SD, 1979 Super 700 on the AAC listings. Needs some attention to the panel but looks like a sound platform to build on. Feedback from old hands appreciated.

If I went back to an Aerostar, I'd buy a 700 too. The 601P is great, and it runs a bit more economical on fuel, but the performance of the 350hp engines are undeniable. Good choice!

Sorta spendy for a 1979 panel, IMO. Engines look new, however.

Unfortunately, our two resident A* experts were voted off the island.

I think she is a bargain!

First and foremost: Pedigree from Aerostar Factory

Low time U2A engines which make up around half of the value

Add winglets, Gross weight increase if needed and 102K for new panel and Voila,

I know, My new A* self acting like I know sumpin.

The part that makes the plane really standout (in my opinion) is pressurization. It adds another layer of complexity but your passengers will Love descending at 1000 fpm and their ears are not popping.

So very tempting...

Good luck, I loved mine.
Make sure you find and join one or both Aerostar forums. One is free and public, and one is a private group.

Tim

She is a bargain and if you wait to long I will be the new owner and not you.
One thing I can assure you, if it's coming from Christy's shop, he will not let it leave until it has been gone over with a fine tooth comb, every airworthy discrepancy corrected and anything he may have a concern about you will be made aware of. You couldn't be in better hands.
That being said, you're buying (or I'm buying) a fantastic platform to build off of. You're not going to spend $100,000 + to upgrade 700SD, it's more going to be on the order of $200,000 + and I would say you're not going to stop there. It' all depends on how often you want to tear up the insides of your airplane to upgrade various items. Believe me, I know. You're going to want (need) a new auto pilot. You don't put re-treads on a Ferrari. You're also going to want winglets and led's. It makes absolutely no sense to leave (while the plane is there) Hayden Lake without them.
Buy the plane, take an extra $300,000 with you and in 6 months you will be flying a machine that CANNOT be matched by anyone anywhere. Jim has all of the sources you will need to turn that Aerostar into a dream machine. By the way, in the end you will want a new paint job also.

In re updating 700SD, I believe the undercarriage upgrade to get the 2200 useful load is 26k. I’ve followed the discussion about winglets and it sounds like the A* community has not reached a unanimous consensus on their value. There seems to be significant anecdotal evidence, but others point to the lack of raw data. As a newbie, I am attracted to mods improving low speed characteristics. That being said, I’ve heard little negative about the low speed characteristics of the airframe without them. I’m I willing to spend 30k for a little extra piece of mind? Probably.
I don’t want to start a new thread about the merits of winglets, but I would appreciate feedback from anyone with them. I’d like to know how many pilots who installed winglets now regret the decision. As Tim Cook pointed out, its easy to underestimate how much you’ll spend to upgrade the rest of the plane. Winglets and undercarriage upgrade=60K. New G500, Gad 43e, engine monitors, new autopilot, GNS etc. =100K. (I try to estimate on the high end)
Soon, I’ll want P&I and it’s clear that Tim’s estimation is spot on. Before my epiphany, the plan was to upgrade 84 A36 to TAT TN and new Ram OHE=100k. Add G500 with SVT and Gad 43e and EDM 930 to existing avionics =50k. That would put me well over 300k all in for a TAT TN A36. If we assume the all in cost of comparably upgraded 700 is 100k more, the question becomes do you get 100k more value for the A*? (And 3 times maintenance cost)
In my opinion, this is where the analysis gets easier. The performance of the 700 is in a different category than an A36. Speed, altitude, second engine peace of mind(which is the reason for the change in the first place). And unlike previous twins I’ve owned, single engine performance makes me smile not grimace. So if you can afford the price difference and have the wallet fortitude to do the maintenance right is the cost difference justified? That’s an easy answer IMO. Thoughts?
PS- Tim, if you beat me to the punch on 0SD I’d love to get your input. I probably should convert my A36 to cash before I move on it, but am exploring other options. We are like minded on where we should by the A* from. Am I willing to pay a premium to buy from Aerostar when the market is full of bargains? I believe that’s an easy answer too. ( Many other great A* people, Speakmaster in Connecticut for example)

Maybe there is still an A* "expert" in the fold - I have 700 hrs and still here

My experience would likely be relevant to you as I upgraded from a Single 300HP 540 to an Aerostar 601P. From the description of your mission and estimated hours you and your family will LOVE the Aerostar. If you don't mind the fuel, then the 700 is a real performer, but the 601 will do some legs that a 700 would need to split in two. Frankly I did not find maintenance all that expensive, and I was always glad to have Lyc's over brand C.

I echo the opinion that if it comes out of the AAC shop it will be in great shape. On Winglets - I flew a 601 with winglets and used my non-winglet numbers (Man Press) and I found that it came off quicker on the TO and I needed 2 inches LESS of MP for landing set-up. Quite a difference!

I will stress that you take a course (I recommend Simcom) so you have a handle on the "systems" - you will not believe how much more quickly things happen over your single ride. Do not take this on without the training, and a bit of cross-over time with a A* friendly pilot.

Feel free to contact me if you would like some mentoring. bob.keeping (at) gmail

Bob

About to depart Charlotte for Shreveport, La against a 60 knot headwind,
Over icing, using all but 40 gallons of 230 in tanks and with a 7,500 foot cabin at 24,000
Feet.

With wife, son and bags we will be 2050 or so pounds so I am using the gross weight increase sooner than I thought.

Time to shine Aerostar

Jim Christy knows alittle bit about Aerostars and is active on BT

Brad, how did your trip go? I anticipate similar weights as part of our future mission requirements and was curious as to what your impressions were. Safe travels

Phew. For a second I thought I missed where Jim had been “voted off.” If you want the best Aerostar resource, it’s him, no doubt.

Great trip.
Take off roll was about what I expected heavy.
80 knots of headwind most of the way.


Gusty conditions filling up left me not so sure about how many gallons I had aboard and with flight time being over 4 hours And showing maybe as low as 25 gallons on landing I landed short at Bastrop,La for 70 gallons of $3.40 avgas before continuing on to Shreveport. I would have gotten more but Bastrop has a 4000 foot runway.

Started at FL240 intermitten IMC so went to FL260 for a bit then back to 220 then block altitude between 220-230 flying just barely on top over the weather just west of Atlanta. Then down to FL200 to get under a fairly thick layer and got to fly through verga. Sounds like a lot of work to stay above or between but not really.

Gotta love leaving power in during descent and pushing close to 220 KIAS descending at 2,000feet per minute with no ear popping.

Landing after 4 hours in the low flight levels and feeling normal...priceless!

Pressurized Nirvana