Ok, I'm dreaming again. Owning a turbo prop is on my bucket list and lately the biz is doing well. I keep circling back to the 690B. It's a 300kt airplane with around a 3400UL. Burn is about 85/gal in cruise. I really like this one:

http://www.controller.com/listingsdetai ... 286227.htm

I've got a couple hundred hours in the B100 and I like Garrett's more than pratts. Longer tbo and better economy. I don't know a whole lot about the commander but I do know they are built really well. Like a Beechcraft without the style.

Eagle creek publishes some numbers saying $875/hr. I don't know that I believe that and I won't fly as many hours as they show but thats pretty economical! Let's say it's $1000hr that's still not a giant premium over P baron cost per mile.

So what do you'all think? Should I buy it (I don't know if it's really possible even if everyone says yes). Is it priced right? Am I nuts? Does BT have any experts that can tell me their experiences?

My biggest mission is maybe 1000 miles and 4-5 people. Half of the time I'm alone between Co and AZ. I do want a twin. I've shut down or lost a few turbines in my career and I'm not excited about ifr or night in the mountains in a single.

I'm not a commander expert, but that one looks awesome. Twin turbine pressurized at 300kts what's not to like?

Buy a 421C. Fly at half price in the same comfort with no bad smell.

I've got about 150 hours in 690s. B C D. Lets chat because I know of one about to come to market that you may want to look at. Also my buddy who I fly with can answer most of your questions and point out the issues you need to know.
They are awesome performers and wonderfully fun to fly. I took one up to Alaska last fall and had a blast.
Pm me and we can chat tomorrow. Or later today since its already tomorrow.

I have 3000 hours in Commanders. Love the airplane. Tough to find a more rugged, economical, fast bird than a AC90. The seller of this bird gave me my first ride in a Commander. One of the good guys in Aviation. Knows Commanders better than anyone. $1000/hr or less per hour depending on what fuel costs do is safe.

Hots are due before too long. 2500 hrs. Mine were $25,000 per but they could be much more depending on how well the engines were treated.

Buy a 421C? Hmmm you could but westbound during the winter? You'll hate yourself if you do. Plus a Commander is going to have a superior dispatch reliability. Single engine performance is fabulous. Never thought twice about departing out of Aspen in IMC. Blow a stove and you can still make the departure climb gradient. There are turbofans that can't do that.

Nothing smells better than jet fuel in the morning. Just don't get that stuff on you. Oh yeah...it will be around for a while.

Nice panel on this bad boy. Relatively new windows too. $30k a pop if they delaminate or crack. Pretty sure the same for a 421.

Now if it were only a 690C (wet wing) with long range fuel

DM me anytime.

Exactly westbound during strong headwinds you can stay low in a 421 without killing the economy like with a turbine. I still strongly believe that from the bang for buck economy point of view, for DOMESTIC use a piston like the 421 is impossible to beat.

Exactly westbound during strong headwinds you can stay low in a 421 without killing the economy like with a turbine. I still strongly believe that from the bang for buck economy point of view, for DOMESTIC use a piston like the 421 is impossible to beat.

-10 Commanders are awesome.

Go for it.

John,

Wonder why the props are feathered?? Usually during shutdown you place them in flat pitch (by going into reverse and the prop locks hold them there).

Sure is a purdy bird

Kevin

Maybe it's a PT6 conversion?

Take a look at spar ADs and time limited overhaul requirements (gear, prop, etc) as well as proximity to service centers.

MU2 is a good option as well.

A 421 is maybe a fall-back if I can't afford a turbine. Its maybe another $100/hr to operate one (vs the P) and a maybe 5kts slower. I've tried, but I can't remove the word "turbine" from the bucket list. Its a stubborn word that keeps inserting itself in front of "airplane" in my list. I've spent probably 130K getting my P really dialed in (avionics, windshield & hotplate, & brought Don out to help do an "everything" 1st annual). I won't recover this when I sell but that's OK, I'm just not sure I want to do this with another piston twin.

Accelerated depreciation would be nice to take advantage of this year. I'll still have to pay the piper but I look at it as getting to use the government's money for free while I own the airplane. I think the rules have changed since last time but this represented somewhere around 30-35% of the baron purchase price.

I read a bit more about the airplane last night. It seems like owners really love them and 85gals/hr is pretty fair (if you get up). a -10 will do 285 in the summer and closer to 300 when its below ISA - I don't really ever see this flying down to AZ, even in the winter.

421 cost/nm is around $3. The commander is 3.25 to three fity ($3.50). Commander is close to twice the cost to purchase but probably less risk of severe depreciation - I'd like to get out from under that cloud if I hang more money out there...

421C is slightly faster than the 58P, not slower, or at least I've never heard anyone make that claim. (And a 421's well slower than a 690, of course...)

Getting close to a price of a used TBM 700 A

My cousin has a new C model and loves, but he came out of a Mirage 350-P

C414 a is great also

GB

Yes, that!

Also, the thing is big. In my area I would have a very hard time finding a hangar that would fit it. Much less on the airport I want at the price I want. My Solitaire, OTOH, is fairly compact. Fits in a T hangar (albeit a somewhat big one in my case). Wingspan is just shy of 40', and length is less than 34'. Back of tip tank to front of nose is 20', which does constrain the T box size somewhat. But nothing compared to the Commander.


Yes, that too!

Built like a tank, still has factory support, parts availability good... Check out the AIN annual owners survey for how owners feel about support on used turboprops. Here's a link to the 2012 one, the 2013 one is out but I couldn't find the .PDF version on their web site.

And I find the difference in capital cost between examples in similar condition funds a fair amount of operating cost on an annual basis...

Your 1000 mile 4-5 people mission is do-able in the Mits. I just flew 959nm into decent headwinds of 50kts with my family of 4 and two weeks vacation worth of stuff on board. Decent reserves on landing.

By reputation, the Commander is a pilot's airplane and the Mitsubishi is an owner's airplane. But I have only owned and flown one of them, so I'm biased.