Page 12 - Volume 16 Number 4

Although the original purchase price for the 58P was quite a bit higher than the straight 58, which certainly further reduced sales, the current sale prices on the used market are actually much lower. For comparable aircraft built in the late 1970s, you could expect to spend around $40,000 less for a 58P than a straight Baron. That’s a lot of bang for the buck. And, better yet, the values of the P-Barons are trending up, while sale prices on 58s are still stagnant.
Very Little Not To Like
In spite of all these benefits, there are also some drawbacks as compared to the straight 58. What most people will jump on are the increased maintenance costs. This is true, to a degree. As I indicated earlier, most of the airframe systems are the same as the 58. A general indicator of how well any particular plane has been engineered, designed and produced is its list of Airworthiness Directives (ADs). The 58 Baron has very few recurring ADs and the pressurized version even does away with two of those; the engine mount and forward spar carry-through inspections on the 58 do not apply to the 58P.
This leaves the engines and pressurization system. The early TSIO-520-L does have a lower TBO than the IO-520; 1,400 hours compared to 1,700, primarily because of the higher operating temperatures at altitude and the turbo system squeezing more horsepower out of the mostly bullet proof normally-aspirated IO-520. The lower TBO factor increases the cost per hour for engine reserves and, understandably, the overhaul is more expensive due to the turbocharger, wastegate and associated actuators and controllers. Many of the potential engine problems can be minimized with proper power management and timely oil changes. Also, the importance of an engine analyzer installed on the P-Baron cannot be
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10 TWIN & TURBINE
APRIL 2012