Page 8 - TNT Dec 2017

The elegant lines of the Howard 500 are apparent from nearly any angle. The distance between the aft belly and the ground is not nearly as close as the grass parking spot makes it appear.
wartime contracts) sailed their new turbine business aircraft designs through certification with relative ease. Concurrently, 17 Howard 500’s were produced. Yet, even among those, Howard and Swearingen were still tweaking the design, essentially building highly individualized, handcrafted aircraft. Thus, no two HW-500’s were exactly alike (further complicating certification).
Even before certification, the HW-500 found itself competing against new turbine aircraft designs already dominating the marketplace. It wasn’t the performance of those aircraft that sealed the fate of the HW-500. In fact, the Howard’s performance could best that of the early cabin-class turboprops. However, the comparative ease of maintenance offset any minor
The distinctive twin tails of the Ventura did not need to be enlarged to deal with the higher weight and horsepower of the Howard 500, thanks to extra 4 feet of length designed into the 500’s fuselage. The 13th Howard 500, N500LN, in its natural element.
performance deficiencies and the smaller, less-opulent cabins of the turboprops. While the Howards required many hours of maintenance per flight hour, the competing turbine aircraft
Garmin Half Page 4/C Ad
www.GCA.aero mailto: matt@gca.aero
38
6
18
21
6 • TWIN & TURBINE
December 2017