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cabin, have more seats, have a lot more availability of already-trained pilots in the local area, have a toilet and be a “middle of the road investment.” It’ll show up to FL250 later than the Duke and arrive at the destination later than the Duke but it is safe, reliable, big and comfortable.
Let’s use an automobile analogy. What would you use as your daily driver if you could only have one vehicle? I drive a Ford F150 and I love it for its four big doors give access to a big dual cab, all the load carrying capability that I ever need, a smooth ride and decent gas mile- age. It is good for just about everything I do from a long highway drive to my parents’ house, going to the grocery store or carrying clients to lunch.
But, I also used to enjoy driving my Ford Mustang with the 5.0 liter 480HP V8 engine. I could leave everyone behind on a green light, zip around traffic with ease and stop on a dime. It was a bunch of fun. But, if I had bunch of stuff to carry, it might not fit. If I had more
than two people riding along, someone was cramped in the back seat. And, the road noise from the big engine could be tiresome on a long trip.
You’ve probably already figured it out – the C90 is like the F150 and the Turbine Duke is like the Mustang. Which is better? It depends upon your penchant.
I have several customers who sim- ply love their Royal Turbine Duke and would never trade the performance. Interestingly, all of these owners drive a four-door truck in their everyday life, but they want a sports car when it comes to aviation. They love the climb performance that gets them above the bumps in mere single-digit minutes. And, they love going fast. The 290 KTAS in a Turbine Duke is a lot faster than the 220 KTAS in a C90. There’s simply no way they’d give up those 70 knots.
The Decision
Which should you buy? If you think “mission creep” (meaning you anticipate carrying more later in ownership) may
occur, or if you want a “herd purchase,” or if you carry lots of bags, strongly consider the C90.
If you have a smaller hangar or live in the desert areas of the western United States (and want a super-fast climb to get above the bumps), or if you love raw power, strongly consider the Royal Turbine Duke.
Both are Beechcraft-strong, both are powered by a PT6 and both are great airplanes. Me? I fly both routinely and I just love the multi-engine Beech- craft products, all of them. The real question is, “Do you want an F150 or a Mustang?”
Joe Casey is an FAA-DPE and an ATP, CFI, CFII (A/H), MEI, CFIG, CFIH, as well as a retired U.S. Army UH60 stan- dardization instructor/examiner. An ac- tive instructor in the PA46 and King Air markets, he has accumulated 14,300- plus hours of flight time, with more than 5,200 dual-given as a flight instructor. Contact Joe at joe@flycasey.com or 903.721.9549.
Hillaero Modification Center
Luma Technologies LLC
February 2020 / TWIN & TURBINE • 11