Im looking at the following turboprops, cheyenne II, king air b100, king air e90,any thoughts ,or ideas. Im leaning towards the cheyenne for lower acquisition cost and speed , but im not crazy about the cabin size.
What’s your typical mission? Distance? Number of Pax? Who’ going to be flying? Need details
trips are aprox. 500-600 , although some may be only 100 miles.With 5-6 passengers (total weight about 900 lbs.) I am not a pilot. I am looking for something economical.
My 421 works fine but im looking for a little more speed.
I may be a little biased here, but have you considered a C425? Basically, it’s a 421 with PT6’s.
I have but the 425 s are almost twice as much as a cheyenne II . I’m sure people will negotiate but most are over 1 million.
A lot of operators opted for the Blackhawk conversion which has driven up the value of the 425 overall. Great plane, but you’re right, you can get a good Cheyenne II for half the price. There are a few listed on the Controller for under a million but most are between 1 and 1.5m.
Conquest II or Kingair 200. Commander 1000 is a fantastic aircraft too, but cost is probably a bit high for what you want
I have a 425, with the SID complete, and I will sell it below $1.0M
Cheyennes have not aged well and will spend a lot more time in the shop then a KA. Is your pilot an A&P who can work on the plane when it is not flying?
You get what you pay for. There is a reason Cheyennes sell for a lot less then a Conquest or KA.
Thats right. The King Air is a reliable and solid machine. With so many out there it would be easy for you to find a pilot anytime and get it insured. just make sure you get one with pratts, not garretts.
Yeahhhh, we don’t even claim the B100s as Kingairs. I prefer to think of them as really short Merlins. Talk about the plane that never should have existed…
I’ve noticed alot of asking prices on the Cheyenne are about 300-400k over book price, what gives?
Are cheyenne II more economical to operate. I hear that there are less things to go wrong
Like the guy said before. You get what you pay for. If an aircraft has a low price there is a reason why. You will end up spending the money in the long run, so if you are going to buy I guess the real choice is…spend the money now or later. There are no “good” deals in aviation only expensive ones.
More economical then what?
Engine, wings, flaps, air conditioning, avionics, pressurization, tires, brakes - they all need the same stuff.
more economical than b100 or e90
You have to compare apples to apples. Like a B100 to a cheyenne with garrets or a 90 to a cheyenne with pratts, then look at shop cost. Piper to Beech (Hawker) shop rates are similar. The aircraft inspections are similar. Lastly you look at operating costs: hangar , pilot fee, fuel burns, and insurance. All very similar.
Cheyenne II vs. KA 90 - Cheyennes going to be faster and spend more time in the shop. Beech still supports KA, New Piper Aircraft does not support old models. KA parts probably cost more then Cheyenne parts.
Lot’s of old turboprops are money pits. Biggest thing is buying the right plane. Caveat Emptor!