Single engine Piston aircraft are certainly the only aircraft most of us could possibly dream of owning. So today I take you through my list. To make it simpler for non-avgeeks, I compare each one to a car in production in India right now!
Beechcraft Bonanza - the "Doctor Killer"
When the original model was introduced in 1960, the Beechcraft Bonanza was an instant hit!
At one time, and to some extent, even today, the Beech Bonanza was THE go-to choice for upper middle class Americans looking to buy a small private plane for weekend trips or as a professional tool. And I totally understand why- Think of the Bonanza as as the equivalent of a Hyundai Verna - a mid level sedan!
Comfortable 6-seat cabin with club seating at the rear and a large baggage compartment, fast 175 knot cruise speed, economical to operate, reasonably priced and decent payload-range figures - the bugbear for many a piston single! In many ways the perfect Family aircraft. Beechcraft has sold over 17000 of these birds to date - a very decent number for an aircraft!
However, in the 60s, it soon gained a reputation of being a "Doctor Killer" because of the unusually high number of crashes. Most of these had nothing to do with the aircraft itself but more to do with the fact that these were being flown by low-time inexperienced owner-pilots who often overloaded the aircraft and in some cases pushed the airplane beyond the envelope it was designed for!
The G36 variant is still in production in 2024, now available with a Garmin G1000 "glass cockpit". It retails for around $1.1 million!
Cessna 172 - the ultimate Trainer
If the Bonanza is like a Hyundai Verna, the Cessna 172 Skyhawk is like our Maruti 800! Most of us learnt to drive on a Maruti 800 and most of us learned to fly on a C172! Like that! 😏
First introduced in 1955 to address the need for a good trainer aircraft, the C172 was an instant success selling over 1400 units in the first year alone. It still remains in production in 2024 and is still by far the most favored Trainer aircraft on the market with over 44000 aircraft sold to date!
The C172 is a 4 seater aircraft powered by 180hp Lycoming IO-360 engine with a cruising speed of around 122 knots. However, as I learnt very quickly during my training days, these 4 seats can be filled but at the expense of fuel/range to remain within the Take of weight limits. With all 4 seats filled and their bags loaded, I would have to stop twice for fuel between Bangalore and Pune! 😅 In reality, this is a 2 seat plane with extra space and basic interiors. In any case it is not really a plane meant for long trips as many of us have learnt during our X-country flights necessary to complete our Licenses!
At my first club in the late 90s, we had the 172P variant with classic "steam gauge" dials. Got quickly used to these. But at the second club we had the newer 172S model with the Garmin G1000 glass cockpit. Never thought I would ever get used to it but I have. 😏
The C172S retails for around $400,000 in 2024.
Cessna 182T Skylane
If the C172 is like a Maruti 800, then think of the C182 Skylane as a Maruti Swift - a seater with plush interiors and more capable. It has certainly been very popular selling over 23000 units since launch in 1956.
The C182 is a true 4 seater with plush interiors, including AC vents etc. The higher 3100lb MTOW means trading payload for range is not so much of an issue as it was with the C172. Bangalore-Pune nonstop with 4 pax and bags is kinda-sorta possible - stretching it a little but possible. It also boasts a much higher cruising speed - I got to 144 knots at 65% economy throttle setting and 150 knots at 75% with around 15gallons/hour - very decent!
Transitioning from the C172 to C182 is easy! It feels like a more comfortable version of the same aircraft. One key difference though. The C172 has a fixed pitch prop - which means we are basically adjusting Throttle and Fuel Mixture only. On the C182, we have a constant speed, variable pitch prop. So we have a TPM control - Throttle -Pitch-Mixture. That takes some getting used to! 🙄
Currently available in 2 variants - 230HP normally aspirated and a Turbocharged motor. Retails for around $6,53,000.
Maule MX-7 - the Go-anywhere Plane!
The Maule is an acquired taste. Most people might not like it but some will actually fall in love with it. I was not impressed by it at all when I first saw it land at our club - but that was until I saw what this bird can do! And boy oh boy oh boy! ☺️
If the C172 is like a Maruti 800 and the C182 is like a Maruti Swift, then think of the Maule MX-7 as a Mahindra Major - the Jeep Willys clone which used to be sold only in Rural India till 2004! It's the ultimate, go anywhere plane! Literally - you can take it anywhere! With a rugged frame and those balloon tyres, this bird doesn't really need a runway - can land and take off from ANYWHERE! As for STOL performance, well that is something you have to see for yourself to believe. I have seen a M-7 with a 235 HP motor takeoff with 3 adults and their camping gear in less than 400 feet ground roll - from a river bank BTW!
Despite it's impressive load carrying and STOL abilities, it is also a nifty performer in the air - capable of 130 knots! Very decent for a STOL plane!
On the downside, the interiors are decidedly spartan. The plane was certainly not designed for comfort for the passengers! The 3rd row is more a kiddie seat. Even the second row is like those flimsy bench seats in ST buses in India! However both rows of seats can be completely removed in <5 minutes flat to make even more space to carry camping gear or cargo in the Canadian Bush - which is what I think this plane is designed for!
Available with 180HP, 235HP and 260HP Turbo charged motors. The 235HP retails for around $200,000 to $300,000 depending on options.
Cessna 206 Stationair - the Working Plane!
Best for the last - my favorite Piston Single is the Cessna 206 Stationair! People call it Ugly, ungainly etc etc - all true. But it can do what few other planes on the market can - and for cheaper! If the C182 is like the Maruti Swift, think of the C206 as the Mahindra Bolero - a decently capable "off roader" with acceptable creature comforts.
The 206 has been in production from 1962 and in this period has sold over 8600 units. Powered by a 300HP/320HP (Turbocharged) motor, the 206 can carry 6 passengers and their bags (or 600 kilos), takeoff from 1100 ft dirt strip and fly a 500nm sector with ease! Few other planes can match this kind of performance! It is THE veritable "½ ton flying truck"! No wonder then that the C206 has gained a bit of a reputation as a "smugglers plane" - the 206 has been the aircraft of choice for Colombian and Mexican drug cartels for a reason - it's ability to carry ½ ton loads from jungle strips! But it has also done yeoman duty in connecting rural communities in the US, Australia, Canada and Indonesia!
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By default, the C206 comes with 3 rows of front facing seats factory installed and giant opposing doors for the rear cabin useful for loading passengers or cargo. It also has a separate baggage compartment accessible through another small door. The 3rd row is a kiddie seat - not as bad as on the Maule but not good either. But I have seen a 6+ft guy sit there for 1.5 hour flight! The second row is quite comfortable. The cavernous Baggage compartment can hold 4/5 large bags easily. Both the 2nd and 3rd rows snap out easily to get even more cargo space! An interesting option that some owners have done is to swap out the rear 2 rows with 4 captain seats in a Club seating layout. Significantly improved comfort. With the Club Seating arrangement however, you lose the *Quick Change* ability of the factory seats. Give and take!
The 206 can do 156 knots @ 65% throttle at 9500 ft. But we can go up to 176 knots at 19500 ft! We will need oxygen for that though. But here's the fun part - the 206 is the ONLY aircraft that comes with a 6 seat Supplemental oxygen system pre installed from the factory!
Why is the 206 my choice? Because of what it can do. And because it is the ideal balance between comfort and capability.
The C206 currently retails for $765000 (2024).
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