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Aviation History
1960
1960 - 0411.PDF
FLIGHT, 25 March 1960 411 Beechcratt Bonanza Beechcraft Debonair stimulate sales, since one of the main gripes against the Twin Bonanza had been its lack of suitable provisions for entry. Also available from Beech is the D50C Twin Bonanza, similar to the H50 model except that it mounts smaller engines, these being Lycoming GO-480-G2D6 units rated at 295 h.p. Ranges up to 1,650 miles are possible with the D50C, but at speeds of 203 m.p.h. The D50C is priced at $83,000. Smallest of the twin-engined Beeches is the Model B95 Travel Air, priced at $51,500 for 1960. Seating four to five people, the Travel Air can attain speeds of 195 m.pii. and ranges of dose to 1,400 miles. One hundred and forty-two Travel Airs were turned out last year. Sure to be a fast seller is the Cessna 310D light twin. With a completely redesigned vertical tail—jswept to produce "years ahead flight sweep styling"—the 310D will once again sell for $59,950. Approximately 1,200 Cessna 310s have been turned out by the mid-west firm since the type first appeared in 1954; 160 of them were bought by the Air Force for administrative and light cargo use. Twin 260 h.p. Continental engines are installed to give speeds approaching 240 m.p.h. and ranges up to nearly 1,500 miles. Last year alone, no fewer than 240 Cessna 310s were sold for this class of product—an almost incredible production record of one aero- plane per working day. And Cessna have not the slightest inten- tion of reducing their sales efforts, which last year resulted in a total of some 3,564 aircraft—a figure which does not include 24 L-19s for the Army. The total represents 50.6 per cent of the aggregate lightplane sales among the four major US lightplane producers. Cessna produced 84 more aircraft last year than did the combined forces of the three other leading manufacturers. Total dollar volume of aircraft sales for their fiscal year was $46.6 million—greatest ever in Cessna's history—which represents a 22 per cent gain over the 1958 figure. Cessna have hence led the business and private lightplane industry in bom unit and dollar sales for the fifth consecutive year. Said Frank Martin, their marketing manager, in reviewing their past accomplishments, "We will exert every effort to continue holding half of the business and private plane market." Another entry in the light-twin field is the Piaggio P. 166, land- based development of the Italian (in the US, Trecker Aviation) Royal Gull amphibian. Cruise speeds of 185 m.pJi. can be reached by this six-place aircraft, which has twin 340 h.p. Lycoming engines. One doubts, however, whether substantial sales will be made in America; the P. 166 is too similar to the established Aero Commander line to tempt buyers to sample this European aircraft. [The P.166 is superior in several respects.—Ed.] A major contender for light-twin sales will be the Piper Aztec, undoubtedly one of the finest looking aircraft yet produced by the Pennsylvania manufacturer. Intended as a 200 m.p.h. five-place aeroplane, it is powered by two 250 h.p. Lycomings. "No-reserve" ranges of 1,200 miles are possible. At a price of $49,500, the Aztec is considerably cheaper than any other 500 h.p. light twin. The Super Custom Aztec retails for $53,355 and includes much useful electronic navigation equipment. Priced at $54,105 is the "Auto- Flite Aztec," a title which gives away the fact that this version incorporates the Piper-designed, all-transistorized, four pound "AutoControl" automatic flight system. An additional new rear window is installed in the Aztec for improved visibility. Rounding out the Piper twin-engine line will be the familiar Apache, from which the Aztec was derived. Costing $36,990, the Apache is the most inexpensive light twin in production. Slower and lower-powered than the Aztec, at 163 m.pJi. and 320 h.p., the Apache has a useful range of about two hundred miles less than its more expensive derivative. Apache sales totalled 311 in 1959, and in anticipation of heavy demands for their twins Piper have set production goals of 40 twin-engined aircraft per month this year. They have already described 1959 as their most successful year (sales up 26 Rer cent from 1958) and are looking forward to a further 40 per cent increase this year. By 1965 they expect annual sales worth $119 million, a figure which they hope will capture for them 45 per cent of the world market. Single-engined Types This field is almost completely domin- ated by the big three—Beech, Cessna and Piper. Beech also experi- enced the best year in their history, with 1959 sales of $37 million. They hope virtually to double sales this year, and two of the air- craft which may help them realize their goal are the well-known Bonanza and the new Model 33 Debonair. This year's Bonanza, known as the M35, is priced at $25300. With Continental's IO- 470-C engine, it can cruise at about 190 m.p.h. over ranges up to 1,000 miles. The most obvious external change is the addition of square wing tips. Bonanza sales reached 480 units last year. Entirely new this year is the Model 33 Debonair. Almost identical with the Bonanza, except for the inclusion of a conven- tional tail arrangement instead of the Bonanza's characteristic vee tail, the Debonair is priced at $19,995. Twenty-five early produc- tion models were built last year. Beech are hoping, by producing this essentially "economy Bonanza," to recapture some of the customers who have neglected the Bonanza in recent years in order to purchase cheaper Cessnas and Pipers. The least expensive of Beech's seven production models, the newcomer has a 225 h.p. Continental IO-470J engine rated at 250 h.p., is capable of some 140 m.p.h., and retains the Bonanza's 1,000-mile range. Whether the conventional tail will produce a better ride than the proven butterfly tail is the subject of speculation around the airfields. No fewer than eight basically different single-engined Cessnas are available. Best seller among last year's models, and available again this year, is the two-place Model 150. An incredible total of 648 Model 150s were assembled in 1959. Price of the 150 will be $7,250 in 1960, for which the customer will obtain a 100 h.p. aircraft with 121 h.p.h. cruising. The Trainer version is available for $8,150, while the Commuter model sells for $8,795. Reintroduced in 1959 after a production lapse of some seven years, the 150 has met with a phenomenal response. In their wild- est dreams Cessna can hardly have foreseen the market potential of the aeroplane on which construction had been stopped so many years ago because of what was believed to be a decline in private flying in the US. It instilled new vigour in the low-priced-aircraft market, and now it is likely that other manufacturers will proffer models in the 150's general class. Specifically, Piper are said to be working on a new aircraft (the Papoose?) with which they hope to compete. Cessna 150s have proved particularly appealing to owners of flight schools, who have used them to good advantage to train the executive who would fly his own aircraft. The Cessna 172A also includes "flight sweep" styling for 1960. Priced at $9,450, the four-place 172A can cruise over 500 miles at speeds of 140 m.p.h. A 145 h.p. engine, the Continental O-300C, is installed. A float-equipped version of this model is also on sale for the first time. No fewer than 874 model 172s were sold last year. Next most expensive of the Cessnas is the Model 175A at $11,600 and with a 175 h.p. engine providing 147 m.p.h. cruising. The 175A is also fitted with a 35° swept tail. Sales totalled 727 Gulf stream interior by Atlantic Aviation Corp A representative FairchiU F-27 interior JetStar, by Dreyfus
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