In the air, the controls are light and well harmonized, smooth and responsive. BEECHCRAFT 19A SPORT III MUSKETEER. Normally, this type of landing gear is quite forgiving of botched landings. Beechcraft Musketeer Guide and Specs : Is This Trainer Aircraft Good? Climb is about 700 FPM with the nose just below the horizon. With all this as background, it should come as no surprise that the Sport and Sundowner have their greatest safety troubles in the landing arena. So, theres safety in type-club numbers. It was purchased as a trainer for Nancy to obtain her private license. Engine troubles on these aircraft should be few and far between. Fuel caps should also be inspected regularly to ensure there is no corrosion or debris inhibiting the cap from sitting properly in its place. This aircraft was also designed to compete with the other cheaper trainers on the market and was therefore priced to be more accessible to the average pilot. If those members fly 50 hours annually on average, there will have been 250,000 hours flown. In an attempt to compete with Cessna and Piper, Beechcraft decided to create their own affordable trainer. At 10,000 feet or anywhere during winter weather, it gets quite cold after three or four hours, and the Sundowner heater does not keep me or the cabin warm, even though my tennis shoes are melting. It is enjoyable not having to enter from the port wing and having to slide across the seats. Although it's really a two-seater, an optional bench in the rear adds passenger seating. "It feels solid and stable. My Sundowner handles turbulence well, and long trips are reasonably comfortable with the autopilot handling the basic flying. Owners fairly gush about how comfortable these airplanes are but tend to frown painfully when describing performance. 85 There are even aerobatic models. Narco MK 12 Nav Com Owners who contacted us for this review seem to suggest that the IO-346 is a nice flying, supportable engine. Its stable and light on the controls. Except for the engines, the two aircraft are essentially identical. Like most pilots, owners are proud of their birds. Best Cruise: 114 KIAS There is also a Beechcraft Musketeer Facebook group that includes the Sport, Sierra, and Sundowner models. Ours didnt and the shims were completely chewed out from lack of service. Precise speed control is the key. In its original incarnation, the Sport got socked with an AD due to poor climb performance at gross weight. Owners are stoic about that; it just allows a little more flying time.These aircraft represent a buying paradox for used aircraft buyers. I typically fly in the 5000- to 10,000-foot range, which gets me into cooler airimportant during Alabama summers. I like the two doors for entry. A well-maintained Musketeer will keep its worth and can even grow in value if well-taken care of. By 1970, the two models had become the B19 Sport and the C23 Sundowner. Owners have reported gross-weight climbs in the 300- to 400-FPM range on hot days. ( Many owners argue that the engine is a strong performer and worth the investment. Your AME will most likely have the smallest parts that will need to be replaced on a semi-regular basis already in stock. 91 or F.A.R 135. October, 1961. The Piper Cherokee, American General (Gulfstream/ Grumman) Tiger and Cessna Cardinal all carry seven gallons less gas. N5088T. By 1968, Beech switched horses again, this time back to Lycoming, with a 180-HP O-360-A series, the motor that carried the line through the rest of its production life. We dont mean to overstate the case by any means, but forewarned is forearmed. See the aircrafts P.O.H for approved maneuvers when in the utility category. Another strong point is the entry doors configuration. Sadly, it became a casualty of retirement. If density altitude creeps up, you can find yourself needing jet-length runways. Join other aviators &get news and updates from the team at Aviator Insider! One interesting finding of our studies through the years has been the low rate of groundloop accidents. Im still waiting on a heated pitot tube and the factory wanted $320 each to reweb and certify my frayed shoulder harnesses. Great training, if it doesnt scare you to death. Advertise your BEECHCRAFT 23 Musketeer on this page. Gentle, mains-first touchdowns are the rule to prevent a crow-hopping excursion across the field. Standing outside the aircraft, youll notice its impressive height is just over 8 feet and has a wingspan of 32 feet 9 inches and a length of 25 feet 8 inches. Indeed, every time weve looked at the safety records of the Beech Sport and Sundowner, the story has been the samelots of hard landings and lots of overshot landings. The airframe specifications are a gross weight of 2350 pounds with an empty weight of 1450 pounds. It has been a great airplane for my wife, my German Shepherd (Aden) and me for many regional excursions and we look forward to many more. Given the previously discussed landing troubles, its a better-than-even bet that some sort of trouble will be found on pre-purchase. Thats enough gas to carry the Sport about 620 miles, while the Sundowner will cover only 530 miles on the same load. The Continental IO-346A is a well-performing engine that provides 165 horsepower, but unfortunately, since it is no longer being produced, it is referred to as an orphaned engine. With 150 horses, its really a two-seater with a backseat for more stuff. Related Specs: Super III Musketeer (A-23-24) C 23 Sundowner (1977 and later) Custom III Musketeer; A 23 Musketeer; 23 Musketeer; B 19 Sport 150 (1977 and later) Liability provides coverage for the pilot, passengers, and environment, while hull coverage provides insurance for the aircraft. It had a 160-HP Lycoming O-320 and could carry four people in comfort, as long as they werent in a hurry to get anywhere. Despite its origins as a sliced-up IO-520, its a rare mechanic indeed whos familiar with this engine. The Musketeer was an attempt to appeal to the general population and to be an affordable aircraft that could be used for training or by the typical household family. Many owners, like me, carry extra weight in the baggage area to counter this forward CG characteristic. For an additional 30,000$ in hull coverage, the annual premium is increased. He found that the Musketeer was half the price of many other models. Whether it be used or new, most parts are widely available online or in catalogs. Beechcraft Musketeer Custom C23 Sundowner, Beechcraft Musketeer Super III/369 Musketeer Super IIIs, Beechcraft CT 134 Musketeer Candian Forces B23, eventually replaced with C23 Sundowners. Beechcraft made its first change to the Musketeer model by switching out the Lycoming O-320 and replacing it with the Continental IO-360. Consider that an NTSB study reaching back to the early 1970s identified the Sundowner as the worst aircraft in its class for hard landings. But that doesnt mean handling and flying is wart free. The useful load works out to 900 pounds. Parts also tend to be more difficult to locate on the aftermarket for items such as interior trim, windows and plastic exterior trim pieces such as wingtips. Beech Musketeer ground handling is so good, in fact, that its possible to get the aircraft to pivot around inside its own wingspan, making maneuvering on the ramp or around the gas pumps a breeze. In fact, my airplane is great on landings, much easier than my Cessna 182 was. If youre in a Sport, toss out the third person and the baggage and you still get to sweat those high-weight climb rates. With 60-gallon tanks, depending on the situation, by flying longer legs between fuel stops, I can do better than a 40-gallon Cessna or Piper. Subsequent annuals should run about $425. Despite its origins as a sliced up IO-520, its a rare mechanic indeed whos familiar with this engine. 0 Unless employed by a school or another commercial aviation company, the Musketeer will only need its annual inspection to be completed along with its other usual maintenance upkeep. I found that the engine blows out the top quart on the first flight, so I maintain the oil level at seven quarts, adding a quart when the dipstick indicates just above six quarts remaining. Weight and balance issues may be one and so is speed, or lack of it. So, the Sport/Sundowners are cheap to buy but the payback is lack of performance; theres still no free lunch. On pre-purchase inspection, pay special attention to the sidewall insulation and carpet padding for clues to potential leaks. Yet, its four-seat capacity costs about the same as a two-seat Cessna 152. dropped in 1971 and a further renaming took place. Prices can range from 35,000$ USD to 70,000$ USD, depending on the time on the airframe and engine, as well as the year it was made, its upgrades, avionics, and whether it was stored outside or in a hangar. The Beechcraft Musketeer is a trainer aircraft well known for its spacious compartment and powerful structural design. Thats enough gas to carry the Sport about 620 miles, while the Sundowner will cover only 530 miles on the same load. Get extra lift from AOPA. Technical specifications of the Beechcraft 19A Musketeer Sport airplane. Currently, the Musketeer can only be found used as their production ceased in the 80s. Many owners enjoy this nickname as it demonstrates that although the aircraft appears small, it has a spacious interior. Indeed, by 1973, the FAA determined that, when flying at its certificated maximum gross weight of 2250 pounds, the B19 couldnt meet the certification climb performance minimums. production into the 1980s, with series production However, the Mooney makes up for everything the Musketeer lacks. This sort of thing is not really a problem limited to the Musketeers, since most of the smaller GA singles seem to suffer from window leaks to one extent or another. Pistons are no longer available for the IO-346, according to Mattituck. Consider that an NTSB study reaching back to the early 1970s identified the Sundowner as the worst aircraft in its class for hard landings. The only cons with my C23 are the poor heating system and the universally poor fuel gauges. But dont plan on getting there very fast and avoid short runways. The original 1963 Model 23 had a 160-HP Lycoming, following the lead established by the Piper Cherokee two years before. We use cookies to help you get the best experience when using our website. With names like Duke and Baron and a coat of arms on the yokes, Beech has always fancied itself as general aviations version of royalty. Advertise your BEECHCRAFT A23-19 Musketeer Sport III on this page, 1966 BEECHCRAFT A23-19 Musketeer Sport III. Might as well put new glass in while youre at it. Thankfully, Beechnow under the Textron Aviation umbrellaseems able to maintain a sense of proportion as to whats important and whats mere window dressing when it comes to issuing mandatory service bulletins. Best Range: 715 NM
Sep 12