TheBeechcraft Baron is alight twin-enginedpiston aircraft designed and produced byBeechcraft. The aircraft was introduced in 1961. Alow-wing monoplane developed from theTravel Air, it remains in production.
Cockpit of a 1964 Baron 55 with a mixture of original equipment and modern avionics
The direct predecessor of the Baron was theBeechcraft 95 Travel Air, which incorporated the fuselage of the Bonanza and the tail control surfaces of theT-34 Mentor military trainer. To create the new airplane, the Travel Air's tail was replaced with that of theBeechcraft Debonair, the enginenacelles werestreamlined, six-cylinder engines were added, and the aircraft's name was changed. In 1960, thePiper Aztec was introduced, using two 250 hpLycoming O-540 engines; Cessna too had improved its310 with twoContinental IO-470 D, producing 260 hp. Meanwhile, Beechcraft'sBonanza had been improved with aContinental IO-470-N. But the answer to competition was to make a true twin-engined variant of the Bonanza. The first model, the 55, was powered by two six-cylinderIO-470-L engines producing 260 hp at 2,625rpm each; it was introduced in 1961. The first Baron included the fully-swept vertical stabilizer of the Debonair while still retaining the four to four+five place seating of the Travel Air.[citation needed]
Two Baron 55s flying in formation with a 1980-built B55 (short nose) nearest. E55 (lengthened nose) in background.A 1962 Baron C55 in the factory paint scheme[a]Beechcraft Model E55 Baron
The earlyBaron 55,A55 andB55 were fitted with 260 hp (190 kW)Continental IO-470 engines and had gross weights of 4880 to 5100 lb (2,200 to 2,300 kg). These had a typical cruise speed of 190knots (350 km/h) at 7000 ft (2100 m), and came with 116 or 136US gallon (440 or 515 L) fuel tanks.[6][7] Although its performance was eclipsed by the later variants, the B55 continued to be offered as the basic economy model until the end of the Baron 55 model run, and it would ultimately capture about half of total 55-series sales.[8]
TheC55,D55 andE55 models used 285 hp (213 kW)Continental IO-520 engines, increasing cruise speed to 200 kn (230 mph; 370 km/h). Gross weight increased to 5,300 lb (2,400 kg) and the forwardfuselage was lengthened by 12 in (30 cm) to increase baggage space in the nose.[8] 136, 142, or 166 US gallon (515 or 628 L) fuel tanks were offered.[citation needed]
The Baron 55 was sold with four seats in two rows as standard equipment; a third-row fifth seat was optional initially, and a sixth seat became optional on the A55. However, the lack of a rear passenger door or a second-row pass-through hampers access to the third-row seats, and adults often find the rear fuselage taper confining. Additionally, the aircraft tend to exceed the aftcenter of gravity (CG) limit with all six seats occupied and no baggage in the nose compartment to act as counterbalance. Owners often remove the third-row seats and use the rear fuselage as additional baggage space.[8][9]
Introduced 1961. Four to five seat, twin engined transport, powered by two 260-hpContinental IO-470-l six cylinder piston engines. 190 units built.[1][2] Priced at $58,250.[11]
95-A55
Built 1962 through 1963. Four to five seats. Improvements were a new instrument panel, interior, and exterior paint scheme. Priced at $58,950.[12] 309 built.[1][2]
95-B55
Introduced in 1964, run through 1982. Four to six-seats. New exterior scheme and interior design. A 120 lb (54 kg) increase in gross weight to 5,100 lb (2,313 kg). Priced at $59,950 (1964), $177,500 (1982).[13] 1951 built.[b]
95-C55
Built 1966 through 1967. Four to six seats. Powered by two, 285-hpContinental IO-520-C piston engines. Increased performance over the B55. Nose lengthened to accommodate more baggage or equipment, and to improve weight and balance. Crack-prone engine air intake box design changed. Alternators changed from belt driven to gear driven. Priced at $68,350 in 1966.[14] 451 aircraft built.[1][2]
D55
Built 1968 through 1969. Four to six seats. Introduced new paint scheme and 'speed-slope' windshield. Changed to three blade props and a different flap configuration. Priced at $73,950 in 1968.[15] 316 aircraft built.[1][2]
E55
Introduced in 1970, run through 1982. Four to six seats. Incorporated new paint scheme and interior design. Improved avionics and panel. Wing-tip lights and rotating beacon made flush; new entrance step. Also added were 172US gallon (166 usable) interconnected tanks with one fill cap per wing became an option in 1976. 433 built. Priced at $83,950 in 1970, $219,500 in 1982. 434 aircraft built.[1][2]
In 1967, Beechcraft had begun development of a faster, pressurized twin, theModel 60 Duke; the Duke was to go head-to-head with Cessna's320 Skyknight. The Duke was to use two turbocharged 380-hpLycoming TIO-541-E1A4 engines, therefore, Beech wanted experience working with, and flying the new engine. The engine was fitted to a modified Baron C55, becoming the 56TC (that prototype,TG-1, was later retired after certification). The results of the 56TC were as planned, it proved a good testbed and experience building model for the Duke's development. However, it was a noticeably loud airplane, especially so for a Beechcraft. Along with its increased noise, the 56TC had an increase in structural strength and thus empty weight to compensate for the higher power. When introduced in 1967, it was the fastest Beech aircraft, rivaling even the early King Airs sold at the time. 94 Baron 56TC aircraft were built between 1967 and 1971[c] and all use the ICAO type designatorBE56.[10]
56TC
First flown on 25 May 1966.[17] Introduced in 1967, built until the 1969 model year. Four to six seats. Power came from two 380-hp (283-kW)Lycoming TIO-540-E1B4 turbocharged piston engines. Priced at $89,950 in 1967.[18] 82 aircraft sold.[c] PrototypeTG-1 retained by the factory.[2]
A56TC
Introduced 1970, built until 1971. Only model change throughout the 56 production. Featured new exterior paint scheme and interior design, new instrument panel, smooth rotating beacon and navigation lights, nose wheel light. Priced at $101,750 in 1970.[19] 11 sold.[c]
The turbocharged 58TC variant.1980 Baron 58PA ofBMI
Introduced for the model year 1969,[20] the larger, more powerfulBaron 58 was developed from the Baron 55, with an increased gross weight of 5,400 lbs. Depending on the variant, the Baron 58 is fitted with either Continental IO-520 orIO-550 300-hp engine. The Baron 58 can cruise at 200 knots (370 km/h) at 7000 ft (2100 m). The most significant change was a fuselage stretch of 10 inches (25 cm) and the introduction of double rear fuselage doors and reversible club seats in the center row, eliminating the need for passengers to climb over the center seats or through the rear baggage door to access the rear seats. The entire fuselage was repositioned forward on the wing to address the aft CG issue that plagued the short-body models. The longer 58 fuselage has four side windows while the 55 and 56 fuselages have three.[21] The larger fuselage and improved rear-cabin access have made the 58 far more popular with commercialair charter and cargo operators than the smaller 55 and 56.[9]
In 1976, the turbochargedBaron 58TC andpressurizedBaron 58P were introduced. These variants were powered by turbochargedContinental TIO-520s of 310–325 hp (230–240 kW), had an increased 6100–6200 lb (about 2800 kg) gross weight, and were certified under FAR23 with a new type certificate. The Baron 58P/58TC models were capable of cruising at 200 knots (370 km/h) at 8000 ft (2400 m) and 220 knots (410 km/h) at 20000 ft (6100 m), and were typically equipped with 190 US gallon (719 L) fuel tanks.[citation needed]
In 1984, the instrument panel was redesigned to eliminate the large central control column and engine controls mounted high on the instrument panel to clear it. In pre-1984 aircraft with the optional dualcontrol yokes, the arm to the right-hand yoke partially blocks the radios and some cockpit switchgear. The redesign provides a more industry-standard control arrangement and increases instrument panel space, but the aircraft lost the option of having a single yoke, which enhanced comfort for a passenger or relief pilot in the right-hand seat.[21]
Although the turbocharged 58TC/58P variants were discontinued in 1984 and 1985, respectively, the normally aspirated Baron 58 was still in production as of 2021. The current production version is theG58, featuring aglass cockpit, improved passenger cabin and changes to selected airframe details.[22]
58 Baron
Original variant, first flown on 23 June 1969, introduced in 1969 and run through 2004 (production continued as G58). Four to six seats. Powered by two 285-hp Continental IO-520-C or Continental IO-550-C piston engines.[20] 2,124 aircraft built.[1][23]
58P Baron
Introduced 1976, run through 1985. Pressurized cabin, powered by two Continental TSIO-520-L turbocharged piston engines. Priced at $200,750 in 1976.[24] 495 produced.[1]
58TC Baron
Introduced in 1976, run through 1984. Turbocharged engines, powered by 310 hp Continental TSIO-520-L engines. First flew October 31, 1975. Priced at $170,750 in 1976.[25] 151 aircraft sold.[1]
G58 Baron
Introduced in 2005, currently in production. Version of 58 Baron withGarmin G1000 glass cockpit avionics.[26]
G58 Baron ISR
Introduced in 2013, Beechcraft developed a low costISTAR aircraft forFuerzas Unidas de Rapida Acción (FURA), an agency within the Puerto Rico Police Department. In 2014, the aircraft was upgraded with aFLIR 230-HD electro-optical/infrared (EO/IR) camera system, operator's console that housed the mapping/mission management computer, a recorder, a multi-band communications radio system and data link for special mission operators.[27]
The T-42A Cochise is a military version of the Baron 95-B55 for use by theUnited States Army as an instrument training aircraft. 65 aircraft were purchased for the Army Aviation School in 1965–1966; a further five were boughtcommercial off-the-shelf by the U.S. in 1971 from civil B55 production, assigned U.S. military serial numbers, and sold to theTurkish Army.[3][4][28][29]
Three Army T-42s were transferred to theUnited States Navy.[30] By 1993, the Army's remaining T-42 aircraft had been transferred to theArmy Reserve and theNational Guard and were no longer in standard use.[citation needed] With the exception of three aircraft destroyed in accidents, three donated to technical schools for instructional use, and one at theUnited States Army Aviation Museum, all U.S. military T-42s were eventually transferred to civil owners asmilitary surplus.[3][4] In March 2023, the Army Aviation Museum T-42A,serial number65-12697, was in storage and not on public display.[31]
A twin 530 hp (400 kW) Astazou X turboprop modification of the Baron first flown in 1961 developed from SFERMA's 1960 Astazou IIA turboprop conversion of a Model 95 Travel Air (SFERMA PD-146 Marquis).[32][33][34] At least ten converted to follow on from eight converted Travel Airs.[35]
The Beechcraft Baron has been involved in the following notable accidents and incidents.
On 9 March 1967, a Baron B55,aircraft registration numberN6127V,collided in mid-air nearUrbana, Ohio, withTWA Flight 553, aDouglas DC-9-15 on approach toDayton Municipal Airport. The collision and ensuing crashes destroyed both aircraft, killing all 21 passengers and 4 crew aboard the DC-9 and the pilot of the Baron, who was the sole aircraft occupant. The Baron pilot was flying undervisual flight rules (VFR) and was not in contact withair traffic control (ATC); the two pilots in the DC-9 were warned by ATC of VFR traffic in the area, but the pilots' conversation on thecockpit voice recorder never clearly indicated that they saw the Baron. TheNational Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) attributed the accident to the failure of the TWA crew to "see and avoid" the Baron under VFR, but recommended that ATC procedures be improved to ensure separation between fast-moving airliners flying underinstrument flight rules and slower-moving VFR flights in terminal areas.[47]
On 20 July 1973,land artistRobert Smithson, a photographer, and the pilot died in the crash of a Baron E55,N814T, while inspecting the site of Smithson's earthworkAmarillo Ramp on the ranch ofStanley Marsh 3 nearAmarillo, Texas. The NTSB attributed the accident to the pilot's failure to maintainairspeed, with distraction being a contributing factor.[48][49][50]
On 5 January 1977, in theConnellan air disaster, firedConnellan Airways pilot Colin Richard Forman deliberately crashed a stolen Baron 58, registrationVH-ENA, into the Connellan Airways complex atAlice Springs Airport, killing himself, his former manager and three other Connellan employees, and injuring four others.
On 23 November 1982,Southern Baptist religious humorist, television personality and authorGrady Nutt and twoair charter pilots died in the near-vertical crash of a Baron 95-B55, registration numberN18411, shortly after takeoff fromFolsom Field inCullman, Alabama under nighttimeinstrument meteorological conditions. The NTSB was unable to conclusively determine the cause of the crash, but bad weather and poor visibility were thought to be contributing factors.[53][54]
On 15 June 1987, during theNicaraguan Civil War, aContra-operated Baron 56TC (reg. N666PF, msn. TG-60) which had been deregistered from the US two years prior,[citation needed] was hit by anti-aircraft fire over Nicaragua’sNueva Segovia Department, inSandinista government territory. The Baron had been modified to carryrockets for use in anair-to-ground lightstrike role, and was downed after an attack that reportedly includeddropping leaflets and, possibly, reconnaissance.[55][56][57] The aircraft crashed 6 km. insideHonduras, in an area known asCerro El Tigre and its three occupants, all former elements of the US-backedSomoza dictatorship, were injured and captured after the crash landing and were treated in Honduras.[58] The pilot, Juan Gomez, a former colonel in Somoza'sNational Guard was also reported to be the head of the Contra air force.[59] While a Western journalist reported that the plane was brought down byanti-aircraft artillery,[59] aRussian source credits the Baron’s downing to an "Strela-2" (SA-7)man portable surface-to-air missile fired fromMurra bySandinista army soldier Jose Manuel Rodriguez.[57][60] The Sandinistas denounced that the Baron took off from theAguacate airbase inHonduras, the main base of theNicaraguan Democratic Force (NDF), a Contra group supported by theCIA.[61] A Contra NDF spokesman inMiami confirmed that the aircraft was operated by them, but claimed that "it was neither armed nor carried ammunition."[59]
On 14 February 2000,Champ Car racing team owner and 11-timeIndianapolis 500 driverTony Bettenhausen Jr., his wife and two others were killed when the Baron 58 piloted by Bettenhausen, registration numberN875JC, crashed inCynthiana, Kentucky. The aircraft had flown into knownicing conditions and was properly equipped and certified to do so, but the NTSB found that Bettenhausen had allowed airspeed to decay below the certified 130 kn (240 km/h) minimum in icing conditions, causing the aircraft to rapidly lose altitude.[62][63]
On 20 September 2012, a Baron 95-C55, registrationN265Q,ditched and sank in the Gulf of Mexico 30 mi (48 km) off the coast of Louisiana while en route fromBaytown, Texas, to Florida, after a reported instrument panel fire. Owner and pilot Theodore Robert (T.R.) Wright III and copilot Raymond Fosdick were rescued by theUnited States Coast Guard; the aircraft was not recovered, and the NTSB attributed the crash to a fire of undetermined origin, noting that the wreckage was not examined.[64][65] The crash garnered substantial publicity when Wright posted a video to social media showing himself and Fosdick in the water awaiting rescue. Suspicion was cast on the crash when theBureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives determined that Fosdick started a 2014 fire atAthens Municipal Airport in Texas, destroying a parkedCessna Citation I owned by a corporation controlled by Wright. Both aircraft had been insured for substantially more than their recent purchase prices, and a federal court deemed the Baron crash and the Athens fire to be part of aninsurance fraud scheme organized by Wright. The two men were convicted in 2017 of conspiracy to commit arson and conspiracy to commitwire fraud, and were sentenced to federal prison in 2018.[66][67][68]
On 30 March 2013,Eric Hertz,chief executive officer of New Zealand telecommunications company2degrees, was killed together with his wife when the Baron G58 he was piloting,N254F, crashed into the sea offKawhia Harbour, New Zealand.[69][70] TheCivil Aviation Authority of New Zealand (CAA) concluded that for unknown reasons, the aircraft's airspeed decreased to the point that control could not be maintained, causing it to enter aspin from which Hertz did not recover. Based on the left-hand engine control settings and anomalies found in the engine itself, the CAA speculated that Hertz was dealing with an undetermined left engine problem when theautopilot applied full nose-uptrim to maintain altitude, causing the airspeed to steadily decay, which Hertz did not notice due to a lack ofsituational awareness.[71]
On 26 July 2018,Luis Gneiting, Minister of Agriculture and Livestock ofParaguay, the vice minister and the two pilots were killed when their Baron crashed shortly after takeoff fromJuan de Ayolas Airport.[72]
^Built in 1962 as part of the A55 production it became the prototype C55[1]
^Textron and Simpson disagree on the number of B55 aircraft built; Textron states 1951[1] while Simpson states 1958.[2] Textron has been treated as authoritative because all individual serial numbers are accounted for.
^abcTextron and Simpson disagree on the breakdown of 56TC and A56TC aircraft, but agree on the series total. Textron states 82 56TC and 11 A56TC but does not include prototypeTG-1 in the totals.[1] Simpson states 82 56TC includingTG-1, and 12 A56TC.[2] Textron has been treated as authoritative because all individual serial numbers are accounted for, although the model designation ofTG-1 is not made clear.
^abcdefghiSimpson, R.W. (1995).Airlife's General Aviation: A guide to Postwar General Aviation Manufacturers and their aircraft (2nd ed.). Airlife Publishing. p. 77.ISBN1-85310-577-5.
^abc"Aircraft type designators"(PDF). International Civil Aviation Organization.Archived(PDF) from the original on October 31, 2017. RetrievedMarch 25, 2019.
