BEECH E-55

The Baron E55 is the long-nose version of the 55-series Baron, with 285 hp a side and a lengthened forward fuselage that adds baggage space and improves the centre-of-gravity range. It cruises at 200 knots, carries a useful 2,050 lb and handles better than almost any other light twin — the control harmony is the thing Baron owners talk about first. The big-engine 55 began as the C55 in 1966 with a 5,300 lb gross weight, became the D55 in 1968 and the E55 in 1970, and the E55 then ran to 1982 with the same engines and weight throughout; the one change worth knowing is that the 1974 model simplified the fuel system to interconnected tanks and a plain on-off-crossfeed selector, where earlier aircraft have an arrangement that needs to be understood before flight.

It is an enthusiast's aeroplane with a professional's cost base. Two 285 hp Continentals burn around 30 gallons an hour together, both need overhauling, both drive propellers that need overhauling, and a light-twin annual runs several times a single's. The IO-520 has a documented crankcase cracking history on high-time engines. Single-engine climb is adequate rather than generous and asymmetric handling requires genuine currency; light twins are statistically more dangerous than singles in the hands of pilots who do not stay current. Insurance requires a multi-engine rating, time in type and, for most owners, annual recurrent training.