Pistons: Enduring Investments for Capable Mounts

Diamond DA62 [Courtesy: Diamond Aircraft]

The Beechcraft Bonanza remains a perennial favorite among pilots—to put it in the words of Lou Seno, chairman emeritus of JSSI and a longtime F33 owner, “good ones seem to sell fast even in a bad market.” And this has not been a bad market by any stretch of the imagination.

That sentiment is echoed around the industry—piston-powered, high-performance airplanes with good utility hold their value over decades. What does this mean for pilots wanting to invest in a new Bonanza—or the like? You may pay what feels like a premium price, but your investment will remain secure, even as you fly the pants off that bird.

Jim Blessing, president of AirFleet Capital, concurs. “Our experience has been that aircraft that provide good utility have held their values well over time,” he says. Those types include the Cessna 210 and 206, Piper PA-32-series aircraft and, yes, Bonanzas, in his estimation. The numbers don’t lie—a Cessna 206 purchased new in 2004 still commands between $450,000 and $650,000, which is more than what the pilot paid for it, with a 2023 206H Stationair flying out of Wichita next year for about $775,000. The new buyer can still take advantage of attractive financing and depreciation to offset the higher purchase price. And their investment will offer more in return than just the joy of flying it.

[Credit: Scott Slocum]

AIRCRAFT MAKE/MODEL	MFG BASE PRICE	ENGINE	SEATS	MAX TAKEOFF WEIGHT	USEFUL LOAD	FUEL BURN	MAX SPEED	MAX RANGE	STALL SPEED	TAKEOFF DISTANCE	LANDING DISTANCE
American Champion Scout	$302,000 (2022)	Lycoming O-360-C1G	2	2,150 lb.	810 lb.	6.9 to 10.3 gph	140 mph	1,079 nm @ 55% pwr	40 mph	697 ft. over 50-ft. obs	887 ft. over 50-ft. obs
American Champion Super Decathlon	$305,000 (2022)	Lycoming AEIO-360-H1B	2	1,950 lb.	645 lb.	9.6 gph	155 mph	458 nm @ 75% pwr	57 mph	1,061 ft. over 50-ft. obs	1,126 ft. over 50-ft. obs
Aviat Pitts S-2C	$436,100	Lycoming AEIO-540	2	1,700 lb.	470 lb. (acro)	14 gph	169 knots	284 sm @ 75% pwr	56 kias	860 ft. over 50-ft. obs	1,200 ft. over 50-ft. obs
Aviat Husky A1-C-200	$422,456	Lycoming IO-360-A1D6	2	2,250 lb.	930 lb.	7.6 gph @ 55% pwr	149 mph	828 nm @ 55% pwr	43 mph	265 ft. /6 secs	398 ft. ground roll
Beechcraft Bonanza G36	$999,000	Continental IO-550-B	6	3,805 lb.	1,213 lb.	17 gph	174 ktas	920 nm	59 kcas	1,300 ft. ground roll	920 ft. ground roll
Cessna Skyhawk	$454,000	Lycoming IO-360-L2A	4	2,550 lb.	878 lb.	10 gph	124 ktas	640 nm	48 kcas	960 ft. ground roll	575 ft. ground roll
Cessna Skylane	$574,000	Lycoming IO-540-AB1A5	4	3,100 lb.	1,110 lb.	12.5 gph	145 ktas	915 nm	49 kcas	795 ft. ground roll	590 ft. ground roll
Cessna Turbo Skylane	$653,000 (2023)	Lycoming TIO-540-AK1A	4	3,100 lb.	988 lb.	17 gph	165 ktas	971 nm	49 kcas	775 ft. ground roll	590 ft. ground roll
Cessna Turbo Stationair HD	$795,000	Lycoming TIO-540-AJ1A	6	3,789 lb.	1,441 lb.	19 gph	161 ktas	703 nm	57 kcas	1,060 ft. ground roll	735 ft. ground roll
Cirrus SR20	$524,600	Lycoming IO-390-C3B6	4	3,150 lb.	1,028 lb.	11.8 gph	155 ktas	709 nm	57 kcas	1,685 ft. ground roll	853 ft. ground roll
Cirrus SR22 G6	$722,900	Continental TSIO-550-K	4	3,600 lb.	1,246 lb.	18 gph	213 ktas	1,021 nm	60 kcas (with flaps)	2,080 ft. over 50-ft. obs	1,178 ft. ground roll
CubCrafters XCub	$396,000	Lycoming 0-360-C4P	2	2,300 lb.	1,084 lb.	8.5 gph @ 60% pwr	156 mph	800 nm	43 mph	170 ft. ground roll	170 ft. ground roll
CubCrafters NXCub	$396,000	Lycoming CC393i	2	2,300 lb.	1,006 lb.	9.5 gph @ 60% pwr	156 mph	860 nm	43 mph	120 ft. ground roll	80 ft. ground roll
Diamond DA40 NG	$524,000	Austro Engine AE300 (diesel)	4	2,888 lb.	950 lb.	5.1 gph @ 60% pwr	154 ktas	984 nm @ 45% pwr	58 kcas (ldg config)	1,302 ft. ground roll	1,043 ft. ground roll
Extra NG	$580,000	Lycoming AEIO-580-B1A	2	2,094 lb./1,808 lb. (acro)	408 lb. (acro)	NA	202 ktas	NA	50 kcas (acro)	NA	NA
Gamebird GB1	$515,000	Lycoming AEIO-580-B1A	2	2,200 lb.	910 lb.	16 gph	235 ktas	1,000 nm	60 kcas	980 ft. ground roll	1,480 ft. ground roll
Maule MX-7-180B	$397,000	Lycoming O-360-C1F	4	2,500 lb.	1,030 lb.	9 gph	117 ktas	932 nm	35 kcas (ldg config)	700 ft. over 50-ft. obs	900 ft. over 50-ft. obs
Piper Archer LX	$491,000	Lycoming IO-360-B4A	4	2,550 lb.	870 lb.	9 gph	128 ktas	522 nm	45 kias	1,608 ft. over 50-ft. obs	1,400 ft. over 50-ft. obs
Piper Archer DX	$554,000	Continental CD-155 (diesel)	4	2,550 lb.	794 lb.	6 gph	123 ktas	848 nm	45 kias	1,673 ft. over 50-ft. obs	1,400 ft. over 50-ft. obs
Piper M350	$1,437,495	Lycoming TIO-540-AE2A	6	4,340 lb.	1,212 lb.	20 gph	198 ktas	NA	58 kias	2,090 ft. over 50-ft. obs	1,968 ft. over 50-ft. obs
Pipistrel Panthera	725,000 EUR	Lycoming IO-540V-V4A5	4	2,900 lb.	1,100 lb.	13.6 gph @ 75% pwr	198 ktas /FL80	1,000 nm /155 kt/FL120	55 kias	2,155 ft. over 50-ft. obs	2,316 ft. over 50-ft. obs
Tecnam P2010 Gran Lusso	$626,750	Continental CD-170 (diesel)	4	2,557 lb.	805 lb.	5.2 gph	140 ktas	961 nm	53 kcas	1,394 ft. ground roll	886 ft. ground roll
Vulcanair 1.0	$369,000	Lycoming IO-360-M1A	4	2,546 lb.	882 lb.	11.6 gph	128 ktas	575 nm	52 kcas	1,310 ft. over 50-ft. obs	1,575 ft. over 50-ft. obs

There’s other excitement in the single-engine piston market that taps into a different kind of utility: backcountry- and STOL-focused aircraft, such as the CubCrafters XCub and NXCub, the Maule MX-7 series, and the Aviat Husky. While no company churns out tailwheel airplanes in huge numbers, CubCrafters launched its first investment offering at EAA AirVenture this summer towards expanding its manufacturing facilities to meet demand.

And what if you want your airplane to do more than land short and haul gear? A series of just-for-serious-fun aerobatic airplanes entices pilots, beginning with the Gamebird GB-1, which hit more than 50 units delivered earlier this summer. It’s joined by the latest Extra,the NG, and the Aviat Pitts S-2C.

As for piston twins—with both normally aspirated and turbocharged engines—the persistence of solid value also holds, if the airplane has seen improvements over the years. “When it comes to older twins, for example,” Blessing says, “from the finance perspective, we are often looking to see current technologies, such as panel upgrades, engine conversions, and even other airframe modifications. These [updates] coupled with [a strong history of value retention] help give us comfort in lending for 15 years or longer on some of these assets.” One reason why a Cessna 414 or 421 still commands a decent price is that there’s no real high-powered, pressurized piston twin on the new aircraft market to compete directly. Instead, piston twins come in a different guise altogether—such as the Diamond DA62 with two Austro Engine AE330s, sipping diesel while carrying up to seven passengers.

[Credit: Aviat/ Eric Johnston]

New buyers shopping for personal transportation look to this sustainable, technologically savvy prospect—or trade up to a single- or twin-engine turboprop. Another venue for light piston twins: the training market. For this segment, Diamond offers its DA42, and for Piper Aircraft, the tested-and-true Seminole. Also, Tecnam has delivered the P2006T into flight schools around the globe for more than 10 years—and the economics work out similarly to other modern jet-A-burning pistons. At 9 gph, that’s a lot of trips around the pattern towards a multiengine rating.

[Courtesy: Tecnam Aircraft]

Tecnam also began delivering its turbocharged twin—the P2012 Traveller—to Cape Air in 2019, and the airline continues to add 10 aircraft each year towards the 100 units it will take to fully replace its workhorse Cessna 402s.

AIRCRAFT MAKE/MODEL	MFG BASE PRICE	ENGINE	SEATS	MAX TAKEOFF WEIGHT	USEFUL LOAD	FUEL BURN	MAX SPEED	MAX RANGE	STALL SPEED	TAKEOFF DISTANCE	LANDING DISTANCE
Beechcraft Baron G58	$1,599,000	2 x Continental IO-550-C	6	5,500 lb.	1,559 lb.	34 gph	202 ktas	1,480 nm	73 kcas	1,391 ft. ground roll	1,440 ft. ground roll
Diamond DA42-VI	$979,000	2 x Austro AE300 (diesel)	4	4,407 lb.	1,298 lb.	10.3 gph @ 60% pwr	190 ktas	1,273 nm @ 50% pwr	61 kcas	1,391 ft. ground roll	1,220 ft. ground roll
Diamond DA62	$1,315,000	2 x Austro AE330 (diesel)	7	5,071 lb.	1,609 lb.	11.8 gph @ 60% pwr	192 ktas	1,345 nm @ 50% pwr	70 kcas	1,575 ft. ground roll	1,447 ft. ground roll
Piper Seminole	$905,000	2 x Lycoming IO-360-B1G6	4	3,800 lb.	1,191 lb.	18 gph	162 ktas	700 nm	55 kias	2,200 ft. over 50-ft. obs	1,490 ft. over 50-ft. obs
Tecnam P2006T	$664,560	2 x Rotax 912 S3	4	2,712 lb.	906 lb.	9 gph	145 ktas	650 nm	55 kias	1,849 ft. ground roll	758 ft. ground roll
Tecnam P2012 Traveller	$2,726,650	2 x Lycoming TEO-540-C1A	2 + 9	7,937 lb.	3,117 lb.	31 gph	194 ktas	950 nm	65 kcas	1,849 ft. ground roll	1,198 ft. ground roll

Austro Engine AE330 Aviat Pitts S-2C Beechcraft Bonanza Cessna 210 CubCrafters XCub From The Magazine Gamebird GB-1 Maule MX-7 NXCub P2012 Traveller Piper Aircraft Piper PA-32 piston Seminole

Julie BoatmanContributor

Based in Maryland, Julie Boatman is an aviation educator and author. She holds an airline transport pilot certificate with Douglas DC-3 and CE510 (Citation Mustang) type ratings. She's a CFI/CFII since 1993, specializing in advanced aircraft and flight instructor development.