Beechcraft Duchess

what is it?

The Beechcraft Model 76 Duchess is an American twin-engined monoplane built by Beechcraft intended partly as a low cost introduction to twin-engine aircraft.

🔎How to recognise it: 2 piston engines with propellers · 11.6 m wingspan

base stats

• speed 293 km/hcruise speed
• range 1,445 kmwithout refuelling
• seats 3passengers
• size 1,769 kgmax take-off weight
• built 437made in total

Bars compare against all aircraft: 3,500 km/h, 20,000 km, 850 seats; size and number built on a log scale up to 640 t (An-225) and 45,000 built (Cessna 172).

fun facts

• 🎂First flew 52 years ago, in 1974.
• 🚗Wingspan of 11.6 m: about 3 cars parked nose to tail.
• 🌍Range of 1,445 km: 8× Amsterdam to Brussels.

piston: A car-like piston engine turning a propeller: simple and cheap, the classic small plane.

spec sheet

first flight

1974-09

introduced

1978

number built

437

role

four-seat cabin monoplane

makers

Beechcraft

engines

2× Lycoming O-360-A1G6D

crew

1

passengers

3

length

8.8 m

wingspan

11.6 m

height

2.9 m

max take-off weight

1,769 kg

top speed

—

cruise speed

293 km/h

range

1,445 km

ceiling

5,989 m

Specs are for the version in the Wikipedia article's specification section. Blank means the sources don't say.