The Raytheon Beechcraft Baron

Type  

Four or six place business, 

utility & advanced pilot training 

twin
History  

The successful and long running 

Baron line is widely regarded as 

the most successful of its class, 

and has comfortably outlasted its 

main rivals from Piper and Cessna 

in production.
Development of the Baron began in 

the late 1950s, the first to fly, 

the Model 9555 on February 29 

1960, essentially being a 

reengined development of the 

Model 95 Travel Air (Beech's 

first light twin, which first 

flew in August 1956). As a result 

the Baron can lay claim to 

Bonanza and T34 Mentor lineage, 

as the Travel Air combined the 

fuselage of the former with the 

tail of the latter, plus twin 

engines, a new wing and other new 

features. Some 720 Travel Airs 

were built from the late 1950s to 

the late 1960s.
The first Barons were delivered 

during early 1961, although these 

early production examples were 

soon followed off the line in 

1962 by the improved A55. The 

subsequent B55 of 1965 is a 

definitive Baron model and 

remained in production until 

1982, during which time it was 

continually refined. During the 

B55's model life other variants 

entered production, these 

included the more powerful C55, 

D55 and E55. In the meantime the 

turbocharged Baron 56TC appeared 

in 1967 and the A56TC in 1970, 

although these were produced only 

in limited numbers.
The Model 58 is a stretched 

version of the 55, and first 

entered production in 1970. It 

remains in production today, 

having evolved somewhat in 

production during that time. 

Versions include the pressurised 

58P and the turbocharged 58TC. 

Both are powered by 240kW (325hp) 

Teledyne Continental TSIO520s. 

Current production (now under the 

Raytheon Aircraft Company banner) 

runs at around 40 per year.

Country of origin  

United States of America

Powerplants  

B55 - Two 140kW (260hp) 

Continental IO470L fuel injected 

horizontally opposed flat six 

piston engines driving two blade 

constant speed propellers. 58 - 

Two 225kW (300hp) Teledyne 

Continental IO550C engines 

driving three blade constant 

speed McCauley propellers.
Performance  

B55 - Max speed 373km/h (201kt), 

max cruising speed 348km/h 

(188kt), long range cruising 

speed 320km/h (173kt). Initial 

rate of climb 1693ft/min. Range 

with reserves 1836km (990nm). 58 

- Max speed 386km/h (208kt), 

cruising speed 367km/h (198kt). 

Initial rate of climb 1735ft/min. 

Range with reserves 2920km 

(1575nm).
Weights  

B55 - Empty 1468kg (3236lb), max 

takeoff 2313kg (5100lb). 58 - 

Empty 1619kg (3570lb), max 

takeoff 2495kg (5500lb).
Dimensions  

B55 - Wing span 11.53m (37ft 

10in), length 8.53m (28ft 0in), 

height 2.92m (9ft 7in). Wing area 

18.5m2 (199.2sq ft). 58 - Wing 

span 11.53m (37ft 10in), length 

9.09m (29ft 10in), height 2.97m 

(9ft 9in). Wing area 18.5m2 

(199.2sq ft).
Capacity  

Models 55 and 56 had standard 

seating for four, with some 

models offering an optional fifth 

seat. Model 58 has optional fifth 

and sixth seats.
Production  

Production of the Model 58 Baron 

continues, with more than 2500 of 

all variants built by late 1998.

Er Neha Godbole B.E (Computer Science), PGDM (PM & HRD) 
Executive HR 
www.AeroSoftCorp.com  
www.AeroSoft.in 
www.AeroSoft.co.in 
www.AeroSoftseo.com 
http://ernehagodbole.blogspot.com