10 Things You Didn’t Know About the Beechcraft Baron
Designed and produced by Beechcraft, one of the leading brands in American aviation manufacturing, the Beechcraft Baron has been around for a while now. This aircraft has been revised and upgraded so many times since it was first released, but all iteration of this aircraft had been great. It’s a favorite among private pilots to fly, and it’s certainly built to handle more than just private aircraft use. The Beechcraft Baron has been a symbol of ingenuity in flight, and current productions of the aircraft maintain the same sentiment. Here are 10 things you probably didn’t know about the Beechcraft Baron.
1. 57 Years
The Beechcraft Baron has been in production for more than half a century—a total of 57 years to be exact. It was first introduced to the public in 1961 and is still in production today. It remains to be one of the to aircrafts to have ever been manufactured, as it was back then when it first came out.
2. Not So Affordable
This aircraft was not made with the general population in mind. It’s the luxury type that only the affluent could afford. In 2008, a new unit of Baron cost roughly US$1.04 million. By 2017, that number rose up a bit to US$1.4 million. The cost of a 1961 Beechcraft Baron 55 today can be about US$70k—still not a small price to pay.
3. Primary User
Although many private citizens like to fly this plane for personal use, the primary user of this aircraft still remains to be the United States Army. The Baron has been used historically as a training aircraft in Army Aviation Schools in the US. Countries such as Turkey have used the Baron for aviation training as well. The rest of the countries that have acquired Barons for military use include Haiti, Mexico, Rhodesia, and Spain.
4. Three Basic Variants
While there have been many Barons that have come out in the past, there were three basic types that all of them fall under. The Baron 55 and Baron 56 both have short bodies, while the Baron 58 is a long body aircraft. Each variant has a number of sub-variants each.
5. Baron 55
The 55 variant of the Baron was in production from 1961 to 1983, and during that time, a total of 3,651 units were produced. The prototype was known as the Model 95-55 Baron, and there were at least 5 other sub-variants: the A55, B55, C55, D55, and E55.
6. Baron 56TC
The 56 series were in production for a much shorter period of time from 1967 until 1971. It was the fastest Beechcraft at the time of its introduction, but it was also the loudest. During its production, only 93 total 56TCs were ever produced. The only sub-variant of the aircraft was the A56TC, which featured new exterior and interior designs.
7. Baron 58
This model first came into production in 1969 and is the aircraft that’s in production today. The Baron 58 was modeled after the 55, but it has gone through many updates over the years. Many of the previous models have now been discontinued but the original Baron 58 is still in production as of 2015.
8. Early 58
Baron Variants The 58 Baron has a total of four variants that were vastly different from each other. The 58P Baron ran from 1976 to 1985 and was priced at roughly US$200k per unit. The 58TC Baron was in production from 1976 until 1984 with a total of 149 aircrafts built. Each unit was priced at US$170k back in 1976.
9. G58 Baron
This aircraft was introduced in 2005 and is still currently in production. The best thing about this Baron was the introduction of the Garmin G1000 glass cockpit avionics. It makes for a completely new experience in flight and is part of why the price tag on the plane is at least US$1 million. Apart from this, newer versions of the Baron also featured upgraded turbocharged piston engines, changes to various airframe details, and improved passenger cabins altogether. The latest Barons make for the perfect private aircraft.
10. Military Versions
The Beechcraft Baron 95-B55 had been redesigned into the T-42A Conchise, which is the aircraft for military use. The remainder of the military aircrafts had been transferred to the Army Reserve and National Guard by 1993. Today, they’re no longer the standard aircrafts used, but they’re all still maintained and operational regardless.
