J32 Reliability
Sprucegoose
Join Date: Sep 2000
Location: Hughes Point, where life is great! Was also resident on page 13, but now I'm lost in Cyberspace....
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Having considerable experience on J32 and B350, I'd pick B350 every time for hot weather operations. Able to fill the seats, baggage and more than enough fuel for the size of your bladder.
The J32 is great in cold weather with 19 people, but only good for about 200NM with that load. Once the temperature gets above 30 you are leaving bags behind. If it involves FIFO miners I couldn't see you carrying more than 11 in J32 anyway, especially if you expected to do 600NM.
Of course the big disparity here is acquisition cost, for the same reason someone would choose a J32 over a B1900D, but if it's performance and value for money are concerned, you can't beat the Beechcraft(s).
The J32 is great in cold weather with 19 people, but only good for about 200NM with that load. Once the temperature gets above 30 you are leaving bags behind. If it involves FIFO miners I couldn't see you carrying more than 11 in J32 anyway, especially if you expected to do 600NM.
Of course the big disparity here is acquisition cost, for the same reason someone would choose a J32 over a B1900D, but if it's performance and value for money are concerned, you can't beat the Beechcraft(s).
Join Date: Apr 2007
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B1900d will beat anything in it's class. It has a well proven airframe and even better engine. Prove in the engine is how many single engine chatter Ifr tpe 331 are there.
Really a sensational aeroplane. That's why they still so costly to lease or buy.
Quite two aircon systems plus beech maintenance program very hard to beat. The others we'll they just imitators at the end of the day.
Cheers
Really a sensational aeroplane. That's why they still so costly to lease or buy.
Quite two aircon systems plus beech maintenance program very hard to beat. The others we'll they just imitators at the end of the day.
Cheers
Thread Starter
Nice and cool for the J32 for some regional NSW charters at the moment, perfect machine for cooler weather.
I have had a lot of experience on J31/2 and B1900D in several parts of the world.
In Yemen we had a J32 which operated into an airport at 3500' doing FIFO and bags were very restricted. They did not use W/M out of Aden as the runway was 16,000ft but used it out of Masilla where the runway was relatively short, hot and high. Also J32 in Townsville and J31 Hobart. Their suitability in warm climates was questioned by all of us.
I also looked after, amongst other things, in Africa (9 DHC-6 my undisputed favourite) and 13 B1900D.
The Beech is a good solid aircraft and the engine is great, but they do require a lot of maintenance, and in the conditions under which we operated, we saw some areas which could have been designed a lot better (Nacelle access for one). There are others but will not go on about them.
The aircraft itself was good all round but was let down by less than some professional flight crew. It was job security. Some of the engine trend downloads were shocking and I personally did many HSI as a result.
The J32 electrics were well designed and generally accessible; the B1900D were a nightmare, but, all over the Beech for commuter and freight was the best aircraft and also required marginally less maintenance manhours than the J32.
These days PAC and Caravans are my favourites (even when unfortunately parked in a culvert)
In Yemen we had a J32 which operated into an airport at 3500' doing FIFO and bags were very restricted. They did not use W/M out of Aden as the runway was 16,000ft but used it out of Masilla where the runway was relatively short, hot and high. Also J32 in Townsville and J31 Hobart. Their suitability in warm climates was questioned by all of us.
I also looked after, amongst other things, in Africa (9 DHC-6 my undisputed favourite) and 13 B1900D.
The Beech is a good solid aircraft and the engine is great, but they do require a lot of maintenance, and in the conditions under which we operated, we saw some areas which could have been designed a lot better (Nacelle access for one). There are others but will not go on about them.
The aircraft itself was good all round but was let down by less than some professional flight crew. It was job security. Some of the engine trend downloads were shocking and I personally did many HSI as a result.
The J32 electrics were well designed and generally accessible; the B1900D were a nightmare, but, all over the Beech for commuter and freight was the best aircraft and also required marginally less maintenance manhours than the J32.
These days PAC and Caravans are my favourites (even when unfortunately parked in a culvert)
