fbpx

Turboprops: A Return to Rosy Skies

The turboprop market segment offers an enticing blend of speed, utility, and approachability for the pilot wanting to fly their own aircraft.

While they represent only 20 percent of total airplanes delivered, the turboprop market segment offers an enticing blend of speed, utility, and approachability for the pilot wanting to fly their own aircraft—and those who can invest between $2.5 and $6 million (for a new aircraft) to accomplish their goals.

The selections within the pool for buyers offer well-targeted capability and niche design—and the segment continues to attract new entrants from the original equipment manufacturers specializing in these mounts. Daher has led the way in 2022, with the introduction of two new models to its portfolio, the autoland-capable TBM 960 (successor to the 940) and the Kodiak 900, a serious reimagining of the backcountry hauler into a much faster baby. The 900 provides a different flavor of competition for the Cessna Grand Caravan EX—though the classic from Textron Aviation still comes in lower on price point, and you can’t put a 900 on floats—yet. Stay tuned.

Updates from Epic on the E1000 GX preserve speed while upgrading the useful load: You can pack in five adults, a show’s worth of bags, and full fuel—and stay under the maximum takeoff weight of 8,000 pounds. The Pilatus PC-12 NGX is sold out well into 2024, proving the endurance of that model’s attraction—and the M600/SLS Halo (also with autoland) and the M500 from Piper offer an easy step up from high-performance piston singles and twins.

[Courtesy: Textron Aviation]

On the multiengine side, Textron Aviation added the Cessna SkyCourier officially to its lineup in 2022, redefining the top end of its twin-turboprop product line. Deliveries to launch customer FedEx started earlier this year in the freighter version, while a passenger model seats up to 19 people. 

Turboprop sales suffered a bit from the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, falling from 525 deliveries in 2019 to 443 in 2020, with a rebound to 527 in 2021. The year thus far portends a return to rosy skies for the segment: Through June 2022, GA turboprop manufacturers reported 247 shipments with projections for an even stronger second half of the year. That runs counter to many years, when fourth quarter sales soften. However, lease rates on aircraft also tend to become more favorable at year end, and may combine in 2022 with a bump in sales closings in December when the U.S. faces a potential loss of recent tax advantages on aircraft purchases—as long as rising interest rates don’t spoil the party.

[Courtesy: Pilatus Aircraft]

According to Lou Seno, chairman emeritus of Jet Support Services, a provider of hourly cost maintenance programs for aircraft engines and airframes, this could have a real effect on the last quarter. “In 2023, we go back to the regular depreciation schedule,” says Seno, as the bonus depreciation schedules implemented for aircraft placed in service after September 27, 2017, and before January 1, 2023, are no longer available—unless there is an extension granted to the IRS code.

For those owner-pilots and businesses looking to add a capable turboprop like a Beechcraft King Air 360 as a capital investment this year, the timing may be just right—if they have an order in or can negotiate a place in line. Most manufacturers are taking positions well into next year—or the year after.

[Credit: Jim Barrett]

Single-Engine Turboprop

AIRCRAFT MAKE/MODEL
MFG BASE PRICE
ENGINE
SEATSMAX TAKEOFF WEIGHT
FULL FUEL PAYLOAD
FUEL BURN @ % POWER
MAX SPEED
MAX RANGE
STALL SPEED
TAKEOFF DISTANCE
LANDING DISTANCE
Cessna Caravan
$2,205,000
Pratt & Whitney PT6A-114A
10 – 14
8,000 lb.
1,081 lb.
58 gph
186 ktas
1,070 nm
61 kcas
2,055 ft. over 50-ft. obs
1,625 ft. over 50-ft. obs
Cessna Grand Caravan EX
$2,485,000
Pratt & Whitney PT6A-140
10 – 14
8,807 lb.
1,286 lb.
67 gph
185 ktas
912 nm
61 kcas
2,160 ft. over 50-ft. obs
1,836 ft. over 50-ft. obs
Daher Kodiak 100
$2,634,407
Pratt & Whitney PT6A-34
up to 2 + 8
7,255 lb.
1,200 lb.
48 gph @ 100% pwr
183 ktas
1,132 nm
60 kcas
1,507 ft. over 50-ft. obs
1,468 ft. over 50-ft. obs
Daher Kodiak 900
$3,285,043
Pratt & Whitney PT6A-140A
up to 10
8,000 lb.
1,546 lb.
58 gph @ 100% pwr
210 ktas
1,129 nm
65 kcas
1,504 ft. over 50-ft. obs
2,170 ft. over 50-ft. obs
Daher TBM 910
$4,317,488
Pratt & Whitney PT6A-66D
67,430 lb.
891 lb.
61.4 gph @ 96% pwr
330 ktas
1,730 nm @ 252 ktas
65 kcas
2,380 ft. over 50-ft. obs
2,430 ft. over 50-ft. obs
Daher TBM 960
$4,784,785
Pratt & Whitney PT6E-66XT
67,615 lb.
888 lb.
57 gph @ 84% pwr
330 ktas
1,730 nm @ 252 ktas
65 kcas
2,535 ft. over 50-ft. obs
2,430 ft. over 50-ft. obs
Epic E1000
GX
$4,190,000
Pratt & Whitney PT6A-67A
68,000 lb.
1,100 lb.
49 gph @ 315 kts (FL340)
333 ktas
1,560 nm
68 kias
2,254 ft. over 50-ft. obs
2,399 ft. over 50-ft. obs
Pilatus PC-12 NGX
$4,800,000
Pratt & Whitney PT6E-67XP
10 + 1
10,450 lb.
988 lb.
69 gph
290 ktas
1,803 nm
67 kias
2,485 ft. over 50-ft. obs
1,923 ft. over 50-ft. obs
Piper M500
$2,613,432
Pratt & Whitney PT6A-42A
65,092 lb.
559 lb.
35 gph
260 ktas
1,000 nm
79 kias
2,438 ft. over 50-ft. obs
2,110 ft. over 50-ft. obs
Piper M600/SLS
$3,605,498
Pratt & Whitney PT6A-42A
66,000 lb.
658 lb.
40 gph
274 ktas
1,658 nm
71 kias
2,635 ft. over 50-ft. obs
2,659 ft. over 50-ft. obs

Multiengine Turboprop

AIRCRAFT MAKE/MODEL
MFG BASE PRICE
ENGINE
SEATS
MAX TAKEOFF WEIGHT
FULL FUEL PAYLOAD
FUEL BURN @ % POWER
MAX SPEED
MAX RANGE
STALL SPEED
TAKEOFF DISTANCE
LANDING DISTANCE
Beechcraft King Air 260
$7,405,000
2 x P&W PT6A-52
912,500 lb.
3,760 lb. useful load
124 gph
310 ktas
1,720 nm
80 kcas
2,111 ft. over 50-ft. obs
2,845 ft. over 50-ft obs
Beechcraft King Air 360
$8,810,000
2 x P&W PT6A-60A
1115,000 lb.
5,145 lb. useful load
127 gph
312 ktas
1,806 nm
81 kcas
3,300 ft. takeoff field length
2,692 ft. over 50-ft obs
Cessna SkyCourier (freighter)
$6,850,000
2 x P&W PT6A-65SC
219,000 lb.
7,870 lb. useful load
151.5 gph
210 ktas
940 nm
90 kcas
2,700 ft. over 50-ft. obs
3,010 ft.
Cessna SkyCourier (passenger)
$7,375,000
2 x P&W PT6A-65SC
2119,000 lb.
6,345 lb. useful load
151.5 gph
210 ktas
920 nm
90 kcas
3,660 ft. takeoff field length
3,010 ft.

Login

New to Flying?

Register

Already have an account?