Pistons: Enduring Investments for Capable Mounts

Piston-powered, high-performance airplanes with good utility hold their value over decades.

Diamond DA62 [Courtesy: Diamond Aircraft]

The Beechcraft Bonanza remains a perennial favorite among pilots—to put it in the words of Lou Seno, chairman emeritus of JSSI and a longtime F33 owner, “good ones seem to sell fast even in a bad market.” And this has not been a bad market by any stretch of the imagination.

That sentiment is echoed around the industry—piston-powered, high-performance airplanes with good utility hold their value over decades. What does this mean for pilots wanting to invest in a new Bonanza—or the like? You may pay what feels like a premium price, but your investment will remain secure, even as you fly the pants off that bird.

Jim Blessing, president of AirFleet Capital, concurs. “Our experience has been that aircraft that provide good utility have held their values well over time,” he says. Those types include the Cessna 210 and 206, Piper PA-32-series aircraft and, yes, Bonanzas, in his estimation. The numbers don’t lie—a Cessna 206 purchased new in 2004 still commands between $450,000 and $650,000, which is more than what the pilot paid for it, with a 2023 206H Stationair flying out of Wichita next year for about $775,000. The new buyer can still take advantage of attractive financing and depreciation to offset the higher purchase price. And their investment will offer more in return than just the joy of flying it.

[Credit: Scott Slocum]
AIRCRAFT MAKE/MODEL
MFG BASE PRICE
ENGINE
SEATSMAX TAKEOFF WEIGHT
USEFUL LOAD
FUEL BURN
MAX SPEED
MAX RANGE
STALL SPEED
TAKEOFF DISTANCE
LANDING DISTANCE
American Champion Scout
$302,000 (2022)
Lycoming O-360-C1G
22,150 lb.
810 lb.
6.9 to 10.3 gph
140 mph
1,079 nm @ 55% pwr
40 mph
697 ft. over 50-ft. obs
887 ft. over 50-ft. obs
American Champion Super Decathlon
$305,000 (2022)
Lycoming AEIO-360-H1B
21,950 lb.
645 lb.
9.6 gph
155 mph
458 nm @ 75% pwr
57 mph
1,061 ft. over 50-ft. obs
1,126 ft. over 50-ft. obs
Aviat Pitts S-2C
$436,100
Lycoming AEIO-540
21,700 lb.
470 lb. (acro)
14 gph
169 knots
284 sm @ 75% pwr
56 kias
860 ft. over 50-ft. obs
1,200 ft. over 50-ft. obs
Aviat Husky A1-C-200
$422,456
Lycoming IO-360-A1D6
22,250 lb.
930 lb.
7.6 gph @ 55% pwr
149 mph
828 nm @ 55% pwr
43 mph
265 ft. /6 secs
398 ft. ground roll
Beechcraft Bonanza G36
$999,000
Continental IO-550-B
63,805 lb.
1,213 lb.
17 gph
174 ktas
920 nm
59 kcas
1,300 ft. ground roll
920 ft. ground roll
Cessna Skyhawk
$454,000
Lycoming IO-360-L2A
42,550 lb.
878 lb.
10 gph
124 ktas
640 nm
48 kcas
960 ft. ground roll
575 ft. ground roll
Cessna Skylane
$574,000
Lycoming IO-540-AB1A5
43,100 lb.
1,110 lb.
12.5 gph
145 ktas
915 nm
49 kcas
795 ft. ground roll
590 ft. ground roll
Cessna Turbo Skylane
$653,000 (2023)
Lycoming TIO-540-AK1A
43,100 lb.
988 lb.
17 gph
165 ktas
971 nm
49 kcas
775 ft. ground roll
590 ft. ground roll
Cessna Turbo Stationair HD
$795,000
Lycoming TIO-540-AJ1A
63,789 lb.
1,441 lb.
19 gph
161 ktas
703 nm
57 kcas
1,060 ft. ground roll
735 ft. ground roll
Cirrus SR20
$524,600
Lycoming IO-390-C3B6
43,150 lb.
1,028 lb.
11.8 gph
155 ktas
709 nm
57 kcas
1,685 ft. ground roll
853 ft. ground roll
Cirrus SR22 G6
$722,900
Continental TSIO-550-K
43,600 lb.
1,246 lb.
18 gph
213 ktas
1,021 nm
60 kcas (with flaps)
2,080 ft. over 50-ft. obs
1,178 ft. ground roll
CubCrafters XCub
$396,000
Lycoming 0-360-C4P
22,300 lb.
1,084 lb.
8.5 gph @ 60% pwr
156 mph
800 nm
43 mph
170 ft. ground roll
170 ft. ground roll
CubCrafters NXCub
$396,000
Lycoming CC393i
22,300 lb.
1,006 lb.
9.5 gph @ 60% pwr
156 mph
860 nm
43 mph
120 ft. ground roll
80 ft. ground roll
Diamond DA40 NG
$524,000
Austro Engine AE300 (diesel)
42,888 lb.
950 lb.
5.1 gph @ 60% pwr
154 ktas
984 nm @ 45% pwr
58 kcas (ldg config)
1,302 ft. ground roll
1,043 ft. ground roll
Extra NG
$580,000
Lycoming AEIO-580-B1A
22,094 lb./1,808 lb. (acro)
408 lb. (acro)
NA202 ktas
NA
50 kcas (acro)
NA
NA
Gamebird GB1
$515,000
Lycoming AEIO-580-B1A
22,200 lb.
910 lb.
16 gph
235 ktas
1,000 nm
60 kcas
980 ft. ground roll
1,480 ft. ground roll
Maule MX-7-180B
$397,000
Lycoming O-360-C1F
42,500 lb.
1,030 lb.
9 gph
117 ktas
932 nm
35 kcas (ldg config)
700 ft. over 50-ft. obs
900 ft. over 50-ft. obs
Piper Archer LX
$491,000
Lycoming IO-360-B4A
42,550 lb.
870 lb.
9 gph
128 ktas
522 nm
45 kias
1,608 ft. over 50-ft. obs
1,400 ft. over 50-ft. obs
Piper Archer DX
$554,000
Continental CD-155 (diesel)
42,550 lb.
794 lb.
6 gph
123 ktas
848 nm
45 kias
1,673 ft. over 50-ft. obs
1,400 ft. over 50-ft. obs
Piper M350
$1,437,495
Lycoming TIO-540-AE2A
64,340 lb.
1,212 lb.
20 gph
198 ktas
NA
58 kias
2,090 ft. over 50-ft. obs
1,968 ft. over 50-ft. obs
Pipistrel Panthera
725,000 EUR
Lycoming IO-540V-V4A5
42,900 lb.
1,100 lb.
13.6 gph @ 75% pwr
198 ktas /FL80
1,000 nm /155 kt/FL120
55 kias
2,155 ft. over 50-ft. obs
2,316 ft. over 50-ft. obs
Tecnam P2010 Gran Lusso
$626,750
Continental CD-170 (diesel)
42,557 lb.
805 lb.
5.2 gph
140 ktas
961 nm
53 kcas
1,394 ft. ground roll
886 ft. ground roll
Vulcanair 1.0
$369,000
Lycoming IO-360-M1A
42,546 lb.
882 lb.
11.6 gph
128 ktas
575 nm
52 kcas
1,310 ft. over 50-ft. obs
1,575 ft. over 50-ft. obs

There’s other excitement in the single-engine piston market that taps into a different kind of utility: backcountry- and STOL-focused aircraft, such as the CubCrafters XCub and NXCub, the Maule MX-7 series, and the Aviat Husky. While no company churns out tailwheel airplanes in huge numbers, CubCrafters launched its first investment offering at EAA AirVenture this summer towards expanding its manufacturing facilities to meet demand. 

And what if you want your airplane to do more than land short and haul gear? A series of just-for-serious-fun aerobatic airplanes entices pilots, beginning with the Gamebird GB-1, which hit more than 50 units delivered earlier this summer. It’s joined by the latest Extra,the NG, and the Aviat Pitts S-2C.

As for piston twins—with both normally aspirated and turbocharged engines—the persistence of solid value also holds, if the airplane has seen improvements over the years. “When it comes to older twins, for example,” Blessing says, “from the finance perspective, we are often looking to see current technologies, such as panel upgrades, engine conversions, and even other airframe modifications. These [updates] coupled with [a strong history of value retention] help give us comfort in lending for 15 years or longer on some of these assets.” One reason why a Cessna 414 or 421 still commands a decent price is that there’s no real high-powered, pressurized piston twin on the new aircraft market to compete directly. Instead, piston twins come in a different guise altogether—such as the Diamond DA62 with two Austro Engine AE330s, sipping diesel while carrying up to seven passengers.

[Credit: Aviat/ Eric Johnston]

New buyers shopping for personal transportation look to this sustainable, technologically savvy prospect—or trade up to a single- or twin-engine turboprop. Another venue for light piston twins: the training market. For this segment, Diamond offers its DA42, and for Piper Aircraft, the tested-and-true Seminole. Also, Tecnam has delivered the P2006T into flight schools around the globe for more than 10 years—and the economics work out similarly to other modern jet-A-burning pistons. At 9 gph, that’s a lot of trips around the pattern towards a multiengine rating.

[Courtesy: Tecnam Aircraft]

Tecnam also began delivering its turbocharged twin—the P2012 Traveller—to Cape Air in 2019, and the airline continues to add 10 aircraft each year towards the 100 units it will take to fully replace its workhorse Cessna 402s.

AIRCRAFT MAKE/MODEL
MFG BASE PRICE
ENGINE
SEATS
MAX TAKEOFF WEIGHT
USEFUL LOAD
FUEL BURN
MAX SPEED
MAX RANGE
STALL SPEED
TAKEOFF DISTANCE
LANDING DISTANCE
Beechcraft Baron G58
$1,599,000
2 x Continental IO-550-C
65,500 lb.
1,559 lb.
34 gph
202 ktas
1,480 nm
73 kcas
1,391 ft. ground roll
1,440 ft. ground roll
Diamond DA42-VI
$979,000
2 x Austro AE300 (diesel)
44,407 lb.
1,298 lb.
10.3 gph @ 60% pwr
190 ktas
1,273 nm @ 50% pwr
61 kcas
1,391 ft. ground roll
1,220 ft. ground roll
Diamond DA62
$1,315,000
2 x Austro AE330 (diesel)
75,071 lb.
1,609 lb.
11.8 gph @ 60% pwr
192 ktas
1,345 nm @ 50% pwr
70 kcas
1,575 ft. ground roll
1,447 ft. ground roll
Piper Seminole
$905,000
2 x Lycoming IO-360-B1G6
43,800 lb.
1,191 lb.
18 gph
162 ktas
700 nm
55 kias
2,200 ft. over 50-ft. obs
1,490 ft. over 50-ft. obs
Tecnam P2006T
$664,560
2 x Rotax 912 S3
42,712 lb.
906 lb.
9 gph
145 ktas
650 nm
55 kias
1,849 ft. ground roll
758 ft. ground roll
Tecnam P2012 Traveller
$2,726,650
2 x Lycoming TEO-540-C1A
2 + 9
7,937 lb.
3,117 lb.
31 gph
194 ktas
950 nm
65 kcas
1,849 ft. ground roll
1,198 ft. ground roll
Based in Maryland, Julie is an editor, aviation educator, and author. She holds an airline transport pilot certificate with Douglas DC-3 and CE510 (Citation Mustang) type ratings. She's a CFI/CFII since 1993, specializing in advanced aircraft and flight instructor development. Follow Julie on Twitter @julieinthesky.

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