The Short Run of the Burns BA-42

Despite an aerodynamic cleanliness of its airframe, the light piston twin suffered in a crowded market in the 1970s.

Tuesday, February 07, 2023 at 09:12 AM ET

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One of the two Burns BA-42s, stored in Portage, Wisconsin. The second example is kept preserved in a nearby hangar, ready for any future production efforts. [Courtesy: Jason McDowell]

Key Takeaways:

The Burns BA-42 was a unique and aerodynamically clean light piston twin developed in the 1960s with input from Al Mooney, featuring unconventional engine placement close to the fuselage to reduce Vmc.
Despite claims of impressive performance, the aircraft faced challenges with its Vmc (minimum control speed) claims contradicting its stall speed, and ultimately received FAA type certification only for a four-seat configuration due to weight and balance issues.
Only two BA-42s were built before the project ceased in 1973, failing to achieve full-scale production despite later acquisition by Mael Aircraft Corporation; both aircraft are currently located in Wisconsin, with one potentially restorable.

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Postwar aircraft development, particularly throughout the 1960s and 1970s, was an interesting chapter in general aviation. Light singles saw a wide variety of new and creative designs launched and tested, ranging from small experimental aircraft like the Rutan Quickie to larger-sized design studies like the Cessna XMC. Some of these more unique types like the pressurized Mooney M22 Mustang even reached limited production.

Light piston twins saw considerably less variety and experimentation than singles. While a few less-conventional examples like the Piper Aerostar and Angel 44 made their marks, the scene was dominated by relatively conservative designs like the Piper Seneca, the Beechcraft Baron, and Cessna’s 300 and 400-series cabin-class twins.