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, aerodynamically advanced light twin aircraft from the 1960s, co-designed by Al Mooney, emphasizing performance through features like flush riveting and closely positioned engines.
While early claims touted impressive cruise speeds and a Vmc below stall speed, official FAA data later contradicted the Vmc claim.
Despite receiving FAA type certification, the project failed in 1973 due to a crowded market and weight/balance issues, limiting its capacity to four seats instead of six.
Only two BA-42s were built; both are currently preserved by Mael Aircraft Corporation, with one potentially restorable to airworthy condition.

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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.