Piston Singles Buyer’s Guide 2014

Cessna Aircraft
www.cessna.com

Cessna 172S
The 180hp Skyhawk is the final variation on the 172 airframe. The type has progressed from 145 to 195 hp, included a gear-retraction system and a geared engine, but it continues today as a standard, fixed-gear, 180 hp people-mover. There's nothing exotic about a Skyhawk; it's a basic airplane, few ups, few extras and the easiest flight characteristics of any model in its class. Cruise is a fairly leisurely 120 knots, and the Skyhawk can lift a load of two adults and two kids over distances of 450 nm. Add the Garmin G-1000 flat panel avionics display, and you just may have the perfect combination of simplicity and complexity. Price: $289,500.

Cessna Skylane JT-A
The Skylane's sole remaining configuration is a turbo-diesel fixed-gear design. Perhaps sadly, the avgas Skylanes are now a part of Cessna's history. The new model is fitted with a six-cylinder French SMA SR-305-230E diesel powerplant, perhaps the most efficient mid-range engine available. Horsepower rating is 230, similar to the old avgas model. The SMA engine burns Jet A, but ironically isn't approved for diesel (not that you could find any on an airport anyway). Diesel offers some efficiencies not available with avgas, enough that Cessna claims a max range of 1,360 nm. Cruise is claimed at 156 knots, and that's almost exactly what I saw flying the flight test airplane in Wichita a year ago. Cessna is still in the certification process, but a recent power loss on a test airplane may complicate that approval. Price: $515,000.

Cessna 206T
Just as the Skyhawk and Skylane lines have been streamlined, so has the Cessna 206. The company dropped the normally aspirated Stationair for 2014. The Turbo Stationair assumes the mantle of the top load lifter among Cessna's piston products with a 1,238-pound useful load. Loading is facilitated by cargo doors at aft right, and with five of its six seats removed, the T-Stationair offers floor space that will swallow most reasonable items. Alternately, the airplane can accommodate up to six folks, fuel load permitting. The T206 is a utility airplane par excellence. Its landing gear is tough and resilient, capable of absorbing hits from rough strips or semi-washboard runways. If you need to fly high above the weather, the T206 will truck along at 160 knots, or you can plan on 145-150 knots at more breathable heights. Price: $597,500.

Corvalis TTx
This airplane, formerly the Columbia 400, allowed Cessna to expand into production of a high-performance single without expending the huge fortune normally required for FAA certification. Cessna hadn't had an entry in that market since the Turbo Centurion, but the TTx was certainly a worthy successor. With a 310 hp Continental TSIO-550 on the nose, the TTx brags of a 235 knots max speed, though max cruise is a more realistic 225 knots, still a respectable velocity. That makes the TTx the fastest production fixed-gear airplane in the world. Standard avionics include the Garmin G2000 glass panel with integral G700 autopilot. Air conditioning and TKS are options. Price: $733,950.

Cirrus Aircraft
www.cirrusaircraft.com

Cirrus SR20
The company's first production airplane was introduced in 1999, and it was something of a revelation to the general aviation industry, fitted with a large Avidyne glass PFD/MFD, a full airframe parachute and a level of interior comfort styled after a 5-series BMW. Designers Alan and Dale Klapmeier rethought the whole concept of a personal airplane and came up with a design that conveniently sidestepped the two major concerns of new pilots: what to do if the engine quits, and how to avoid getting lost. Today, the basic, entry-level Cirrus SR20 continues to sell to flight schools and individuals alike. It's certainly a capable trainer, but many owners use the airplane for personal or business transport, as well. Fitted with a durable, six-cylinder 200 hp Continental IO-360 engine, the SR20 offers an easy 150-knot cruise following an 800 fpm climb. Full fuel is 56 gallons, but if you download fuel slightly, you'll still have weight allowance for four folks plus endurance for three hours flying, typically enough for nearly 500 nm between pit stops. Price: $319,900.

Cirrus SR22/T
And finally, we reach the peak of the pyramid, at least in popularity. The Cirrus SR22/T is now available in both normal and turbo versions, and either airplane provides a different spin on aircraft design. Roll and pitch are controlled with a side stick rather than a yoke (though the side stick does manifest a sometimes irritating breakout force). Garmin's G1000 is standard in the SR22 with a specialized version known as Cirrus Perspective. There are two doors for entry, not unique but more convenient than a single right front portal. As with the SR20, the SR22 features the Cirrus Airframe Parachute System, 26 G seats and crush zones in the belly of the airplane to protect all occupants. (The parachute system lets the airplane descend at 18 fps---1,100 fpm vertically---so the airplane will be sacrificed to protect the occupants.) The SR22 employs what has become the standard big-bore engine in the industry, Continental's IO-550, in this case rated for 310 hp. Like everyone, Cirrus has been affected by the continuing aviation recession, but production continues apace and the Cirrus Vision Jet is on track for certification in 2014. Price: $479,900.

Diamond Aircraft
www.diamondtaircraft.com

DA20 Eclipse
Learning to fly is supposed to be fun, and if fun is part of your agenda, the Diamond DA20 is one of the best vehicles in the sky. With a stick for pitch and roll and a canopy that yields access to both seats simultaneously, the Diamond Eclipse is unique among certified two-seat trainers. The little Continental IO-240B engine cranks out 125 hp, and the airplane's drag signature is so low, the result is a 137-knot cruise. Prior to 2007, the U.S. Air Force employed a fleet of DA-20s to screen potential pilots at the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colo. The Air Force HOTAS philosophy (Hands On Throttle and Stick) worked perfectly with all flight instruments switched to the right panel and students flying from the right side. With its high-aspect-ratio wings, the DA20 has a better L/D than any of its competitors, and if you're so inclined, the airplane is even legally spinnable. The transparent overhead canopy provides excellent visibility in case you need to check six, and the DA20 features crush zones and 26G seats for better crash worthiness. By definition, the seats don't adjust, but the rudder pedals move fore and aft to accommodate long legged pilots. The DA20 has no lightning protection, so it's not certified for actual IFR, but you can do all the training you wish under the hood, and be guaranteed it will be great fun. Price: $188,800.

DA40/XLS Star
The Diamond Star capitalizes on a big cabin in both width and height, and the semi-bubble canopy again provides an illusion of huge cabin space. The Star allows you to load the two rear-seat passengers through their own aft-left door, independent of the front seat entryway. Again, the bigger Star flies with a stick rather than a yoke, and while there may not be that much difference in control response in the real world, you can fool yourself into believing your imaginary fighter pilot status. All pilots and passengers board over the front of the wing, so there's no safe way to mount up with the engine running. Power is the tough 180 hp Lycoming IO-360 mill, apparently constructed of Kevlar and blessed with a TBO of 2,000 hours. Today's Diamond Star flies behind a constant speed Hartzell or a three-blade MT composite tractor with the XLS upgrade. A few years back, Diamond also introduced improved wheel fairings and the Power Flow tuned exhaust system, an aftermarket mod that really works and boosts cruise to at least 147 knots. Garmin's G1000 glass cockpit is standard equipment. Price: $377,800.

Hawker Beechcraft
www.hawkerbeechcraft.com

Beech G36 Bonanza
It's hard to believe the current G36 Bonanza is 45 years old, and its descended from a design that was introduced 21 years before that. Production of the original four-seat V-tail Bonanza lasted through 1982 before Beech finally acknowledged the controversy over the beautiful V-tail and shelved the V35B forever. The six-seat model 36 was the beneficiary of a 10-inch fuselage stretch that translated directly to a third row of seats, boosting capacity from four to six. Though the current airplane looks cosmetically similar, replete with the same right-side, aft cargo door, the changes over four-plus decades are significant. The major innovation is the Garmin G1000 glass panel, coupled to the integrated Garmin G700 autopilot. Bonanza specs haven't changed much over the years either, primarily because they haven't needed to. The G36 offers a useful load of 920 pounds, climbs at 1,230 fpm and cruises at 176 knots up at 7,000 to 8,000 feet. Price: $765,900.

Liberty Aerospace
www.libertyaircraft.com

Liberty XL2
The Liberty trainer showed all the signs of success when it was introduced in 2005. Unfortunately, the timing was all wrong, the recession limited sales, and the company produced only about 130 airplanes in the first six years and practically none in the last two years. The final base price for the Liberty XL-2 was $209,000 in 2010, the last year of major production. The basic design was drawn from the Europa XS motorglider, a popular machine in Europe, as the name implies. The XL-2 utilized a Continental IOF-240B engine, FADEC-controlled and rated for 125 hp and coupled to an MT composite prop. With the configuration of a Grumman-American Trainer from the mid-'70s, it's a comfortable airplane, wide enough for two broad-shouldered pilots, and with flight characteristics as friendly as a Cessna 152. The XL-2 features an all-metal, laminar flow wing with a composite fuselage, a 4130 chromolly tricycle gear and a Piper-style stabilator rather than an elevator. Cruise is 113 knots, and stall is an insignificant 50 knots. Fuel capacity is 28 gallons in a single fuselage tank, so no management is necessary. The city of Wuhan, China, placed an order for 200 XL-2s in October 2012, with the stipulation that components were to be shipped to Wuhan and all airplanes would be assembled there. This suggests these airplanes may not be available in the United States, but there has been no announcement to that effect. No price had been announced at press time.

Mooney Aircraft
www.mooney.com

Acclaim S
When Mooney was building the Acclaim S, the type was almost unquestionably the world's fastest certified production piston-engine airplane, regardless of the number of engines. I flew one of the last of the type before the shutdown (with the boarding step conveniently removed) and saw an average, two-way, GPS groundspeed of 239 knots at 25,000 feet. That's close to turboprop speeds. Late this year, a new Type S should be recording the same speed. The Acclaim's only competition is the Corvalis TTx, and the TTx is probably five to 10 knots slower at the same height (though, incredibly, the Corvalis scores its performance with fixed gear). Useful load on the Acclaim S is about 1,000 pounds. Subtract 100 gallons of fuel, and you're down to a 400 pound payload. Options include air conditioning and TKS ice protection. Price NA.

Ovation II
Competition is good for any industry, and one of the long-time major players in aircraft production, Mooney, finally has secured funding to restart its production line. Mooney shut down aircraft manufacturing during the 2008 recession and has been in pause mode ever since. Meijing Group of Zhengzhou, China, announced the acquisition of Mooney last October, and company CFO Barry Hodkin is in process of rehiring employees and recertifying tooling in hopes of building new Mooneys in Kerrville, Texas, by mid-2014. Just as before the shutdown, the normally-aspirated Ovation is expected to be the company's anchor model, relatively unchanged from the final 2008 airplanes. Like practically everyone these days, the Ovation uses the Continental IO-550 engine, rated for 280 hp, and manages an easy 180-185 knots cruise. (I delivered a dozen Ovations from Texas to Australia during the 1990s, and I saw a consistent 170 to 175 knots on long- range power at 13.8 gph.) Like all post-2006 Mooneys, the Ovation offers the Garmin G1000 glass panel with the G700 autopilot. Prices had not been announced at press time.

Piper Aircraft
www.piper.com

Piper Archer LX
Piper's entry-level training airplane is perhaps too big for its mission, but it's also one of the gentlest machines you can fly. The Archer has always been renowned for its benign-handling, docile stall and forgiving manners. The company considered offering an LSA a few years ago, but finally settled on the Archer as its least expensive model. Numerically, the Archer scores about an 880 fpm climb and 130-knot cruise at 7,000 feet. It's a comfortable machine, fitted with the Garmin G1000 glass panel. It's perhaps best known, however, as an airplane that's almost impossible to stall. Some instructors even criticize it as being too easy to fly. Landings in an Archer make everyone look good, amateur and professional alike. Price: $341,900.

Piper Arrow
The Arrow is the model that knocked Mooney out of the top single-engine retractable spot in the late '60s. In those days, Piper offered an automatic gear extension system, but inevitably, it worked too well. It extended once when it shouldn't have, there was a lawsuit, and you can guess the rest. No more auto-extend. The Arrow has the distinction of being the only certified complex retractable trainer available on the new-plane market. Like virtually all the Weick/Thorpe wing Pipers, the Arrow's flight characteristics are benign almost to a fault, partially a function of the airplane's family resemblance to the Archer. It's the least expensive retractable you can buy with only 200 hp on the nose. In fact, it's the only one. If you're looking for a light production single-engine retractable, you've just found it. Price: $431,490.

Piper Matrix
Piper's logic was beyond dispute. They surveyed Mirage owners and found that many of them rarely flew higher than 13,000 to 15,000 feet, at least partially negating the need for pressurization. Why not, some clever engineer reasoned, simply remove all the hardware for pressurization and offer a new model that translates the saved weight into payload. As it turned out, the weight savings was almost exactly equal to that of one additional passenger. This meant a Matrix could carry a payload of four humans, whereas the Mirage was limited to only three folks. Forgoing pressurization also simplified parts count and reduced assembly hours, and the result was a price savings of about $140,000. The same power and weight with no additional drag meant the same performance, so the Matrix wound up with a max cruise of about 210 to 215 knots at 25,000 feet, a more than even trade for those willing to skip pressurization. Price: $939,950.

Piper Mirage PA46-350P
But not everyone was happy about losing pressurization. Many of the pilots in the income bracket to afford a Mirage bought one specifically because it allowed them to fly high and breathe low. Indeed, the Mirage's inflatable cabin provided what many regarded as the ultimate luxury, providing the option to leave the cabin near sea level while cruising at 12,000 feet. Whatever the motivation, the Mirage almost single-handedly kept Piper afloat in those tough days of the early '90s when the PA-46 was the only airplane Piper was building. At the time, it was also the only pressurized piston single on the market. Though it doesn't look that much different than the original Continental-powered Malibu, the Mirage's Lycoming boasts an extra 40 hp and an additional 200 pounds gross weight. Reliable cruise is 210 to 215 knots following a 1,000 fpm climb for the first 10,000 feet or so. Even for those who confine themselves to the bottom three-and-a-half miles of vertical sky, speed is close to 200 knots, usually well above the weather and most other traffic. Price: $1,078,875.