Plane & Pilot 2017 Buyer’s Guide: Piston Twins

Looking for a piston multi? You've come to the right place.

Gemini Sparkle

Key Takeaways:

  • The market for multi-engine piston planes is specialized but offers diverse options, ranging from entry-level training aircraft to high-performance personal and business transportation models.
  • Training-oriented twins like the Tecnam P2006T, Piper Seminole, and Diamond DA42 are highlighted for their efficiency, ease of operation, or low operating costs, with the DA42 notably featuring fuel-efficient diesel engines.
  • Higher-end models such as the Vulcanair Vr, Piper Seneca V, Beechcraft G58 Baron, and Diamond DA62 cater to personal transportation, emphasizing speed, payload capacity, advanced avionics (e.g., Garmin G1000), and enhanced comfort or seating arrangements.
  • Innovations in the segment include the use of modern turbodiesel engines (Diamond DA42, DA62) for improved fuel economy and advanced safety features, while traditional powerful piston engines (Beechcraft G58 Baron, Piper Seneca V) continue to offer robust performance.
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Piper Seneca
Piper Seneca

Piper Seneca V

Piper’s signature twin, the Seneca V, has been around for years, and in some ways it’s been a forgotten part of Piper’s fleet, with more visible, popular platforms in the PA46 lineup. But the Seneca is a terrific personal airplane—it’s fast, has a good payload, can go a long way and has the kind of friendly flying manners common to Piper aircraft. The Seneca’s turbocharged Continental TSIO-360Bs produce 220 hp each (160 fewer ponies than the Baron, its main competitor), but it makes the most of that power with a sleek aerodynamic design and big wing that create a similar end result arrived at in a different way. The Seneca is fast (200 knots at high cruise), roomy and boasts the G1000 integrated flat-panel avionics suite with a host of safety features. It’s available with flight into known icing capability, onboard weather radar, and air-conditioning, built-in oxygen and satellite communications.

Niche: Transportation

Base Price: $999,900

Competitors: Beech G58 Baron, Diamond DA62, Vulcanair Vr

Piper Seneca VSpecifications

Learn more at Piper Aircraft.

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