Plane & Pilot 2021 Buyer‘s Guide: Single-Engine Piston Planes

Newcomers, upgrades, and old favorites: 20 piston singles for 2017.

Gemini Sparkle

Key Takeaways:

  • The Plane & Pilot Buyer's Guide for piston singles features major updates to existing models and new Part 23-certificated aircraft, demonstrating an impressive range of options from 120-knot taildraggers to pressurized six-place screamers.
  • The Cirrus SR22 G6 continues to dominate the market, boasting its best panel yet with the updated Garmin G1000 NXi avionics.
  • The guide highlights a diverse selection of leading piston singles, including premium retractable-gear aircraft like the Piper M350 and Beechcraft G36 Bonanza, fixed-gear models such as the Cessna TTx and Cirrus SR20 (G6 with new engine), and utility/trainer aircraft like the Cessna 182 Skylane and Piper Archer.
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Beechcraft G36 Bonanza
Beechcraft G36 Bonanza

Beechcraft G36 Bonanza

When you think of the ideal personal transportation piston single, it’s hard not to think of the G36 Bonanza, a fast, six-place retractable cruiser with club seating in back and a big, comfy barn door for passengers to climb into and back out of the plane. The basic design of the plane hasn’t changed in decades, but the quality and design character, if anything, have only grown stronger over time. And the electronics are light-years ahead of any ’60s-era Model 36, with the Garmin G1000 avionics suite standard. Beechcraft, now a part of Textron Aviation, only sells a few dozen Bonanzas a year, and they go for a premium. But the pleasure and pride Beechcraft owners take in their planes, owners will tell you, is hard to beat.

Niche: Premium, retractable-gear single

Base Price: $799,000

Competitors: Cirrus SR22, Cessna TTx, Piper Matrix

Read our G36 Bonanza pilot report.

Beechcraft G36 Bonanza Specifications

Learn more at Beechcraft.

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