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 2017 Buyer's Guide highlights a diverse selection of leading piston singles, ranging from updated existing models to newly certified aircraft, offering options from basic trainers to high-performance, pressurized six-seaters.
  • Advanced avionics are a prominent feature across many models, with the market-dominating Cirrus SR22 G6 launching Garmin's updated G1000 NXi (Perspective+) suite, and other premium aircraft also boasting state-of-the-art Garmin G1000 or G3000 systems.
  • The featured aircraft cater to various pilot needs, including pressurized high-altitude cruisers (Piper M350), fast retractable-gear personal aircraft (Beechcraft G36 Bonanza, Mooney Acclaim Ultra/Ovation Ultra), and capable fixed-gear alternatives (Cessna TTx, Cirrus SR22/SR20).
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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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