Beechcraft Duke

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Pressurized, twin-engined piston aircraft produced 1968–1983

title: "Beechcraft Duke" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["beechcraft-aircraft", "1960s-united-states-civil-utility-aircraft", "low-wing-aircraft", "aircraft-first-flown-in-1966", "twin-piston-engined-tractor-aircraft", "aircraft-with-retractable-tricycle-landing-gear"] description: "Pressurized, twin-engined piston aircraft produced 1968–1983" topic_path: "geography/united-states" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beechcraft_Duke" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary Pressurized, twin-engined piston aircraft produced 1968–1983 ::

::data[format=table title="Infobox aircraft"]

Field	Value
name	Duke
image	Duke2.jpg
type	Light aircraft
manufacturer	Beechcraft
first_flight	December 29, 1966
introduction	July 1968
produced	1968–1983
number_built	596
::

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/ee/Beechcraft_B60_Duke_C-FFFU_01.JPG" caption="Three-quarter rear view of a Beechcraft 60 Duke showing the highly swept stabilizer"] ::

The Beechcraft 60 Duke is an American-built twin-engine, piston-driven fixed-wing aircraft designed and produced by Beechcraft. The aircraft has retractable tricycle landing gear and a pressurized cabin. The engines are turbocharged, which also pressurize the cabin with bleed air.

Design

Development of the Beechcraft 60 began in early 1965, which was designed to fill the gap between the Beechcraft Baron and the Beechcraft Queen Air. On December 29, 1966, the prototype made its first flight. On February 1, 1968, the FAA issued the type certificate. Distribution to customers began in July 1968. The passenger cabin is fitted with club seating and entry is by means of a port-side airstair entry door in the rear fuselage.

The Beechcraft A60, which came onto the market in 1970, represented an advancement over the Baron, with an improved pressurized cabin utilizing advanced bonded honeycomb construction, lighter and more efficient turbochargers, and improved elevators. The last variant, the B60, was introduced in 1974. The interior arrangement was renewed and the engine efficiency again increased by improved turbochargers. The Beechcraft 60 was, despite its very good performance, only a moderate seller, principally because the complicated technology demanded a high expenditure on maintenance. Production was stopped in 1983.

Most of the Duke B-60s still flying have retained their original equipment. Electro-mechanical systems, which were highly advanced when the aircraft was introduced, were superseded in other aircraft with simpler I/C controlled mechanical parts. The aircraft design uses turbocharged Lycoming TIO541-B4 engines that develop 380 hp each. Other systems, parts, and FAA-certified technicians are increasingly difficult to locate. Normally, pilots figure 45 USgal/h, plus another 40 USgal for each takeoff and climb as typical fuel consumption for cross-country planning. Owners compare the Beechcraft B60 to classic sports cars—noting that they do not fly Dukes to economize.

Modifications

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/80/BeechcraftDukeRocket.jpg" caption="Rocket Engineering Duke conversion"] ::

Some Dukes have been modified by Rocket Engineering of Spokane, Washington, replacing the Lycoming piston engines with Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-21 or -35 turboprops. Called the Royal Turbine Duke conversion, the modification increases fuel capacity by 28 USgal and the maximum useful load by 400 lb. The take-off length required is shortened by over 1,500 ft to only 1,000 ft and the landing distance is reduced by over 2,000 ft to only 900 ft. The maximum rate of climb is increased from 1600 to, reducing the time to climb to 25,000 ft from 25 to 9 minutes. The cruise speed is increased to 290 kn at 29,000 ft. The modification does have some disadvantages as it increases fuel burn from 56 to and lowers the certified ceiling from 30000 to. The supplemental type certificate was issued on May 12, 2006.

Operational history

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/9f/Beech_A60_DukeN7620D_Corona_CA_16.10.86_edited-2.jpg" caption="Beech A60 Duke in 1986"] ::

The Duke was purchased by corporate and private pilot owners. Most were registered in the United States but examples were exported to many countries including Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Croatia, Finland, France, Germany, Honduras, Iceland, Serbia, Slovenia, Sweden, Switzerland, South Africa and the United Kingdom. One Duke was flown by the Jamaica Defense Force. Many remain in service in the early twenty-first century.

In reviewing the aircraft in 2008, Rick Durden of AVweb stated,

Production figures

Beechcraft 60 : 125
Beechcraft A60 : 121
Beechcraft B60: 350

Operators

Military operators

; ; : Jamaica Defence Force

Specifications (B60)

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/9c/Beechcraft_60_Duke_3-view_line_drawing.png" caption="3-view line drawing of the Beechcraft 60 Duke"] ::

|ref=Janes's All The World's Aircraft 1976–77 |prime units?=kts General characteristics

|genhide=

|crew=1 |capacity=5 passengers |length m= |length ft=33 |length in=10 |span m= |span ft=39 |span in=3+1/3 |height m= |height ft=12 |height in=4 |wing area sqm= |wing area sqft=212.9 |airfoil=NACA 23016.5 at root, NACA 2310.5 at tip |aspect ratio=7.243:1 |empty weight kg= |empty weight lb=4275 |gross weight kg= |max takeoff weight lb=6775 |fuel capacity=142 USgal usable (normal), 232 USgal with additional optional tanks Powerplant

Performance

|perfhide=

Landing distance from 50 ft (15m): 3065 ft

|avionics=

Notes

Bibliography

Donald, David (editor). The Encyclopedia of World Aircraft. Leicesrer, UK:Blitz Editions, 1997. .
Pelletier, A. J. Beech Aircraft and their Predecessors. Annapolis, Maryland, USA: Naval Institute Press, 1995. .
Simpson, Rod. Airlife's World Aircraft. Airlife Publishing Ltd, Shrewsbury, England, 2001. .
Simpson, Rod. The General Aviation Handbook. Midland Publishing, Hinckley, England, 2005. .
Taylor, John W. R. Jane's All The World's Aircraft 1976–77. London:Jane's Yearbooks, 1976. .
Wheeler, Barry C. "World's Air Forces 1979". Flight International, August 4, 1979. Vol. 116, No. 3672. pp. 333–386.

References

Donald 1994, p.101.
(August 26, 2014). "Beechcraft Serialization List, 1945 thru 2014". Beechcraft.
Taylor 1976, p.216.
(November 27, 2017). "Type Certificate Data Sheet No. A12CE, Rev 27". Federal Aviation Administration.
Simpson, 2001, p. 85
(January 1974). "Musclebird: the Duke B60". Ziff-Davis.
"The costs of pleasure". beechcraft-duke.net.
Rocket Engineering. "Royal Turbine". royalturbine.com.
Royal Turbine. (2010). "Performance".
Royal Turbine. (2010). "Comparison".
(November 20, 2008). "Supplemental Type Certificate Number SA01672SE: Installation of two Pratt & Whitney PT6A-21 or two Pratt & Whitney PT6A-35 engines, two Hartzell HC-E4N-3N/D8292B-2 propellers and associated hardware in accordance with Rocket Engineering Master Drawing List 600.00.000, Rev H, dated March 31, 2007, or later FAA-approved revision". Federal Aviation Administration.
Durden, Rick. (May 19, 2008). "The Pilot's Lounge #126: The Less-Than-Great Planes". AVweb.
Simpson, 2005, p. 50
Pelletier 1995, p. 141
Wheeler ''Flight International'' August 4, 1979, p. 362.
Taylor 1976, pp.216–217.

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