Today’s Top Pick is a 1973 Cessna T310Q.

Decades ago I spotted a Cessna 310 POH at a used-book sale and had to have it. I picked up a hardcover copy of Chuck Yeager’s autobiography at the same sale and learned a lot about flying from both books.

While I will never approach Yeager’s rarified level of pilotage, I may yet manage to own a 310 someday. Right now, I want this one.

The 310 has been a favorite of mine since childhood when I became aware of airplanes flying over our suburban New Jersey home. Wingtip-mounted main tanks made this light twin easy to spot and added to an already gorgeous design. My father called it an example of “Buck Rogers styling.” He said the same about the mid-1960s Chevrolet Corvette Stingrays that I coveted.

It is natural for pilots to be attracted by the promise of speed. This particular 310, which has undergone a Riley Turbostream conversion, is more prepared than most light piston twins to keep the promise.

Aviation innovator Jack Riley was famous for conversions that coaxed truly impressive performance from Cessnas and other makes. The 310 Turbostream swapped the aircraft’s original Continental engines for larger, turbocharged, intercooled, counter-rotating Lycoming 540s generating 350 hp each.

With that much power, legend has it, the Turbostream can reach 260 ktas, or about 300 mph. How I would love to give that a try.

Not long ago I read about the aircraft for sale here in an article on the Cessna Owner Organization website. I thought about how airplanes like this seem to never show up on the used market but now here it is for sale. It is hard to resist.

This 1973 Cessna T310Q has 4,400 hours on the airframe, 415 hours since overhaul on each of its 350 hp Lycoming TIO-540-N2BD engines, and 428 hours since overhaul on its Hartzell heated three-blade propellers.

The IFR panel includes a garmin GTN 750 GPS/nav/comm, Bendix King KX 165 nav/comm, dual Garmin G5s, dual Garmin GI 275 engine instruments, Garmin GTX 345 transponder with ADS-B In and Out, and Garmin GMA 345 audio panel, Bendix 82 color radar, and Cessna 400A autopilot with yaw damper.

Pilots looking for a sleek, roomy light twin with hot-rod performance and cross-country practicality should consider this 1973 Cessna T310Q, which is available for $295,000 on AircraftForSale.

If you’re interested in financing, you can do so with FLYING Finance. Use their airplane loan calculator to calculate your estimated monthly payments. Or, to speak with an aviation finance specialist, visit flyingfinance.com.

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The post This 1973 Cessna T310Q Is a Souped-Up ‘AircraftForSale’ Top Pick appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Today’s Top Pick is a 1962 Beechcraft B33 Debonair.

From the beginning, the Beechcraft Bonanza was a hit, with a near-perfect blend of aesthetics and performance that pilots craved. When it went on sale in 1947 the all-metal Bonanza was a major departure from the open frames and fabric covering of typical GA aircraft.

While the distinctive V-tail design of the early models had a space-age appeal, many pilots still preferred traditional empennage. Beechcraft also wanted to boost sales by producing a budget version of the airplane, so the Debonair emerged in 1959.

Initially the new version lacked the desirable options and high-end trim offered with the V-tails, but it soon gained popularity, more features and wound up on equal terms with the V models. 

Today the early Debonairs are still a less-expensive way to get the speed, quality, and charisma of a Bonanza. I do not think there is much left of the hierarchy that used to affect owners of different Bonanza models. The Debonair offers the performance and comfort that most pilots are looking for in a cross-country airplane.

This 1962 Debonair has 3,300 hours on the airframe and 650 hours since overhaul on its Continental IO-470-K engine. The aircraft carries 80 gallons of fuel and is equipped with GAMI injectors.

The IFR panel includes dual Garmin G5s for HSI and attitude, Garmin GTN 650 gps/nav/com, MX 170C nav/comm with ILS/VOR indicator, Garmin Aera 560 portable GPS with Airgizmo mount, GMA 345 audio panel, GTX 345 transponder, Garmin GAD 13, Insight G3 engine monitor, Garmin GFC 500 autopilot, and  vertical card compass.

Additional equipment includes an engine oil filter adapter, auto fuel STC, LP Aero one-piece windshield, Lord shimmy damper, outside air temperature gauge, front seat shoulder harnesses, and oil pan heater.

Pilots who like the looks and value of an early straight-tail Bonanza but prefer to fly with modern instrumentation should consider this 1962 Beechcraft B33 Debonair, which is available for $139,000 on AircraftForSale.

If you’re interested in financing, you can do so with FLYING Finance. Use their airplane loan calculator to calculate your estimated monthly payments. Or, to speak with an aviation finance specialist, visit flyingfinance.com.

• FLYING Magazine: Beech Bonanza and Debonair Approved for Garmin GFC 500 Autopilot
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The post This 1962 Beechcraft B33 Debonair Is a Modernized ‘AircraftForSale’ Top Pick appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Today’s Top Pick is a 1962 Beechcraft B33 Debonair.

When pilots begin shopping for their first aircraft, they typically look for something with more power, speed, and useful load than the airplanes they trained in or rented for years after receiving their private pilot certificate. Aircraft such as the Beechcraft Bonanza and Piper PA-24 Comanche often top the list of candidates for purchase, but shoppers should not forget about the Debonair, which really is just another “flavor” of Bonanza.

The Debonair, first produced in 1960, initially was a stripped-down version of the flagship V-tail Bonanza, except it was more modestly equipped and appointed, and had a conventional or straight tail. The lower price was meant to make the model more competitive with the popular Comanche. As years passed and more customers gravitated toward the elegant-looking Debonair, Beechcraft relented and began calling it a Bonanza. The last of this four-seat model, the F33A Bonanza, continued in production through the 1994 model year.

One of the main attractions for earlier models, such as the aircraft for sale here, is that their prices are still lower than for newer four-seat Bonanzas. Indeed, a Debonair such as this, with a Continental IO-470 engine, can offer classic Bonanza performance, including rapid climb and brisk cruising speeds to pilots with a range of budgets.

This 1962 Debonair has 5,545 hours on the airframe and 1,323 hours on its Continental IO-470N engine since new. The panel includes an Aspen MFD with synthetic vision, Garmin G5, Garmin GMA 340 audio panel, GNS 430W GPS, King KX 155 Nav/Comm, GTX 327 transponder, GDL 88D ADS-B, and JPI EDM 930 engine monitor.

Pilots looking for an elegant midcentury aircraft design that is fast, stylish and ready for a new home should consider this 1962 Beechcraft B33 Debonair, which is available for $129,000 on AircraftForSale.

You can arrange financing of the aircraft through FLYING Finance. For more information, email info@flyingfinance.com.

• FLYING Magazine: Beech Bonanza and Debonair Approved for Garmin GFC 500 Autopilot
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The post This 1962 Beechcraft B33 Debonair Is an Updated Classic ‘AircraftForSale’ Top Pick appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Today’s Top Pick is a 1964 Cessna 205 Super Skywagon.

Cessna used its capable, all-around 182 Skylane as the basis for new models starting with the first 210s in 1960, which essentially were retractable 182s. The company also attached 182 wings and tail to a larger fuselage to make the 205, a fixed-gear model with six seats that performed well as a family transport, thanks in part to its 260 hp engine that gave it more muscle than the already-brawny 182.

The 205 lasted only a couple of years before Cessna replaced it with the 206, which had a new, more sophisticated wing design and even more power. The 206 became the go-to aircraft for pilots who wanted a flying utility vehicle and grew to be so popular that it remains in production. Aircraft shoppers often forget about the 205 but should not because it offers a lot of performance and utility in an economical package.

This 1964 Cessna 205 has 2,250 hours on the airframe, 332 hours on its 260 hp Continental IO-470S engine, and 290 hours on the McCauley C490 two-blade propeller since overhaul. This aircraft has front pilot and passenger doors,  rear cargo door, six seats, and BAS inertia-reel shoulder harnesses. It carries 84 gallons of fuel and comes with Monarch gas caps and an STC for unleaded fuel.

The basic VFR panel includes an Icom radio, Stratus Appareo ESG ADS-B Out transponder, Garmin GDL 49 ADS-B In, and Softcom six-place intercom.

Pilots interested in an economical six-seat traveling aircraft with a substantial useful load should consider this 1964 Cessna 205, which is available for $190,000 on AircraftForSale.

You can arrange financing of the aircraft through FLYING Finance. For more information, email info@flyingfinance.com.

• FLYING Magazine: FLYING’s Air Compare: Cessna 206 vs. Cessna 210
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The post This 1964 Cessna 205 Super Skywagon Is a Heavy-Lifting, 6-Seat ‘AircraftForSale’ Top Pick appeared first on FLYING Magazine.