The Musketeer line was in production from model years 1963 to 1983, during which time a total of 4,366 were produced.[1] The type certificate for the Musketeer family of aircraft has been owned by Hawker Beechcraft since March 26, 2007.[2]
The first of the line was the Model 23. It was introduced under the "Musketeer" name as a 1963 model at an initial price of $13,300 and was powered by a Lycoming O-320-D2B engine of 160bhp. The next year this engine was replaced by the Continental IO-346-A engine of 165bhp. This engine was not a success and was in turn replaced by the Lycoming O-360-A4J engine of 180bhp starting with the B23 Musketeer Custom of 1968. In 1970 the C23 version was introduced also under the name "Musketeer Custom". In 1972 the C23 was renamed the "Sundowner". When properly equipped, the B23 and C23 are approved for limited aerobatics.[1]
A total of 2,331 Beechcraft 23s of all variants were manufactured by the time production was completed 20 years later in 1983.[1]
The Beech 19 was introduced as a 1966 model year. Despite having a lower model number, it was a later variant and was a lower-powered trainer version of the Model 23. It lacked the 23's third side window and had a Lycoming O-320-E2C powerplant of 150bhp. The Sport was introduced in 1966 with a standard price of $11,500. When properly equipped, the A19, B19, and M19 Sports are approved for limited aerobatics.[1]
The Model 19 was named the "Musketeer Sport" and a total of 922 were built over the 15 years of production which ended with the 1979 model year.[1]
Along with the introduction of the lower-powered Model 19 in 1966, Beechcraft also introduced a higher-powered version of the Model 23 Musketeer and named it the Beechcraft 23–24 Musketeer Super III. This upgraded model had a Lycoming IO-360 fuel injected powerplant which produced 200bhp, 35hp more than the standard Model 23 Musketeer of that year. This model initially sold for a price of $16,350 in 1966.
In 1966 a single demonstration Model 23-24 was equipped with a constant speed propeller. In succeeding years approximately one third of production aircraft were delivered with the constant speed propeller.
The Super Musketeer typically has a useful load of 1050 to 1080 pounds – giving it one of the highest payloads of four-cylinder, fixed gear, simple single-engined aircraft available. Most Model 23-24s were produced in a four-seat configuration. A very small number were produced with a 4+2 configuration with the baggage area convertible to seat two children. This configuration option was more common on the Sierra models that followed the Model 23-24.
One of the few weaknesses of the Model 23-24 was that it had a simple heat distribution system that provided warm air via the firewall to the area under the instrument panel only. This meant heat to the rear seat passengers was less than optimal. Later aircraft featured increasingly better ducting designs that provided heat to all four seating positions.
The fixed-gear Model 23-24 was produced only between 1966 and 1969. A total of 369 Musketeer Super IIIs were completed before it was superseded by the Model 24 Sierra. These were serial numbered MA-1 to MA-369 and were the only models to have a "MA" serial number, making them easier to distinguish than other members of the Musketeer line. In the last few airframes of the series a new instrument panel with the same "vertical tape" gauges that were used in the early Sierras was introduced. These models were known as the A24 and are not to be confused with the first Sierras, which were designated A24R models. Other than the instrument panel these aircraft were mechanically identical to the earlier A23-24 model.[1]
The Model 23-24 Musketeer Super III proved the utility of the 200hp engine in the Musketeer airframe, but the fixed-gear configuration prevented using full advantage of the extra power of the injected Lycoming. The obvious solution was retracting the landing gear and this resulted in the Model 24R.
The Musketeer Super R, A24R in 1970 was the first model year for the new retractable version of the Musketeer to compete with the Piper Arrow.
Renamed the "Sierra", in 1972. The initial A24R Sierra was powered by a Lycoming IO-360-A1B of 200bhp and sold for a standard price of $24,950. The Model 24R completed the Beech line between the fixed gear Musketeers and the much larger, faster, more complex and expensive Beechcraft Bonanza.
1974 saw the introduction of the improved B24R Sierra powered by the Lycoming IO-360-A1B6 engine and new propeller variant as a 1974 model year. The improved C24R in 1977 was powered by the same engine and larger propeller. Beech also did an aerodynamic cleanup on the "C" model making it 6 knots faster than the "B" model it replaced in 1977.
Sierra production ended at the same time as the Model 23 Sundowner assembly line was closed up, during the aviation economic downturn of 1983. A total of 744 Sierras were delivered.[1]
The Musketeer design was further developed into a twin-engined aircraft, the Beechcraft Model 76 Duchess.[3]
See main article: Beechcraft CT-134 Musketeer.
The Canadian Forces purchased twenty-four 1971 model B23 Musketeers, with the first CT-134 arriving at CFB Portage la Prairie on March 23, 1971. The initial batch of CT-134s was replaced in late 1981 with twenty-four 1982 model Beechcraft C23 Sundowners, which were designated by the CF as CT-134A Musketeer II.[4] [5]
A significant difference between the Musketeer line and other similar light aircraft is the Musketeer's landing gear. While the competitive Cessna 172s use spring-steel main gear, the Piper PA-28 Cherokees use oleo struts and the Grumman American AA-5s use fiberglass-sprung main gear, the Musketeer family use a trailing idler link gear system with compressed rubber pucks for shock absorption. This gives the aircraft quite different landing characteristics compared to the competition; light touchdowns are often accompanied by the idler links skipping and producing a landing that is less graceful than anticipated. Nevertheless, with practice, smooth landings are easy to accomplish.
As a result of this type of landing gear design, Beechcraft did not design or offer wheel fairings for the fixed gear models. Several aftermarket manufacturers have designed and tested wheel fairings for Musketeers.[6]
During their production years the Musketeer family of aircraft were popular trainers and were used by many flying schools. Most Musketeers are now privately owned.
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