Beechcraft musketeer

Beechcraft Musketeer / Sierra / Sundowner
B23 Sundowner
Type:	Light aircraft
Design country:	United States
Manufacturer:	Beech Aircraft
First flight:	October 23, 1963
Production time:	1963-1993
Number of pieces:	> 4000

The Beechcraft Musketeer , Sierra and Sundowner were a series of inexpensive, light and single - engine low - wing aircraft from the US aircraft manufacturer Beech Aircraft , the versions of which were built from 1963 to 1993. In addition to a pilot, depending on the version, between three and five people can be carried.

history

The first model in the series was the Model 23 Musketeer , which flew for the first time on October 23, 1963 and was the starting point for a whole range of models and versions. The planes designed as low-wing aircraft had a rigid landing gear and a fixed propeller. Some components were made of plastic honeycomb construction, which was a novelty at the time. The Musketeer was initially powered by a Lycoming O-320-D2B 160 hp boxer engine and cost $ 13,300. A year later followed a version with the 165 hp Continental IO-346-A.

The Model 19 Musketeer Sport followed in 1966 with the weaker 150 HP Lycoming O-320-E2C engine and only two instead of three windows. From this there were later also the versions A19, B19 and M19 Sports. A total of 922 Model 19s were built between 1966 and 1979.

The B23 Musketeer Custom version followed in 1968, powered by a 180 hp Lycoming O-360-A4J . In 1970 the C23 Musketeer Custom followed , which was renamed the Model C23 Sundowner in 1972 . There was again a two-seat sports version with a 150-hp engine and, from 1974, a six-seat Model 24 Sierra with the 200-hp Lycoming IO-360-A1B engine at a price of $ 24,950. A total of 2331 C23 and 744 C24 were built.

Technical specifications

B19 Musketeer Sport

B24 Sierra

Parameter	C23 Sundowner 180	B19 Musketeer Sport	A23 Musketeer 11	B24R Sierra 200
crew	1	1	1	1
Passengers	3	2-3	3	5
length	7.84 m	7.85 m	7.62 m	7.89 m
span	9.98 m	10.00 m	9.98 m	10.03 m
height	2.50 m	2.51 m	2.51 m	2.47 m
Max. Takeoff mass	1111 kg	975 kg	1067 kg	1247 kg
Empty mass	680 kg	631 kg	619 kg	775 kg
Top speed	222 km / h	282 km / h	?	?
Cruising speed	210 km / h	248 km / h	222 km / h	257 km / h
Service ceiling	4390 m	4542 m	?	?
Range	941 km	1420 km	1456 km	1092 km
Engines	a Lycoming O-360-A4K 4-cylinder boxer engine with 134 kW	a Lycoming O-320-E2C with 112 kW	a Continental IO-346-A with 123 kW	a Lycoming IO-360-A1B6 with 149 kW

See also

• List of aircraft types

Web links

• Pilotfriend: Beech Musketeer, Sierra & Sundowner history, performance and specifications (English)
• Airplane info : Beechcraft 23 Musketeer / Custom / Sundowner

Individual evidence

1. ↑ FliegerRevue January 2008, p. 67, collection series
2. ↑ Aircraft Info : B19 Musketeer Sport
3. ↑ Karsten Palt: Beech / Beechcraft 23 Musketeer / Custom / Sundowner - Technical data / description. In: Flugzeuginfo.net. January 15, 2017. Retrieved June 26, 2019 . 
4. ↑ Aircraftworlddirectory: B24R Sierra 200 ( Memento from January 7, 2009 in the Internet Archive )