Beechcraft Baron G58 vs Cessna 172 Skyhawk vs Cessna 206 Turbo Stationair vs Piper M350 vs Piper Seneca
The Beechcraft Baron G58 and Piper Seneca are light piston twins, typically carrying one pilot plus four to five passengers (up to six seats total), and are often chosen for redundancy and higher cruise speeds; their practical range is commonly in the mid-hundreds of nautical miles, roughly around 800–1,300 nm depending on power settings, payload, and reserves. The Cessna Skyhawk is a simple, four-seat, single‑engine trainer and personal aircraft with the shortest legs of this group, generally suited to a few hundred nautical miles (often roughly 500–700 nm). The Cessna Turbo Stationair is a larger, utility-oriented single with usually six seats, better high‑altitude performance, and longer cross‑country capability than the Skyhawk, commonly around 700–1,000+ nm. The Piper M350 is a pressurized, high‑performance single (typically six seats including the pilot) aimed at faster, higher-altitude travel, with range often around 1,000–1,300 nm. Overall, Skyhawk emphasizes simplicity, Stationair emphasizes load and versatility, M350 emphasizes pressurized speed and altitude, and Baron/Seneca emphasize twin‑engine capability.
| Spec | Beechcraft Baron G58 | Cessna Skyhawk | Cessna Turbo Stationair | Piper M350 | Piper Seneca |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Summary | |||||
| Cockpit | 2 | — | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| DOC / nm | $ 1.72 | $ 0.95 | $ 1.08 | $ 1.34 | $ 1.69 |
| Total Seats | 6 | 4 | 6 | 6 | 6 |
| Flight Rules | IFR | VFR | VFR | VFR | IFR |
| Manufacturer | Beechcraft | Cessna | Cessna | Piper | Piper |
| Aircraft Name | Baron G58 | 172 Skyhawk | 206 Turbo Stationair | M350 | Seneca |
| Certification | FAA / EASA | FAA / EASA | FAA / EASA | FAA / EASA | FAA / EASA |
| Max Range (nm) | 1480 | 640 | 703 | 1343 | 828 |
| DOC / nm / Seat | $ 0.29 | $ 0.24 | $ 0.18 | $ 0.22 | $ 0.28 |
| OEM Verification | Un-Verified | Un-Verified | Un-Verified | Un-Verified | Un-Verified |
| Useful Load (lbs) | 1450 | — | — | 1308 | 1331 |
| Standard Cabin Seats | 4 | — | 4 | 4 | 4 |
| Direct Operating Cost | $ 347 | $ 118 | $ 174 | $ 285 | $ 337 |
| Flight Deck (Base Spec) | Garmin G1000 NXi | Garmin G1000 NXi | Garmin G1000 NXi | Garmin G1000 NXi | Garmin G1000 NXi |
| Max Cruise Speed (ktas) | 202 | 124 | 161 | 213 | 200 |
| Base Aircraft Price (USD) | $1,495,000 | $415,000 | $745,000 | $1,195,000 | $1,095,000 |
| Cabin | |||||
| Cockpit | 2 | — | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| Total Seats | 6 | 4 | 6 | 6 | 6 |
| Standard Cabin Seats | 4 | — | 4 | 4 | 4 |
| Cabin Pressure (psi) | — | — | — | 5.6 | — |
| Engine | |||||
| FADEC | No | No | No | No | No |
| Model | IO-550-C | IO-360-L2A | TIO-540-AJ1A | TIO-540-AE2A | TSIO-360-RB |
| Fuel Type | AvGas | AvGas | AvGas | AvGas | AvGas |
| TBO (hrs) | 1700 | 2000 | 2000 | 2000 | 1800 |
| TBO (yrs) | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | — |
| Horsepower | 300 | 200 | 350 | 350 | 220 |
| Fuel Delivery | Fuel Injected | Fuel Injected | Fuel Injected | Fuel Injected | Fuel Injected |
| No. of Engines | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| Fuel Capacity (gal) | 194 | 42 | 87 | 120 | 122 |
| Dimensions | |||||
| Length (ft) | 29.9 | 27.2 | 28.3 | 29 | 28.6 |
| Wingspan (ft) | 37.9 | 36.1 | 36 | 43 | 39 |
| Cabin Width (ft) | 3.5 | 3.4 | 3.6 | 4.1 | — |
| Cabin Height (ft) | 4.2 | 4 | 4.2 | 4 | — |
| Cabin Length (ft) | 12.6 | 11.9 | 12.1 | 12.3 | — |
| Overall Height (ft) | 9.8 | 9 | 9.4 | 11.4 | 10 |
| Cabin Volume (cu. ft) | 150 | — | — | 165 | — |
| Baggage Volume Int. (cu. ft) | 46 | 30 | 11 | 20 | — |
| Baggage Volume Ext. (cu. ft) | — | — | — | 13 | — |