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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.

SpecBeechcraft Baron G58Cessna SkyhawkCessna Turbo StationairPiper M350Piper Seneca
Summary
Cockpit2222
DOC / nm$ 1.72$ 0.95$ 1.08$ 1.34$ 1.69
Total Seats64666
Flight RulesIFRVFRVFRVFRIFR
ManufacturerBeechcraftCessnaCessnaPiperPiper
Aircraft NameBaron G58172 Skyhawk206 Turbo StationairM350Seneca
CertificationFAA / EASAFAA / EASAFAA / EASAFAA / EASAFAA / EASA
Max Range (nm)14806407031343828
DOC / nm / Seat$ 0.29$ 0.24$ 0.18$ 0.22$ 0.28
OEM VerificationUn-VerifiedUn-VerifiedUn-VerifiedUn-VerifiedUn-Verified
Useful Load (lbs)145013081331
Standard Cabin Seats4444
Direct Operating Cost$ 347$ 118$ 174$ 285$ 337
Flight Deck (Base Spec)Garmin G1000 NXiGarmin G1000 NXiGarmin G1000 NXiGarmin G1000 NXiGarmin G1000 NXi
Max Cruise Speed (ktas)202124161213200
Base Aircraft Price (USD) $1,495,000 $415,000 $745,000 $1,195,000 $1,095,000
Cabin
Cockpit2222
Total Seats64666
Standard Cabin Seats4444
Cabin Pressure (psi)5.6
Engine
FADECNoNoNoNoNo
ModelIO-550-CIO-360-L2ATIO-540-AJ1ATIO-540-AE2ATSIO-360-RB
Fuel TypeAvGasAvGasAvGasAvGasAvGas
TBO (hrs)17002000200020001800
TBO (yrs)12121212
Horsepower300200350350220
Fuel DeliveryFuel InjectedFuel InjectedFuel InjectedFuel InjectedFuel Injected
No. of Engines21112
Fuel Capacity (gal)1944287120122
Dimensions
Length (ft)29.927.228.32928.6
Wingspan (ft)37.936.1364339
Cabin Width (ft)3.53.43.64.1
Cabin Height (ft)4.244.24
Cabin Length (ft)12.611.912.112.3
Overall Height (ft)9.899.411.410
Cabin Volume (cu. ft)150165
Baggage Volume Int. (cu. ft)46301120
Baggage Volume Ext. (cu. ft)13