Beechcraft Baron G58 vs Cessna 172 Skyhawk vs Cessna Citation M2 vs Pilatus Pc 12 Ngx vs Piper M350
The Beechcraft Baron G58 and Cessna Skyhawk are piston singles/twins aimed at personal and training use, with relatively modest range and capacity. The Skyhawk is a simple, economical four-seat single with typical real-world legs in the roughly 500–700 nm class, while the Baron G58 is a faster six-seat piston twin that can stretch closer to about 800–1,000 nm depending on power settings and payload. The Piper M350 is a pressurized, high-performance piston single positioned for comfortable personal travel; it typically carries about five to six people and offers a similar or slightly better practical range than many piston singles, often around 900–1,200 nm. The Pilatus PC-12 NGX is a single-engine turboprop utility aircraft with far more payload flexibility, commonly seating six to nine passengers, and it can cover roughly 1,500–1,800 nm, making it a step up for regional business missions. The Cessna Citation M2 is a light twin-jet optimized for speed and altitude; it generally carries five to seven passengers with a typical range around 1,200–1,500 nm, trading some cabin and payload flexibility for jet performance.
| Spec | Beechcraft Baron G58 | Cessna Skyhawk | Cessna Citation M2 | Pilatus PC-12 NGX | Piper M350 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Summary | |||||
| Cockpit | 2 | — | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| DOC / nm | $ 1.72 | $ 0.95 | $ 3.45 | $ 2.78 | $ 1.34 |
| Total Seats | 6 | 4 | 8 | 8 | 6 |
| Flight Rules | IFR | VFR | — | IFR | VFR |
| Manufacturer | Beechcraft | Cessna | Cessna Citation | Pilatus | Piper |
| Aircraft Name | Baron G58 | 172 Skyhawk | M2 | PC-12 NGX | M350 |
| Certification | FAA / EASA | FAA / EASA | FAA / EASA | FAA / EASA | FAA / EASA |
| Max Range (nm) | 1480 | 640 | 1400 | 1803 | 1343 |
| DOC / nm / Seat | $ 0.29 | $ 0.24 | $ 0.58 | $ 0.46 | $ 0.22 |
| OEM Verification | Un-Verified | Un-Verified | VERIFIED | VERIFIED | Un-Verified |
| Useful Load (lbs) | 1450 | — | 3810 | — | 1308 |
| Standard Cabin Seats | 4 | — | 6 | 6 | 4 |
| Direct Operating Cost | $ 347 | $ 118 | $ 1,395 | $ 793 | $ 285 |
| Flight Deck (Base Spec) | Garmin G1000 NXi | Garmin G1000 NXi | Garmin G3000 | Honeywell Primus Apex | Garmin G1000 NXi |
| Max Cruise Speed (ktas) | 202 | 124 | 404 | 290 | 213 |
| Base Aircraft Price (USD) | $1,495,000 | $415,000 | $5,150,000 | $5,350,000 | $1,195,000 |
| Min Crew | — | — | 1 | 1 | — |
| Max Cabin Seats | — | — | 7 | 9 | — |
| Cabin | |||||
| Cockpit | 2 | — | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| Total Seats | 6 | 4 | 8 | 8 | 6 |
| Standard Cabin Seats | 4 | — | 6 | 6 | 4 |
| Lavatory | — | — | 1 Enclosed Belted Flushing | Optional | — |
| Min Crew | — | — | 1 | 1 | — |
| Crew Rest | — | — | No | — | — |
| Jump Seat | — | — | No | — | — |
| Max Cabin Seats | — | — | 7 | 9 | — |
| Lavatory Location | — | — | AFT | FWD | — |
| Cabin Pressure (psi) | — | — | 8.5 | 5.8 | 5.6 |
| Galley / Refreshment | — | — | No | No | — |
| SL Cabin Altitude (ft) | — | — | 22027 | 13100 | — |
| Cargo Door | — | — | — | Yes | — |
| Engine | |||||
| FADEC | No | No | Yes | Yes | No |
| Model | IO-550-C | IO-360-L2A | FJ44-1AP-21 | PT6E-67XP | TIO-540-AE2A |
| Fuel Type | AvGas | AvGas | — | — | AvGas |
| TBO (hrs) | 1700 | 2000 | 3500 | 5000 | 2000 |
| TBO (yrs) | 12 | 12 | — | — | 12 |
| Horsepower | 300 | 200 | — | 1200 | 350 |
| Fuel Delivery | Fuel Injected | Fuel Injected | — | — | Fuel Injected |
| No. of Engines | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| Fuel Capacity (gal) | 194 | 42 | 492 | — | 120 |
| Flat Rating | — | — | ISA + 7 | ISA + 35 | — |
| Thrust (lbs) | — | — | 1965 | — | — |
| Fuel Burn (lbph) | — | — | 516 | — | — |
| Usable Fuel (gal) | — | — | — | 402 | — |
| Dimensions | |||||
| Length (ft) | 29.9 | 27.2 | 42.6 | 47.25 | 29 |
| Wingspan (ft) | 37.9 | 36.1 | 47.3 | 53.33 | 43 |
| Cabin Width (ft) | 3.5 | 3.4 | 4.8 | 5 | 4.1 |
| Cabin Height (ft) | 4.2 | 4 | 4.8 | 4.9 | 4 |
| Cabin Length (ft) | 12.6 | 11.9 | 11 | 16.9 | 12.3 |
| Overall Height (ft) | 9.8 | 9 | 14 | 14 | 11.4 |
| Cabin Volume (cu. ft) | 150 | — | — | — | 165 |
| Baggage Volume Int. (cu. ft) | 46 | 30 | — | 40 | 20 |
| Aisle Step (ft) | — | — | 0.4 | — | — |
| Cabin Width - Floor (ft) | — | — | 3.1 | 4.25 | — |
| Cabin Length - Seating (ft) | — | — | 8.8 | — | — |
| Baggage Volume Ext. (cu. ft) | — | — | 46 | — | 13 |