Beechcraft Bonanza G36 vs Beechcraft Kingair Denali vs Cessna 172 Skyhawk vs Cessna 182 Skylane vs Cessna 206 Turbo Stationair vs Cessna Caravan vs Cessna Grand Caravan Ex vs Pilatus Pc 12 Ngx vs Piper M350 vs Piper M500 vs Piper M600 Sls vs Piper Seminole
The Cessna Skyhawk and Piper Arrow are entry-level piston singles; both typically carry four, with the Skyhawk generally offering modest range and efficiency, while the Arrow adds retractable-gear performance with similar passenger capacity and broadly comparable range. The Cessna Skylane and Cessna Turbo Stationair move up to higher-power piston utility; the Skylane is usually a four-seat cross-country platform with longer legs than the Skyhawk/Arrow, while the Turbo Stationair commonly seats six and emphasizes load-carrying and short/rough-field flexibility with good, mission-dependent range. The Beechcraft Bonanza G36 and Piper M350 are premium pressurized/unpressurized high-performance pistons in the personal travel category; the G36 is typically a six-seat fast cruiser, while the M350 is a pressurized six-seat traveler with strong high-altitude capability and solid range. The Piper M500 and Piper M600 SLS are personal turboprops for 5–6 occupants with substantially more range than pistons. The Cessna Caravan and Grand Caravan EX are single-engine utility turboprops typically seating 9–14, optimized for payload and short fields; range is good but mission/payload sensitive. The Pilatus PC‑12 NGX is a high-end single-engine turboprop, typically 6–9 passengers with long range. The Beechcraft King Air Denali is a newer single-engine turboprop positioned around 6–9 passengers with long-range capability, bridging personal travel and executive utility.
| Spec | Beechcraft Bonanza G36 | Beechcraft KingAir Denali | Cessna Skyhawk | Cessna Skylane | Cessna Turbo Stationair | Cessna Caravan | Cessna Grand Caravan EX | Pilatus PC-12 NGX | Piper M350 | Piper M500 | Piper M600 SLS | Piper Arrow |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Summary | ||||||||||||
| Cockpit | 2 | 2 | — | — | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| DOC / nm | $ 1.16 | $ 4.08 | $ 0.95 | $ 1.01 | $ 1.08 | $ 3.07 | $ 3.15 | $ 2.78 | $ 1.34 | $ 3.11 | $ 2.19 | $ 1.36 |
| Total Seats | 6 | 11 | 4 | 4 | 6 | 10 | 10 | 8 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 |
| Flight Rules | VFR | IFR | VFR | VFR | VFR | VFR | VFR | IFR | VFR | IFR | IFR | IFR |
| Manufacturer | Beechcraft | GE® Aerospace | Cessna | Cessna | Cessna | Cessna | Cessna | Pilatus | Piper | Piper | Piper | Piper |
| Aircraft Name | Bonanza G36 | KingAir Denali | 172 Skyhawk | 182 Skylane | 206 Turbo Stationair | Caravan | Grand Caravan EX | PC-12 NGX | M350 | M500 | M600 | Arrow |
| Certification | FAA / EASA | FAA / EASA | FAA / EASA | FAA / EASA | FAA / EASA | FAA / EASA | FAA / EASA | FAA / EASA | FAA / EASA | FAA / EASA | FAA / EASA | FAA / EASA |
| Max Range (nm) | 920 | 1600 | 640 | 915 | 703 | 1070 | 964 | 1803 | 1343 | 1000 | 1406 | 700 |
| DOC / nm / Seat | $ 0.19 | $ 0.68 | $ 0.24 | $ 0.25 | $ 0.18 | $ 0.38 | $ 0.39 | $ 0.46 | $ 0.22 | $ 0.78 | $ 0.55 | $ 0.23 |
| OEM Verification | Un-Verified | VERIFIED | Un-Verified | Un-Verified | Un-Verified | VERIFIED | VERIFIED | VERIFIED | Un-Verified | VERIFIED | VERIFIED | Un-Verified |
| Useful Load (lbs) | 1050 | 3280 | — | — | — | 3305 | 3332 | — | 1308 | 1698 | 2200 | 1191 |
| Standard Cabin Seats | 4 | 7 | — | — | 4 | 8 | 8 | 6 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 |
| Direct Operating Cost | $ 204 | $ 1,111 | $ 118 | $ 146 | $ 174 | $ 571 | $ 614 | $ 793 | $ 285 | $ 579 | $ 603 | $ 221 |
| Flight Deck (Base Spec) | Garmin G1000 NXi | Rockwell Collins Pro Line Fusion | Garmin G1000 NXi | Garmin G1000 NXi | Garmin G1000 NXi | Garmin G1000 NXi | Garmin G1000 NXi | Honeywell Primus Apex | Garmin G1000 NXi | Garmin G1000 NXi | Garmin G3000 | Garmin G1000 NXi |
| Max Cruise Speed (ktas) | 176 | 285 | 124 | 145 | 161 | 186 | 195 | 290 | 213 | 260 | 274 | 162 |
| Base Aircraft Price (USD) | $925,000 | $4,150,000 | $415,000 | $530,000 | $745,000 | $2,355,000 | $2,695,000 | $5,350,000 | $1,195,000 | $2,122,600 | $3,081,400 | $765,000 |
| Min Crew | — | 1 | — | — | — | 1 | 1 | 1 | — | 1 | 1 | — |
| Max Cabin Seats | — | 9 | — | — | — | 9 | 12 | 9 | — | — | — | — |
| Cabin | ||||||||||||
| Cockpit | 2 | 2 | — | — | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| Total Seats | 6 | 11 | 4 | 4 | 6 | 10 | 10 | 8 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 6 |
| Standard Cabin Seats | 4 | 7 | — | — | 4 | 8 | 8 | 6 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 |
| Lavatory | — | 1 Flushing | — | — | — | No | No | Optional | — | No | No | — |
| Min Crew | — | 1 | — | — | — | 1 | 1 | 1 | — | 1 | 1 | — |
| Max Cabin Seats | — | 9 | — | — | — | 9 | 12 | 9 | — | — | — | — |
| Lavatory Location | — | AFT | — | — | — | — | — | FWD | — | — | — | — |
| Cabin Pressure (psi) | — | 5 | — | — | — | Un-Pressurized | Un-Pressurized | 5.8 | 5.6 | 5.5 | 5.6 | — |
| Galley / Refreshment | — | No | — | — | — | No | No | No | — | Refreshment Centre | Refreshment Centre | — |
| SL Cabin Altitude (ft) | — | 11065 | — | — | — | — | — | 13100 | — | 12600 | 12600 | — |
| Cargo Door | — | — | — | — | — | Yes | Yes | Yes | — | — | — | — |
| Galley Location | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | MID | MID | — |
| Max Cabin Altitude (ft) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 8244 | 8644 | — |
| Engine | ||||||||||||
| FADEC | No | — | No | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | No |
| Model | IO-550-B | Catalyst™ | IO-360-L2A | IO-540-AB1A5 | TIO-540-AJ1A | PT6A-114A | PT6A-140 | PT6E-67XP | TIO-540-AE2A | PT6A-42A | PT6A-42A | O-360-AIH6 |
| Fuel Type | AvGas | — | AvGas | AvGas | AvGas | — | — | — | AvGas | — | — | AvGas |
| TBO (hrs) | 1700 | — | 2000 | 2000 | 2000 | 3600 | 4000 | 5000 | 2000 | 3600 | 3600 | 2000 |
| TBO (yrs) | 12 | — | 12 | 12 | 12 | — | — | — | 12 | — | — | 12 |
| Horsepower | 300 | — | 200 | 245 | 350 | 675 | 867 | 1200 | 350 | 500 | 600 | 180 |
| Fuel Delivery | Fuel Injected | — | Fuel Injected | Fuel Injected | Fuel Injected | — | — | — | Fuel Injected | — | — | Carbureted |
| No. of Engines | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| Fuel Capacity (gal) | 74 | — | 42 | 87 | 87 | — | 335 | — | 120 | 170 | 260 | 108 |
| Flat Rating | — | — | — | — | — | ISA + 31 | ISA + 24 | ISA + 35 | — | ISA + 55 | ISA + 55 | — |
| Usable Fuel (gal) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 402 | — | — | — | — |
| Dimensions | ||||||||||||
| Length (ft) | 27.5 | 14.86 | 27.2 | 29 | 28.3 | 37.6 | 41.6 | 47.25 | 29 | 29.6 | 29.7 | 27.6 |
| Wingspan (ft) | 33.5 | 54.3 | 36.1 | 36 | 36 | 52.1 | 52.1 | 53.33 | 43 | 43.2 | 43.2 | 38.6 |
| Cabin Width (ft) | 3.5 | 4.5 | 3.4 | 3.5 | 3.6 | 5.4 | 5.4 | 5 | 4.1 | 4.1 | 4.1 | — |
| Cabin Height (ft) | 4.2 | 4.8 | 4 | 4.1 | 4.2 | 4.5 | 4.5 | 4.9 | 4 | 4 | 4 | — |
| Cabin Length (ft) | 12.6 | 12.6 | 11.9 | 11.2 | 12.1 | 12.8 | 16.8 | 16.9 | 12.3 | 12.3 | 12.3 | — |
| Overall Height (ft) | 8.6 | 4.65 | 9 | 9.4 | 9.4 | 15 | 15.1 | 14 | 11.4 | 11.3 | 11.3 | 8.5 |
| Cabin Volume (cu. ft) | 100 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 165 | 165 | 165 | — |
| Baggage Volume Int. (cu. ft) | 10 | 48 | 30 | 32 | 11 | 32 | 32 | 40 | 20 | 20 | 20 | — |
| Cabin Width - Floor (ft) | — | 4.1 | — | — | — | — | — | 4.25 | — | — | — | — |
| Cabin Length - Seating (ft) | — | 12.6 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Baggage Volume Ext. (cu. ft) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 13 | — | — | — |