Beechcraft Bonanza G36 vs Cessna 206 Turbo Stationair vs Piper M350 vs Piper M500 vs Piper Seminole vs Piper Seneca
The Beechcraft Bonanza G36 is a high-end, normally aspirated single-engine piston aircraft in the personal/business category, typically carrying 4–6 people with useful real-world range around 600–900 nm depending on power setting and reserves. The Cessna Turbo Stationair is a turbocharged, utility-oriented single-engine piston aircraft, often used for hauling people and bags out of shorter or higher-elevation fields; it commonly seats up to 6 (sometimes more in certain interiors) with typical range roughly 700–900 nm. The Piper M350 is a pressurized, turbocharged single-engine piston aircraft aimed at comfortable high-altitude travel, generally 5–6 seats with about 1,000–1,300 nm range. The Piper M500 steps up to a pressurized single-engine turboprop category, usually 5–6 seats, with roughly 1,000–1,400 nm range and stronger climb/cruise performance. The Piper Arrow is a retractable-gear, normally aspirated single-engine piston in the training/personal category, typically 2–4 seats and about 500–700 nm range. The Piper Seneca is a light twin-engine piston for redundancy and load flexibility, generally 5–7 seats with approximately 700–1,200 nm range depending on model and payload.
| Spec | Beechcraft Bonanza G36 | Cessna Turbo Stationair | Piper M350 | Piper M500 | Piper Arrow | Piper Seneca |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Summary | ||||||
| Cockpit | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| DOC / nm | $ 1.16 | $ 1.08 | $ 1.34 | $ 3.11 | $ 1.36 | $ 1.69 |
| Total Seats | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 |
| Flight Rules | VFR | VFR | VFR | IFR | IFR | IFR |
| Manufacturer | Beechcraft | Cessna | Piper | Piper | Piper | Piper |
| Aircraft Name | Bonanza G36 | 206 Turbo Stationair | M350 | M500 | Arrow | Seneca |
| Certification | FAA / EASA | FAA / EASA | FAA / EASA | FAA / EASA | FAA / EASA | FAA / EASA |
| Max Range (nm) | 920 | 703 | 1343 | 1000 | 700 | 828 |
| DOC / nm / Seat | $ 0.19 | $ 0.18 | $ 0.22 | $ 0.78 | $ 0.23 | $ 0.28 |
| OEM Verification | Un-Verified | Un-Verified | Un-Verified | VERIFIED | Un-Verified | Un-Verified |
| Useful Load (lbs) | 1050 | — | 1308 | 1698 | 1191 | 1331 |
| Standard Cabin Seats | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 |
| Direct Operating Cost | $ 204 | $ 174 | $ 285 | $ 579 | $ 221 | $ 337 |
| Flight Deck (Base Spec) | Garmin G1000 NXi | Garmin G1000 NXi | Garmin G1000 NXi | Garmin G1000 NXi | Garmin G1000 NXi | Garmin G1000 NXi |
| Max Cruise Speed (ktas) | 176 | 161 | 213 | 260 | 162 | 200 |
| Base Aircraft Price (USD) | $925,000 | $745,000 | $1,195,000 | $2,122,600 | $765,000 | $1,095,000 |
| Min Crew | — | — | — | 1 | — | — |
| Cabin | ||||||
| Cockpit | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| Total Seats | 6 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 6 | 6 |
| Standard Cabin Seats | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 |
| Cabin Pressure (psi) | — | — | 5.6 | 5.5 | — | — |
| Lavatory | — | — | — | No | — | — |
| Min Crew | — | — | — | 1 | — | — |
| Galley Location | — | — | — | MID | — | — |
| Galley / Refreshment | — | — | — | Refreshment Centre | — | — |
| SL Cabin Altitude (ft) | — | — | — | 12600 | — | — |
| Max Cabin Altitude (ft) | — | — | — | 8244 | — | — |
| Engine | ||||||
| FADEC | No | No | No | No | No | No |
| Model | IO-550-B | TIO-540-AJ1A | TIO-540-AE2A | PT6A-42A | O-360-AIH6 | TSIO-360-RB |
| Fuel Type | AvGas | AvGas | AvGas | — | AvGas | AvGas |
| TBO (hrs) | 1700 | 2000 | 2000 | 3600 | 2000 | 1800 |
| TBO (yrs) | 12 | 12 | 12 | — | 12 | — |
| Horsepower | 300 | 350 | 350 | 500 | 180 | 220 |
| Fuel Delivery | Fuel Injected | Fuel Injected | Fuel Injected | — | Carbureted | Fuel Injected |
| No. of Engines | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 |
| Fuel Capacity (gal) | 74 | 87 | 120 | 170 | 108 | 122 |
| Flat Rating | — | — | — | ISA + 55 | — | — |
| Dimensions | ||||||
| Length (ft) | 27.5 | 28.3 | 29 | 29.6 | 27.6 | 28.6 |
| Wingspan (ft) | 33.5 | 36 | 43 | 43.2 | 38.6 | 39 |
| Cabin Width (ft) | 3.5 | 3.6 | 4.1 | 4.1 | — | — |
| Cabin Height (ft) | 4.2 | 4.2 | 4 | 4 | — | — |
| Cabin Length (ft) | 12.6 | 12.1 | 12.3 | 12.3 | — | — |
| Overall Height (ft) | 8.6 | 9.4 | 11.4 | 11.3 | 8.5 | 10 |
| Cabin Volume (cu. ft) | 100 | — | 165 | 165 | — | — |
| Baggage Volume Int. (cu. ft) | 10 | 11 | 20 | 20 | — | — |
| Baggage Volume Ext. (cu. ft) | — | — | 13 | — | — | — |