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The following information was retrieved from a variety of sources. The opinions expressed are those of the original authors and not Beechcraft Musketeers Online.

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Beech Sundowner C23

This topic sheet includes general information about the Beech Sundowner C23. Sources for additional information are included at the end of this topic sheet.

Brooks Whitney, FIT, January 1998

History

The Sundowner is a continuation of the Musketeer series Beech created in 1963. Few accepted the name "Musketeer," with many calling it the "Mouseketeer." In an effort to improve sales, in 1970 Beech renamed the 180-hp Musketeer the C23 Sundowner. The Sundowner is a four-seat aircraft equipped with a Lycoming O-360 engine and was positioned between the Beech Sport and Beech Sierra. Although fixed gear, it outperforms the Sport in both speed and capacity. The cruise speed was increased by 8 to 10 knots by changing the cowling shape. Production of the Sundowner continued until 1983.

Airframe, Powerplant, Avionics

The Sundowner Lycoming O-360 engine produces 180 hp at 2,700 rpm with a McCauley 76-inch fixed-pitch propeller. Engine gauges are set in the typical Beech vertical pattern and tend to be small and non-color coded, demanding more time to distinguish them from other gauges. The instrument pack has the normal T configuration, but the radios are located over the right-side control yoke. Easy entry is provided by doors on both sides of the cabin, but some owners have complained that the doors have a tendency to leak, requiring the aircraft to be dried out after a heavy rain. The Aviation Consumer reports an owner describing the cabin as "roomy and comfortable," and the large windows and high seating position providing good visibility. The Sundowner is not a quiet aircraft, but pilot reports noted the ability to carry on a normal conversation in cruise. The baggage compartment door was relocated to the left side of the fuselage. Rain reportedly leaked through the filter of the vacuum pump, ruining the directional gyro and artificial horizon; Beech moved the filter mount. The Sundowner has had very few maintenance complaints, most centered around the leaking doors and gear stress from landing difficulties (i.e.; broken engine mounts and gear housing cracks). Beech canceled production of the Sundowner in 1983, and parts availability can be problematic.

Handling and Performance Characteristics

The Sundowner generally pleases owners with the performance it achieves. Beech is known for accurate aircraft manuals, and the Sundowner was no exception, with climb rates close to that published in the manual. The handling is precise, smooth, very responsive, and stable in turbulent air. When compared to other aircraft in the same class, the Sundowner lacks speed, averaging between 115 and 135 mph TAS. Control feel for the elevator is solid, but the ailerons are equipped with bungees that require considerable control pressure. Several pilots said a wing leveler would help reduce the strain of the arm by reducing the control pressures of the aileron. Landing is another quality that takes some getting use to; the Sundowner is reported subject to porpoising and hard landings. Rubber shocks are used in the gear mounts, as opposed to the popular oleo struts, adding an extra jolt to the landing. The Aviation Consumer reported that the NTSB ranked the Sundowner as the worst in the hard-landing category. Landing difficulties can be controlled by flying the precise approach speed and receiving the proper flight instruction.

Safety Record

The Aviation Consumer reported that between the years 1980 and 1985, the Sundowner has had most of its accidents through landings (approximately 41%). Causes of the accidents are attributed to ballooning, porpoising, and loss of directional control. In most circumstances, the damage was primarily to the nose gear and/or propeller and engine. Students in the aircraft perpetuated 39% of the landing accidents. The safety record of the Sundowner is considered worse than aircraft similar in class, such as the Cherokee and Skyhawk, but superior to the American Grumman Traveler (The Aviation Consumer). Due to the higher approach speed, the Sundowner was rated the third worst out of 33 aircraft when comparing the tendency of overshooting landings.

Additional Information

Air Progress, Lert, Peter, "Sundowner, Rugged and Reliable…And From Beech"

Aero-Trim, Inc., Bay Harbor, Florida (STC)

Flying, July 1980, Moll, Nigel, "New Perspective"

Flying, October 1975, Larson, George C., "Sundowner, Sierra, Sibling Rivals"

Private Pilot, June 1972, Shattuck, Dennis, "Sundowner Sum-up"

The Aviation Consumer, March 15, 1986, "Used Aircraft Guide, Beech Musketeers"

Beech Musketeers

This topic sheet includes general information about the Beech Musketeer Series. Sources for additional information are included at the end of this topic sheet.

Brooks Whitney, FIT, January 1998

History

The Beech Musketeer first appeared in 1963 in two basic models: the 19 and 23. Both are essentially the same aircraft and came with fixed gear, but the 23 has more horsepower and seats four instead of two. They were originally created by Beech to compete with the Cherokee 140, which had entered the market only two years earlier, and the Cessna 150 and 172. Similar to the Cherokee, the Musketeer went through a number of engine changes over the years:

1963

Musketeer 19 —150-hp O-320-B2C

Musketeer 23—160 to 180-hp O-320-B2C

1964

Musketeer II —165-hp Continental IO-346-A
Added door to airframe
First fuel-injected aircraft of its class
Increased maximum deflection of flaps 5°

1965

Musketeer III Custom —180-hp Lycoming (later known as the "Sundowner")

Musketeer III Super —200-hp Lycoming IO-360-A2B (later known as the "Sierra")

1966

Model 19 Sport —150 hp

Beech had high hopes for world-record sales, but the Musketeer was not well received due to its dowdy appearance, high price, and performance inferior to comparable new aircraft from Cessna and Piper. In fact, it was not long before the aircraft was given the nickname "Mouseketeer." To enhance its image, Beech changed the name of later models to "Sundowner," "Sierra," and "Sport." The Musketeer went through many airframe, engine, and name revisions and alterations, and a chart is helpful to correctly identify them. A total of about 3,665 Musketeer variants were built. Production of the Beech Musketeer ended in 1971.

(Buyer beware! Aviation Consumer reported that the Musketeer, Sundowner, and Sport are "notorious for their poor resale value." One airplane dealer went as far as to say the bluebook values are too high.)

Airframe, Powerplant, Avionics

"Lackluster" is how one magazine described the appearance of the Musketeer. The airframe is characterized as "very sturdy," partly due to wing ribs manufactured with the same honeycomb core material used in then-current jet fighters. The metal instrument panel is laid out in the standard "T," radios are to the right, and a subpanel of metal switches are beneath it. The air vents are airline-style swivels in brushed aluminum, and the seats are reported as "solid and supportive." According to most pilots, the Musketeer’s cabin is large and comfortable, but these features add weight and frontal area. Throttle and mixture controls are the vernier type. Both models, 19 and 23, have large 57-gallon fuel supplies and burn about 8 to 10 gph, giving it "good" range for this category of airplane, but the actual range is reduced because the aircraft is notably slower than its competitors, and fuel capacity is limited by weight considerations. Owners responding to a survey for The Aviation Consumer were overall satisfied with the maintenance demands of the Musketeer but complained of leaky windshields and doors and of water getting into the vacuum pump or air filter, causing the gyros to shut down. The biggest problem area was with the landing gear. Cracked and broken housings, attach bolts, trunnions, and forks were reported.

Handling and Performance Characteristics

Once in the air, the Musketeer is reported to have smooth, responsive controls and good lateral stability in rough air. Some owners criticize the Sport and Sundowner for poor longitudinal stability, possibly caused by the stabilator design, and "Beech waggle" (tendency of the tail to swing back and forth in turbulence). Two common complaints about the Musketeer are its adverse landing characteristics and miserable climb performance. The aircraft’s tendency to porpoise during landing has lent considerably to its unfavorable safety record, and stiff rubber shocks, used in place of the more popular oleo struts, contribute to the jarring impact felt after a rough landing. Climb performance is described as "dismal," and the TAS of the Musketeer is notably slower than its competitors.

Safety Record

Although Aviation Safety rated the Beech 19/23 among the best for its low fatal accident rate, total accidents (fatal plus non-fatal) were considerably worse than general aviation as a whole. Poor landings contribute significantly to this record (almost 62%). Landing with too much speed or not enough flare can easily lead to a hard landing or porpoise. The tendency of the aircraft to experience fuel tank unporting leads the handbook to warn pilots that slips are limited to 30 seconds in duration, and takeoffs should not be attempted with fewer than 11 gallons in each tank. Another quirk of the fuel system involves inaccurate fuel gauges. They indicate full when in actuality, the tanks are only about 2/3 full, making it impossible to accurately account for almost 20 gallons of fuel.

Additional Information

Affordable Flying, Fall, 1992, p. 72, "Three Cheers for Beech’s Musketeer."

Affordable Flying, Fall, 1992. p. 77, "The Flight of the Musketeer."

Plane & Pilot, 1993, "Diamond in the Rough."

The Aviation Consumer, March, 15, 1986, "Used Aircraft Guide."

The Aviation Consumer, September 15, 1979, "Used Airplane Guide."

The Aviation Consumer, May 15, 1981, "Used Airplane Guide."

The Aviation Consumer, January 1973, "Beech Musketeer A23 Owner’s Report."

Flying, April 1969, "The Beech Musketeer Custom."

Aviation Safety, June 15, 1986, "Aircraft Safety Rating: Beech 19/23."

Author Unknown

Sundowner Summary
Strengths	Weaknesses
· Rugged construction · Relatively high useful load · High fuel capacity · High baggage capacity · Comfortable cabin · Two doors on most (easy loading) · Reliable engines (except IO-346) · Good crosswind capability · Good turbulence handling · Precise control characteristics · Some aerobatic models	· Slow speed (for horsepower) · Needs longer runways · Beechcraft parts expensive · Few aftermarket modifications · Reputation for difficult landings (owners disagree) · Oil temperature runs cool · Easy to load nose heavy

Information provided on this site is not guaranteed and should be verified with the individual owner or manufacturer. Do not use any data on this site for flight planning purposes. © 2000 Global Computer Resource.