Seminole vs Duchess

Fearless Tower

Fearless Tower

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Fearless Tower
Anyone flown both care to comment on how they stand up to each other?

I've never been inside a Seminole. Got 100 hrs in the BE-76 and found it a fairly capable airplane for what I have used it for (weekend family trips).

I've been unable to find any 6 seat rentals available near me, so my options are: get checked out locally in a PA44 or BE76 or drive more than an hour to rent an SR22. I'm leaning toward the Duchess since I know the airframe well and know I can haul the family in it, but curious how the Seminole compares.

If anyone knows of a 6 seat single or twin for rent in the Norfolk area, please let me know.
 
As a trainer I liked the 76 because of cabin size and the spin recovery testing that Beech performed. I'd probably vote the same for personal use. The handling characteristics and light weight of the Seminole caused it to feel a toy.

Fearless Tower said:
Anyone flown both care to comment on how they stand up to each other?

I've never been inside a Seminole. Got 100 hrs in the BE-76 and found it a fairly capable airplane for what I have used it for (weekend family trips).

I've been unable to find any 6 seat rentals available near me, so my options are: get checked out locally in a PA44 or BE76 or drive more than an hour to rent an SR22. I'm leaning toward the Duchess since I know the airframe well and know I can haul the family in it, but curious how the Seminole compares.

If anyone knows of a 6 seat single or twin for rent in the Norfolk area, please let me know.
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wabower said:
The handling characteristics and light weight of the Seminole caused it to feel a toy.
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Interesting. That is one thing I really liked about the Duchess. Very solid feeling and stable aircraft. It was a great IFR platform.
 
like wayne said, the seminole is a piper arrow in both speed and room, except it uses more gas than an arrow.
 
Stable probably due to the counter-rotating props eh? I haven't flown a Duchess before but will most likely jump into one within the next year - I've been looking forward to it.
 
CBeaulieu said:
Stable probably due to the counter-rotating props eh?
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With both props turning, I haven't noticed much difference in stability. The Twin Comanche I got my ME in was a very fine flyer as well and it did not have CR props.

I attribute it more to the greater weight of the aircraft - you don't get tossed around as much. Kind of like how it is easier to fly IFR in a 210 compared to a 172.
 
I haven't flown a Seminole, but I can say one of my favorite features of the Duchess is the built in calibrated dipstick in the fuel tanks. You can take on a partial fuel load and know with confidence how much gas you have.

A Seneca is an excellent hauler, but it is very truck-like to fly compared to a Duchess.
 
CBeaulieu said:
Stable probably due to the counter-rotating props eh?
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I don't see how CR props would change stability, but I'm willing to be educated. I'd always understood that the only thing they change is engine-out control and performance.
 
Also I've never flown a Duchess, for all I know I might think it flies like a turd too. Flying the Seminole was about as fun as taking a trip to the dentist.
 
I would run a free ad in Craigslist looking for aircraft to fly, maybe you can work something out with an owner who doesn't exercise his bird enough.
 
Flown the Duchess, no complaints at all. Never flew the Seminole but I had a friend describe it as a piece of plywood with 2 engines attached, he hated it.
 
I've flown both here. If the Duchess is available, I ALWAYS take it over the Seminole, even though our Duchess panel is terrible. I find it much more comfortable and controllable. It's also not so picky with weights. We carry between 90-120 lbs of sandbags in our Seminole to remain within limits. (Hasn't happened to me, but I've heard there are situations where the weight will actually have to be moved mid-flight to remain within limits.) As JimNtexas said, you do have a bit more precision with the fuel as well. Again, I'd definitely take the Duchess, especially since you have experience in it.
 
It might be hit or miss. We had 2 Seminole's at our flight school in which I used to get my commercial and instrument in. 53B was an awesome aircraft to fly in, very easy to handle and I had no complaints when ever I got in that aircraft. 99Z was a different story. Every flight was a struggle with that piece of junk to fly in and it always did the opposite of anything you wanted it to and I hated that aircraft with a passion.

I personally wouldn't buy a Seminole or train in one again over a Duchess though.
 
Among the "fly you to the scene of the accident mini-twins" I like the Duchess better than Seminole. The Two doors! counterrotating A1G6Ds (not the ones with the "Blue Streak" lifters).It also has a long CG envelope. It's well harmonized. 1440 book useful. Do the range calculation for this a/c, you get 1440-80 for reality; leaving 1360. Suck off 200 (the "climb away on one undergross" planning provision; you are left with 1160. Less 700 in the cabin, gives 460 lbs of fuel or at 108 pph, 4 hours and 12 minutes. 540 nm is the prudently planned range (~45 min reserve).

The Seminole is crippled by having only a 1396 lb book useful load. THinks 80 lbs of radios, leaving 1316. The 45 lb difference means, to fly a Seminole or a Duchess at 200 undergross, means you can't go anyplace or carry anything in a Seminole . That 46 pounds just becomes CRITICAL when you are trying to fly with a 200 lb safety margin. Flgiht plan two engines a 18 gph, with 700 in the cabin, about 1316 -200 or 1116 pounds. 1116-700 means 416 lbs for fuel. At 108 pph, that's less than 3:48 hours at 155 knots. None to impressive. 465 nm is prudently planned operating range (~45 min reserve). Pretty darned near Skyhawk operating range, if you do it light enough to have similar safety.

Plus every thing in the seminole is cheap. It was a cost sensitive airplane, and given the numbers, it's a ridiculous airplane.

If you can find a nice BE95, think 1565 pounds and 170 knots. You can go places in a Travel Air. Less 80 for equipment and 200 for safety and OEI climb, you have 1285 lbs to work with. 700 lbs in the cabin means 585 for fuel, or 5.4 hours at 170 knots. That's over 900 nm.

Maybe Ron will comment on the GA-7. I only had a few hours in them and my butt to scalp dimension was too long to fit on top of the spar, so I didn't go any farther.
 
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I'm confused (not an infrequent condition) but I thought the original post was about 6 place airplanes. Are any of the airplanes discussed so far in this thread 6 place? 700 pounds in the cabin would mean 6 very petite folks even if you had enough chairs. So are we talking 6 places or leaving two at home and taking the twin?
 
l8evator said:
I'm confused (not an infrequent condition) but I thought the original post was about 6 place airplanes. Are any of the airplanes discussed so far in this thread 6 place? 700 pounds in the cabin would mean 6 very petite folks even if you had enough chairs. So are we talking 6 places or leaving two at home and taking the twin?
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Well he can't find a six place to rent and he titled the string "Seminole vs. Duchess".
 
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