Page 25 - Volume 11 Number 12

The Model 56TC featured two 380-horsepower Lycoming turbocharged engines that helped give the lightweight twin-engine Beechcraft a maximum speed approaching 300 mph. The engines, however, demanded diligent operation and meticulous maintenance, but proved to be highly reliable powerplants. (EDWARD H. PHILLIPS COLLECTION)
turbocharged Barons were among the first (if not the first) to have an (optional) Freon-based air conditioning system in a lightweight, twin-engine airplane. The installation was rated at 16,500 BTU and proved to be more than adequate to cool the cabin on hot days during taxi and climb to altitude.
The Model 56TC’s chief claim to fame, however, was not keeping its occupants cool, but was all about performance. At an altitude of 20,000 feet, the new Baron was restricted to 262 mph but was easily capable of achieving 300 mph (TAS) at 24,000 feet (full throttle). By the standards of 1967, that made the 56TC one of the fastest piston-powered, lightweight multi-engine airplanes in the world. Service ceiling was an impressive 32,200 feet.
Further flight tests revealed a two-engine rate of climb exceeding 2,000 feet per minute, although rate of climb with one engine inoperative plummeted to only 412 feet per minute (at maximum gross weight). To take full advantage of the airplane’s all-weather capabilities, Beech Aircraft offered the high-flying 56TC with a supplemental 66 cubic-foot oxygen system but also offered a 114 cubic-foot system as an option. The airplane was equipped with wing, empennage and propeller deicing and the majority left the factory so equipped. The FAA certified the Model 56TC on May 19, 1967. The powerful Baron was produced from 1967 through the 1969 model year and 82 were built. Yearly production numbers included 50 in 1967, 20 in 1968 and 12 in 1969.
Although sales of the 56TC were slow, the mighty Beechcraft did fill a gap between the Model E55 Baron and the much larger (but slower) Model A65 Queen Air. Beech engineers upgraded the airplane for the 1970-1971 model years as the Model A56TC. As with the 56TC, the A56TC could carry up to 300 pounds of baggage in
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the spacious nose compartment or a buyer could opt to install remote-mount avionics components, which often reduced baggage capacity (varied with the amount of avionics installed).
The only technical change was in response to customer feedback calling for more fuel, and Beech Aircraft responded by increasing capacity to 207 gallons of useable fuel. In addition, the 56TC’s wing-mounted pitot tube was relocated to the nose of the A56TC. The Lycoming engines were unchanged, and as with the 56TC, the turbocharger system was fully automatic and required little pilot workload to manage. Maximum gross weight remained at 5,990 pounds. Service ceiling with one engine inoperative was 18,600 feet at gross weight, increasing to 23,000 feet at a weight of 5,000 pounds. The factory rolled out only nine A56TCs during the 1970 model year followed by a mere two airplanes in 1971 when production was terminated in favor of the popular Model 60 Duke and the advent of the new Model 58 Baron.
The sleek Duke was introduced by Beech Aircraft Corporation for the 1968 model year. Combining speed, cabin comfort and an airframe that looked like no other business aircraft on the planet, design work on the Duke began early in 1965. Specifically, the airplane was intended to fill a gap in Beech Aircraft’s product line between the 56TC and the Model 65 Queen Air (production of the Model 50 Twin Bonanza was terminated after the 1961 model year).
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