Beechcraft Skipper 77

Piston single engine • Low Wing • Fixed gear

Range Map

Origin:

• nm at current load

• click map to move • two fingers to move map

Payload vs. Range

Configure weights

Occupants

lb + lbs / pax

Select payload

gal

Fuel on board

lbs

Extra weight

Range

Available Range / nm

Mission capable. Aircraft can handle the current load with full fuel tanks.

Fuel capacity reduced by gallons ( gal usable for nm range).

Over max gross weight. Reduce payload by lbs to safely operate this aircraft.

Extra weight is the additional payload available with your selected passengers.

Mission Profile

MOSAIC Eligible

Used market

105

KTAS

Cruise Speed

412

Max Range

12,900

Service Ceiling

Occupants

406

lbs

Wet Payload

Estimated Ownership Costs

Create a free account to view or request ownership cost data.

About the Beechcraft Skipper 77

Type certificated 1979 Source: FAA Type Certificate Data Sheet

Overview

The Beechcraft Skipper (Model 77) is a two-seat, low-wing primary trainer that Beech built from 1979 to 1981, designed from a clean sheet to compete with the Cessna 152 and the Piper Tomahawk. Its T-tail, bubble canopy, bonded-metal structure, and NASA GA(W)-1 airfoil set it apart from the high-wing Cessnas, and a 115-horsepower Lycoming O-235 gives it light, conventional handling that schools valued for ab-initio work.

The Skipper appeals to a buyer who wants a purpose-built two-seat trainer with good visibility and light control forces, and who is comfortable owning an orphan. Beech ended production after about 312 airframes, so parts and type expertise are thinner than for the ubiquitous Cessna, and that scarcity shows up in the operating cost rather than the purchase price. Its clean stall near 49 knots puts it well inside sport-pilot eligibility, which together with low fuel burn makes it a low-purchase-price way into ownership for the pilot who flies locally and does not mind hunting for the occasional part.

Key Features for GA Buyers

Canopy visibility. The bubble canopy gives a field of view the high-wing Cessna trainers cannot match.
Sport-pilot eligible. The clean stall near 49 knots sits under the gate, so a sport pilot may fly it.
Low fuel burn. The 115-horsepower O-235 burns about 7 gallons per hour.
Light control forces. A stable platform with light inputs makes it a steady primary trainer for a school or a first-airplane owner.

Trade-offs

Orphan support. About 312 were built, so parts and type-specific maintenance knowledge are harder to find than for a Cessna 152, and its modeled hourly cost runs above comparable O-235 trainers.
Modest performance. With 115 horsepower, climb is unremarkable and cruise sits near 105 knots.
Two seats only. It is a trainer and a local flyer, not a traveling airplane.
T-tail spin behavior. The T-tail calls for specific spin-recovery technique, part of the type checkout.

Technical Specifications

Dimensions & Weights

Height: 7.92 ft
Length: 24.0 ft
Parking area (ft²): 1160.0 ft²

Max Takeoff Weight: Source: FAA Type Certificate Data Sheet 1,675 lbs
Max Landing Weight: 1,675 lbs
Useful Load: 580 lbs
Fuel Capacity: Source: Pilot's Operating Handbook / Aircraft Flight Manual 29 gal

Performance

Cruise Speed: 105 KTAS
Never-Exceed (V_NE): Source: FAA Type Certificate Data Sheet 143 KIAS
Max Structural Cruise (V_NO): Source: FAA Type Certificate Data Sheet 119 KIAS
Approach Speed: 63 KIAS
Stall, Clean (V_S₁): Source: Pilot's Operating Handbook / Aircraft Flight Manual 49 KIAS
Range: 412 NM
Service Ceiling: 12,900 ft
Rate of Climb: 720 fpm
Takeoff over 50 ft obstacle: 1,280 ft
Landing ground roll: 1,313 ft

Engine

Sources

Where the figures on this page come from. Beechcraft Skipper 77 specifications are traced to published references; estimated values are flagged inline next to the figure.