Beechcraft Sundowner 23

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

Used market

118

KTAS

Cruise Speed

565

Max Range

12,600

Service Ceiling

Occupants

602

lbs

Wet Payload

Estimated Ownership Costs

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About the Beechcraft Sundowner 23

Type certificated 1970 Source: FAA Type Certificate Data Sheet

Overview

The Beechcraft Sundowner (Model C23) is a four-seat, fixed-gear touring single built from 1970 to 1983, the 180-horsepower middle member of Beech’s Model 19/23/24 light-airplane family. It pairs a Lycoming O-360 with a wide cabin, two cabin doors, and the trailing-link landing gear that softens firm arrivals. Where a Cessna 172 or Piper Archer was built to a price, the Sundowner was built to Beech’s heavier structural standard, which is most of what defines how it flies and what it costs to own.

A Sundowner suits an owner who values cabin room and build quality over cross-country speed and is willing to pay Beech parts prices to get them. It cruises around 118 knots, a little behind a 180-horsepower Archer, and full tanks leave it closer to a two-adults-plus-bags airplane than a true four-seater. The buyer who picks it is buying the wider cabin and the Beech build standard, not pace or a low cost of ownership.

Key Features for GA Buyers

Wide cabin, two doors. The 44-inch cabin is broader than a contemporary Cessna 172, and doors on both sides make loading and egress easy.
Trailing-link landing gear. The same gear geometry Beech used on larger models absorbs firm arrivals well.
Heavy structure. The airframe is built to Beech’s structural standard, which owners credit for the steady feel in turbulence.
IFR capability. Stable and predictable, it makes a steady instrument trainer or light-IFR touring single.

Trade-offs

Cruise speed. At about 118 knots it trails the faster 180-horsepower singles; a Sundowner is not the airplane to shave time off a long leg.
Payload with full fuel. With 59 gallons aboard the useful load is committed quickly; plan it as a two-plus-two rather than four adults and bags.
Beech parts pricing. Type-specific parts run more than the Cessna or Piper equivalent, which shows up at annual.
Climb on a hot day. The 180-horsepower engine and heavier airframe make for modest high-density-altitude climb.

Technical Specifications

Dimensions & Weights

Height: 8.25 ft
Length: 25.75 ft
Parking area (ft²): 1314.56 ft²

Max Takeoff Weight: Source: FAA Type Certificate Data Sheet 2,450 lbs
Max Landing Weight: 2,450 lbs
Useful Load: 956 lbs
Fuel Capacity: Source: FAA Type Certificate Data Sheet 59 gal

Performance

Cruise Speed: 118 KTAS
Never-Exceed (V_NE): Source: FAA Type Certificate Data Sheet 152 KIAS
Max Structural Cruise (V_NO): Source: FAA Type Certificate Data Sheet 136 KIAS
Approach Speed: 68 KIAS
Stall, Clean (V_S₁): Source: third-party reference 63 KIAS
Range: 565 NM
Service Ceiling: 12,600 ft
Rate of Climb: 792 fpm
Takeoff over 50 ft obstacle: 1,955 ft
Landing ground roll: 1,484 ft

Engine

Sources

Where the figures on this page come from. Beechcraft Sundowner 23 specifications are traced to published references; estimated values are flagged inline next to the figure.