Aero Commander 500 vs Piper PA-34 Seneca

Side-by-side specs, range, and operating costs.

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Dimensions & configuration

Representative planforms, drawn to shared scale.

Aero Commander 500
49 ft × 35 ft ⭥ 14 ft
2× Piston Retractable Unpressurized
Piper PA-34 Seneca
39 ft × 29 ft ⭥ 10 ft
2× Piston Retractable Unpressurized

Flight Profile

Service ceiling, range, and climb rate.

Tap legend to isolate

Arc represents the climb-cruise-descent profile based on published service ceiling and range. Climb rate annotated on ascent. FL180 (18,000 ft) shown for reference.

Mission Performance

Stall, approach, cruise, range, ceiling and climb: best values are at the top.

Mission performance specifications
Specification Aero Commander 500Piper PA-34 Seneca
Stall speed 63 kt67 kt
Approach speed 71 kt90 kt
Cruise speed 173 kt200 kt
Range 955 nm828 nm
Service ceiling 22500 ft25000 ft
Rate of climb 1400 fpm1550 fpm
Fuel burn 27.2 gph24.0 gph

Each axis is scaled independently across the compared aircraft and printed in its own units; every vertex sits at the published figure. Higher is better on all axes: Stall, Approach and Fuel Burn are inverted (lower = higher). A missing figure breaks the line at that axis.

Fuel Burn & Range

Range, endurance, and what the fuel costs by the hour.

Aero Commander 500 Avgas
27.2 gph
Baseline
955 nm range 6.4 nm/gal 156 gal usable $177 fuel/hr 5h 44m endurance
Aero Commander 500: 27.2 gph at cruise, 955 nautical mile published range, 5 hour 44 minute endurance, 6.4 nautical miles per gallon.
Piper PA-34 Seneca Avgas
24.0 gph
Baseline
828 nm range 8.3 nm/gal 122 gal usable $156 fuel/hr 5h 04m endurance
Piper PA-34 Seneca: 24.0 gph at cruise, 828 nautical mile published range, 5 hour 4 minute endurance, 8.3 nautical miles per gallon.
Avgas range each cell = 1 hr of cruise · width scales with speed

Bars show published still-air range: select a cell to view cruise-hours and fuel usage. Endurance is full tank at the displayed cruise burn rate; the extra is reserve and economy margin. Estimates only. Always verify against the POH.

Runway Performance

Density altitude adjusted estimates

Outside Air Temp
0°F57°F115°F
Field Elevation
SL4,0008,000 ft

Takeoff over 50 ft obstacle

Landing ground roll

Density Altitude

Monte cristo

Base distance DA penalty
Scale: 6,000 ft

FAA 10%/1,000 ft DA rule of thumb (FAA-H-8083-25B). Turboprops and jets are less sensitive in practice. Always verify against the POH.

Estimated Operating Costs

Hourly direct and annual fixed costs

Scale:
Aero Commander 500 Avgas
$310 /hr
Baseline
Aero Commander 500: $310 per flight hour — fuel $177, maintenance and reserve $133.
Piper PA-34 Seneca Avgas
$385 /hr
Baseline
Piper PA-34 Seneca: $385 per flight hour — fuel $156, maintenance and reserve $229.
Aero Commander 500 Piston
$12,098 /yr Baseline
Aero Commander 500: $12,098 per year — insurance $3,514, hangar $840, annual inspection $7,744.
Piper PA-34 Seneca Piston
$21,000 /yr Baseline
Piper PA-34 Seneca: $21,000 per year — insurance $8,500, hangar $6,000, annual inspection $6,500.

Estimates only. Hourly direct operating cost, based on fuel price and reserves; Annual fixed costs (insurance, hangar, and inspection). Costs vary by location, pilot profile, and market conditions. See individual aircraft pages for source notes.

Capability & limits

Payload vs useful load limit

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Aero Commander 500 Piston
7 / 7 seats 156 gal / 156 gal fuel 1,214 lbs wet payload 2,150 lbs useful 6,000 lbs MTOW
Piper PA-34 Seneca Piston
6 / 6 seats 122 gal / 122 gal fuel 605 lbs wet payload 1,337 lbs useful 4,750 lbs MTOW

Shows selected occupants against full fuel, within the aircraft's useful-load limit. Fuel weight at 6.7 lb/gal jet-A, 6.0 lb/gal avgas; pax and luggage are 190 + 30 . Change payload weights in global settings.

Payload-Range Map

Origin: · two fingers to move map

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