Beechcraft 18 vs Douglas DC-3

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

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Dimensions & configuration

Representative planforms, drawn to shared scale.

Beechcraft 18
48 ft × 34 ft ⭥ 10 ft
2× Piston Retractable Unpressurized
Douglas DC-3
95 ft × 64 ft ⭥ 17 ft
2× Piston Conventional 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 Beechcraft 18Douglas DC-3
Stall speed 75 kt68 kt
Approach speed 87 kt80 kt
Cruise speed 183 kt180 kt
Range 985 nm1370 nm
Service ceiling 20500 ft23200 ft
Rate of climb 1190 fpm1140 fpm
Fuel burn 48.7 gph100.0 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.

Beechcraft 18 Avgas
48.7 gph
Baseline
985 nm range 3.8 nm/gal 202 gal usable $317 fuel/hr 4h 08m endurance
Beechcraft 18: 48.7 gph at cruise, 985 nautical mile published range, 4 hour 8 minute endurance, 3.8 nautical miles per gallon.
Douglas DC-3 Avgas
100.0 gph
Baseline
1,370 nm range 1.8 nm/gal 822 gal usable $650 fuel/hr 8h 13m endurance
Douglas DC-3: 100.0 gph at cruise, 1,370 nautical mile published range, 8 hour 13 minute endurance, 1.8 nautical miles per gallon.
Avgas range each cell = 1 hr of cruise · width scales with speed tank-dry · at this cruise burn

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 over 50 ft obstacle

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:
Beechcraft 18 Avgas
$449 /hr
Baseline
Beechcraft 18: $449 per flight hour — fuel $317, maintenance and reserve $132.
Douglas DC-3 Avgas
$883 /hr
Baseline
Douglas DC-3: $883 per flight hour — fuel $650, maintenance and reserve $233.
Beechcraft 18 Piston
$25,344 /yr Baseline
Beechcraft 18: $25,344 per year — insurance $4,465, hangar $10,173, annual inspection $10,706.
Douglas DC-3 Piston
$53,496 /yr Baseline
Douglas DC-3: $53,496 per year — insurance $18,000, hangar $32,996, annual inspection $2,500.

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

+ cargo
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Beechcraft 18 Piston
10 / 10 seats cargo 202 gal / 202 gal fuel 1,768 lbs wet payload 2,980 lbs useful 8,750 lbs MTOW
Douglas DC-3 Piston
28 / 28 seats cargo 822 gal / 822 gal fuel 3,403 lbs wet payload 8,335 lbs useful 25,200 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

+ cargo
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