Beechcraft 18 vs Douglas Super 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 Super DC-3
90 ft × 68 ft ⭥ 18 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 Super DC-3
Stall speed 75 kt—
Approach speed 87 kt—
Cruise speed 183 kt217 kt
Range 985 nm2170 nm
Service ceiling 20500 ft22500 ft
Rate of climb 1190 fpm1300 fpm
Fuel burn 48.7 gph123.0 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 Super DC-3 Avgas
123.0 gph
Baseline
2,170 nm range 1.8 nm/gal 1,330 gal usable $800 fuel/hr 10h 48m endurance
Douglas Super DC-3: 123.0 gph at cruise, 2,170 nautical mile published range, 10 hour 48 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 Super DC-3 Avgas
$1,053 /hr
Baseline
Douglas Super DC-3: $1,053 per flight hour — fuel $800, maintenance and reserve $253.
Beechcraft 18 Piston
$25,344 /yr Baseline
Beechcraft 18: $25,344 per year — insurance $4,465, hangar $10,173, annual inspection $10,706.
Douglas Super DC-3 Piston
$55,260 /yr Baseline
Douglas Super DC-3: $55,260 per year — insurance $20,000, hangar $32,760, 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 Super DC-3 Piston
30 / 30 seats cargo 1,330 gal / 1,330 gal fuel 3,483 lbs wet payload 11,463 lbs useful 31,000 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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