Photograph:
Beech 77 Skipper VH-URF (c/n WA-262) at Wagga Wagga, NSW in August 1997 (David C Eyre)
Country of origin:
United States of America
Description:
Two-seat light training monoplane
Power Plant:
One 86 kw (115 hp) Avco Lycoming O-235-L2C four-cylinder horizontally-opposed air-cooled engine
Specifications:
- Wingspan: 9.14 m (30 ft)
- Length: 7.32 m (24 ft)
- Height: 2.41 m (7 ft 10¾ in)
- Wing area: 12.1 m² (129.8 sq ft)
- Cruising speed at 80% power at 1,372 m (4,500 ft): 195 km/h (121 mph)
- Cruising speed at 65% power: 172 km/h (107 mph)
- Cruising speed at 55% power: 169 km/h (105 mph)
- Service ceiling: 3,932 m (12,900 ft)
- Range with reserves at 195 km/h (121 mph) at 1,372 m (4,500 ft): 605 km (376 miles)
- Range at 61% power at 2,590 m (8,500 ft): 719 km (447 miles)
- Empty weight: 499 kg (1,100 lb)
- Loaded weight: 760 kg (1,675 lb)
History:
The Beech 77 Skipper was designed by Beechcraft to meet the needs of aero clubs throughout the world for a light trainer with around 75 kw (100 hp) of power, with good economy of operation, and the capability of using lower octane fuels. Known originally as the PD285, the Skipper looked very similar to Piper’s Tomahawk and competed directly against that aircraft on the light aircraft market.
The prototype was flown for the first time on 6 February 1975, and was powered by a 75 kw (100 hp) Continental O-200 engine. Development of this aircraft continued for some time and it was not until late 1978 that a decision was made to go ahead with the design as the Model 77, production aircraft to be powered by a Lycoming O-235-L2C engine which developed 86 kw (115 hp) at 2,700 rpm. The Skipper arrived on the world market two years after its main competitor, the Piper Tomahawk, and, whilst over 2,500 examples of the Tomahawk were built during its production life from 1978 to 1982, only 312 Skippers were completed between 1979 and 1981 when production concluded.
Both aircraft were of similar appearance and used the same Lycoming O-235 series engine. The Model 77 Skipper had a door on each side and good vision from the cockpit. The manufacturer proposed that the Skipper would form the basis of the single-engine training fleet at its Beech Aero Centres throughout the United States, trainee pilots after time on the Model 77 Skipper to move up to the Sundowner, Sierra and Duchess. Deliveries to the Centres began in May 1979 but, as the programme got underway, and deliveries to other organisations began, a recession in the aviation industry meant the programme had to be slowed down.
A bubble type canopy was fitted to facilitate all-round vision, and a ‘T’ tail configuration placed the horizontal stabiliser above the slipstream to assist control. A substantial portion of the aircraft construction consisted of bonded metal, including the lower section of the fuselage, the wing, the tail leading-edge, rudder, etc. As with many light aircraft with a fixed tricycle undercarriage, a spring-steel unit was fitted to the Skipper. An external tunnel under the fuselage carried the control lines.
Following certification the Skipper entered production in late 1978. About ten were produced each month and deliveries began to customers in April 1979. However, production ceased in 1981 after 312 examples had been delivered due to the downturn in the economy and production liability problems in the United States.
The Skipper was first seen in Australian in 1980. However, when compared with its competitor, only a few were imported. Some 16 have appeared on the Australian register and two on the New Zealand register. The first two, after assembly by Hawker Pacific at Bankstown, NSW, entered service with an operator at Moorabbin, VIC as VH-CXN (c/n WA-54) and VH-CXQ (c/n WA-55). A small number survive.