The Beechcraft Duke for sale is a twin-engine fixed wing aircraft that was manufactured by Beechcraft. This fine aircraft has a nose-wheel, retractable landing gear and a cabin that is pressurized. There are turbocharged, two piston, engines that act as the powerhouse of the plane. The pressurized cabin has bleed air, which is a very nice feature. This development of the Duke began in 1965. The purpose of this aircrafts design was to fill the gap that was between the Beechcraft Baron and the Beechcraft Queen Air. In 1966, the first flight, of the prototype, was made. In 1968 a Type certificate was issued to the FAA. The planes distribution to customers began in 1968. A modified version of the Beechcraft Duke was put on the market in 1970. This model had a improved pressurized cabin that utilized the bonded honeycomb construction, lighter and more efficient turbochargers, and an improved elevator. The last modified version of the Beechcraft Duke was in 1974. The interior was redone and the turbochargers were improved which enhanced the engine efficiency. Even with its excellent flight performance, the aircraft was only a moderate seller. Determinations were made, about the low sales, by seeing that there was a high expenditure on the maintenance of the aircraft. The aircrafts production stopped in 1983. The majority of the Duke’s on the market still have their original parts. The Electro-Mechanical systems, which at one time was considered highly advanced when first being introduced to the market, were superseded with more simplistic I/C controlled mechanical parts in other aircraft. This aircrafts design uses turbocharged Lycoming TIO541-B4 engines (380 hp), which attach at each side. It is difficult to find parts which FAA certified technicians can replace for the Beechcraft Duke. Back in 2006-2007, the Duke’s were modified by Rocket Engineers. This included the removal of Lycoming reciprocating engines and replacing them with the Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-21 or -35 turbine engines. These modifications aided in the increase of fuel capacity (by 28 gallons) which increased the maximum useful load to 400 lbs.. The take-off length was decreased by over 1,500 feet. The landing distance was reduced to 900 feet (originally over 2,000 ft.). The highest rate of climb was expanded by 1,600 feet per minute to 4,000 feet per minute. This caused a drastic decrease in the amount of time it took to reach 25,000 feet. The time went from 25 minutes to 9 minutes. Although this increases fuel burn, and decreases the certified ceiling from 30,000 feet to 28,000 feet, the high cruise speed, at 29,000 feet was increased to 290 knots. Needless to say, when you are looking for a Beechcraft Duke aircraft for sale , the used Beechcraft Duke is a top notch aircraft to have that is safe and reliable. Those that purchase, and fly this aircraft, will have the peace of mind to know that they are able to transport loved ones, and cargo, safely to their destination. The older Used Beechcraft Duke for sale is available on all the Flying Online network of websites along with the newer model Beechcraft Duke aircraft sales.