The Beechcraft Musketeer is a family of single-engined, low-wing, light aircraft that was produced by Beechcraft.
The line includes the Model 19 Musketeer Sport, the Model 23 Musketeer, Custom and Sundowner, the Model 23-24 Musketeer Super III the retractable gear Model 24-R Sierra and the military CT-134 Musketeer.
The Musketeer line was in production from model years 1963 to 1983, during which time a total of 4,366 were produced.
The type certificate for the Musketeer family of aircraft has been owned by Hawker Beechcraft since March 26, 2007.
A significant difference between the Musketeer line and other similar light aircraft is the Musketeer’s landing gear.
While the competitive Cessna 172s use spring-steel main gear, the Piper PA-28 Cherokees use oleo struts and the Grumman American AA-5s use fiberglass-sprung main gear, the Musketeer family use a trailing idler link gear system with compressed rubber pucks for shock absorption.
This gives the aircraft quite different landing characteristics compared to the competition; light touchdowns are often accompanied by the idler links skipping and producing a landing that is less graceful than anticipated.
Nevertheless, with practice, smooth landings are easy to accomplish.
As a result of this type of landing gear design, Beechcraft did not design or offer wheel fairings for the fixed gear models.
Several aftermarket manufacturers have designed and tested wheel fairings for Musketeers.
Variants
CT-134
Military version of the B23 Musketeer, powered by a Lycoming O-360-A4G powerplant of 180 hp.
CT-134A
Military version of the C23 Sundowner, powered by a Lycoming O-360-A4K powerplant of 180 hp.
23 Musketeer
Four-seat light cabin aircraft, fixed tricycle landing gear, powered by a 160 hp (119 kW) Lycoming O-320-D2B piston engine, gross weight of 2,300 lb (1,043 kg), first certified February 20, 1962.
A23 Musketeer II
Four-seat light cabin aircraft, fixed tricycle landing gear, powered by a 165 hp (123 kW) Continental IO-346-A piston engine, gross weight of 2,350 lb (1,066 kg), first certified June 7, 1963.
A23A
Four-seat light cabin aircraft, fixed tricycle landing gear, powered by a 165 hp (123 kW) Continental IO-346-A piston engine, gross weight of 2,400 lb (1,089 kg), first certified November 5, 1965.
A23-19 (Model 19)
Two or four-seat light cabin aircraft, fixed tricycle landing gear, powered by a 150 hp (112 kW) Lycoming O-320-E2B, E2C or E3D piston engine, gross weight of 2,200 lb (998 kg), first certified December 9, 1965.
A23-24
Four or six-seat light cabin aircraft, fixed tricycle landing gear, powered by a 200 hp (149 kW) Lycoming IO-360-A2B or A2D, or when equipped with a constant speed propeller a Lycoming IO-360-A1B or A1D piston engine, gross weight of 2,550 lb (1,157 kg), first certified March 7, 1966.
A24
Four or six-seat light cabin aircraft, fixed tricycle landing gear, powered by a 200 hp (149 kW) Lycoming IO-360-A2B or A2D, or when equipped with a constant speed propeller a Lycoming IO-360-A1B or A1D piston engine, gross weight of 2,550 lb (1,157 kg), first certified February 5, 1970.
19A
Two or four-seat light cabin aircraft, fixed tricycle landing gear, powered by a 150 hp (112 kW) Lycoming O-320-E2B, E2C or E3D piston engine, gross weight of 2,250 lb (1,021 kg), first certified August 31, 1967, approved in the aerobatic category March 12, 1968.
M19A
Two-seat light cabin aircraft, fixed tricycle landing gear, powered by a 150 hp (112 kW) Lycoming O-320-E2B, E2C or E3D piston engine, gross weight of 2,250 lb (1,021 kg), first certified December 9, 1969, including in the aerobatic category.
B19
Two or four-seat light cabin aircraft, fixed tricycle landing gear, powered by a 150 hp (112 kW) Lycoming O-320-E2B, E2C or E3D piston engine, gross weight of 2,250 lb (1,021 kg), first certified February 13, 1970, including in the aerobatic category.
B23
Four-seat light cabin aircraft, fixed tricycle landing gear, powered by a 180 hp (134 kW) Lycoming O-360-A2G piston engine, gross weight of 2,450 lb (1,111 kg), first certified December 13, 1967, and in the aerobatic category November 22, 1968.
C23
Four-seat light cabin aircraft, fixed tricycle landing gear, powered by a 180 hp (134 kW) Lycoming O-360-A4G, A2G, A4J or A4K piston engine, gross weight of 2,450 lb (1,111 kg), first certified February 13, 1970, including in the aerobatic category.
A24R Sierra 200
Four or six-seat light cabin aircraft, retractable tricycle landing gear, powered by a 200 hp (149 kW) Lycoming IO-360-A1B or A1D piston engine, gross weight of 2,750 lb (1,247 kg), first certified December 23, 1969.
B24R Sierra 200
Four or six-seat light cabin aircraft, retractable tricycle landing gear, powered by a 200 hp (149 kW) Lycoming IO-360-A1B6 piston engine and new propeller variant, gross weight of 2,750 lb (1,247 kg), first certified June 18, 1973 sold as a 1974 model also had a new larger rear baggage door.
C24R Sierra 200
Four or six-seat light cabin aircraft, retractable tricycle landing gear, powered by a 200 hp (149 kW) Lycoming IO-360-A1B6 piston engine, gross weight of 2,750 lb (1,247 kg), first certified October 1, 1976, with a new larger prop and aerodynamic clean up by Beech made it 6 knots faster than the “B”.
