The Beechcraft Musketeer is a family of single-engine, low-wing, light aircraft produced by Beechcraft.
The series 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.
Production of the Musketeer line spanned from 1963 to 1983, with a total of 4,366 aircraft built.
Since March 26, 2007, Hawker Beechcraft has owned the type certificate for the Musketeer aircraft family.
A notable distinction of the Musketeer line is its landing gear system.
Unlike the spring-steel main gear of the Cessna 172s, the oleo struts of the Piper PA-28 Cherokees, or the fibreglass-sprung main gear of the Grumman American AA-5s, the Musketeer family employs a trailing idler link gear system with compressed rubber pucks for shock absorption.
This unique feature results in different landing characteristics; light touchdowns may lead to the idler links skipping, resulting in a less smooth landing than expected.
However, pilots can achieve smooth landings with practice.
Due to this landing gear design, Beechcraft did not produce wheel fairings for the fixed gear models, although several aftermarket manufacturers have developed and tested wheel fairings for the 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”.
Specifications
Crew
One
Capacity
Three passengers
Length
25 ft 8 in (7.82 m)
Wingspan
32 ft 9 in (9.98 m)
Height
8 ft 3 in (2.51 m)
Wing area
146 sq ft (13.6 m2)
Airfoil
NACA 63A415
Empty weight
1,375 lb (624 kg)
Gross weight
2,400 lb (1,089 kg)
Powerplant
1 × Continental IO-346-A, four cylinder,
Air-cooled horizontally opposed piston engine,
165 hp (123 kW)
Propellers
2 bladed fixed pitch
Performance
Maximum speed
127 kn (146 mph, 235 km/h)
Cruise speed
102 kn (117 mph, 189 km/h) long range cruise speed
Stall speed
63 kn (72 mph, 117 km/h)
Never exceed speed
152 kn (175 mph, 282 km/h)
Range
676 nmi (778 mi, 1,252 km) with reserves
Service ceiling
13,000 ft (4,000 m)
Rate of climb
728 ft/min (3.70 m/s)
Sources
Beech Aircraft and their Predecessors-Alain Pelletier.
