Hello BCP! I'm researching my potential next airplane and would like your insight.

Mission Profile

90% Flights
Within 200-400 miles of home base in Waco, Tx
Mostly will be solo, occasionally will take my wife and 2 kiddos
Off airport capabilities

10% of Flights
Trips to Colorado, Wyoming, Montana for hunting and fishing in remote areas
Off Airport
Will be bringing 3-5 people
Will need to haul 200-400 or more lbs of payload in addition to passengers

I'm leaning towards a Dehavilland Beaver, but my reasonable side is saying C206. What are your thoughts? Turbines are too expensive for me so they are out of the question at this time, but if you have other ideas I'd be happy to listen. Can anyone give me some real world numbers (takeoff, cruise, landing, etc) on the radial Beaver? The numbers I'm seeing online are all over the place.

If you get a beaver buy a beaver silly, they’re the best.

Really not an apples to apples comparison to be fair.

Hard to beat the looks and performance of the beaver

Buying the 10% airplane when that use can be accommodated by making multiple trips where needed doesn't ever really make sense, but if you can afford it, and flying a 23 gph airplane solo for cruise speeds of 100 kts works for you, then absolutely buy the beaver. Anybody that can afford a beaver, and wants a beaver, and can fly one, should get one. Fantastic airplanes. My 206 time is limited so I can only say that it would likely do what you are looking for with the exception that you would need to do multiple trips to accomplish the 10% missions. But a 206 is no beaver.

Troy Hamon wrote:Buying the 10% airplane when that use can be accommodated by making multiple trips where needed doesn't ever really make sense, but if you can afford it, and flying a 23 gph airplane solo for cruise speeds of 100 kts works for you, then absolutely buy the beaver. Anybody that can afford a beaver, and wants a beaver, and can fly one, should get one. Fantastic airplanes. My 206 time is limited so I can only say that it would likely do what you are looking for with the exception that you would need to do multiple trips to accomplish the 10% missions. But a 206 is no beaver.

Thanks Troy, I appreciate your thoughts!

I have a great Cessna 185 and I fly with my two kids, camping on floats etc. I dreamed of upgrading to a Beaver and could swing the hull cost but:

Maybe 1/2 the range, 2/3 the speed, twice the insurance, and maybe twice the maintenance of my 185. Aesthetics only get you so far.

Now if I could afford a Turbine Beaver with extended tanks with amphibs, now your talking.

206 is sensible, its as sexy as a mini-van but sensible. How about a tricked out 185?

The right 206 will do 100% of your mission. With all 6 seats in mine my useful load is 1750lbs. With full fuel of 80gallons at 480lbs it still leaves me 1270lbs useful. Depending on how big the people you are taking along are, you can accomplish quite a lot with that much useful load. You'll burn less fuel and cruise faster then the beaver. But damn beavers are sweet, I'd love to have one but my practical side just won't let that happen.

Unless you need to carry a ton of stuff, why not 185

I always said the only thing that would get me out of my sky wagon would be a DHC2, problem is the fuel burn, size for regular hangars, and speed for the price increase, sexy plane though.

Now the 206, especially a U206, makes a ton of sense if you can handle not having a tailwheel

If your willing to go Experimental, the Bearhawk Model 5 (6 seat version) might be a good alternative.

Of course you would likely have to build one, don't think there are many in the wild yet. The trade, once built, would be much lower operating costs than a Beaver.

https://bearhawkaircraft.com/bearhawk-a ... -aircraft/


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TxKiger wrote:Hello BCP! I'm researching my potential next airplane and would like your insight.

Mission Profile

90% Flights
Within 200-400 miles of home base in Waco, Tx
Mostly will be solo, occasionally will take my wife and 2 kiddos
Off airport capabilities

10% of Flights
Trips to Colorado, Wyoming, Montana for hunting and fishing in remote areas
Off Airport
Will be bringing 3-5 people
Will need to haul 200-400 or more lbs of payload in addition to passengers

I'm leaning towards a Dehavilland Beaver, but my reasonable side is saying C206. What are your thoughts? Turbines are too expensive for me so they are out of the question at this time, but if you have other ideas I'd be happy to listen. Can anyone give me some real world numbers (takeoff, cruise, landing, etc) on the radial Beaver? The numbers I'm seeing online are all over the place.

For your mission, it would be helpful to give a good real-life example, with range included. For instance:
300 NM plus reserves. 6 people (weighing 1000 lbs). 300 lbs of gear. With this example in a 206 running ROP and fuel for the climb, you are looking at about 300# of fuel, and 1300# of people and stuff or a total of 1600 lbs. For a 206, you would need to find one weighing 2000# to make that all work and I don't think there are too many of those out there. Plus, if you fill the six seats, I don't know where you are going to put the 300# of gear. Someone mentioned the 185. The 185 makes a mediocre four place airplane. It makes a terrible six seater. And good luck getting 300# of gear in there with six people.

So....Beaver. I've been impressed watching Wrangell Mountain Air operate Beavers into legit off-airport strips where a bunch of people get out plus all their gear. They are probably light on fuel though.

Anyway, you get the idea. It's better to have some real world examples of range, people and gear to see if any of the planes out there are better suited to the mission. But coming from a 185 owner, I would not want to put six people in my plane with more than 50# of gear. I suppose a belly pod would help if one had their heart set on a Cessna.

Durango Skywagon wrote:I have a great Cessna 185 and I fly with my two kids, camping on floats etc. I dreamed of upgrading to a Beaver and could swing the hull cost but:

Maybe 1/2 the range, 2/3 the speed, twice the insurance, and maybe twice the maintenance of my 185. Aesthetics only get you so far.

Now if I could afford a Turbine Beaver with extended tanks with amphibs, now your talking.

206 is sensible, its as sexy as a mini-van but sensible. How about a tricked out 185?

Hey Durango Skywagon, that's awesome to hear about your 185. I will have to throw them in the mix. Sounds like a possible winner .

A1Skinner wrote:The right 206 will do 100% of your mission. With all 6 seats in mine my useful load is 1750lbs. With full fuel of 80gallons at 480lbs it still leaves me 1270lbs useful. Depending on how big the people you are taking along are, you can accomplish quite a lot with that much useful load. You'll burn less fuel and cruise faster then the beaver. But damn beavers are sweet, I'd love to have one but my practical side just won't let that happen.

Sounds like your 206 would fit the bill for my needs. That's the issue with where I'm at. The 206 is awesome and capable, but the Beaver is the Beaver . I just need some friends from BCP to push me in the right direction.

NineThreeKilo wrote:Unless you need to carry a ton of stuff, why not 185

I always said the only thing that would get me out of my sky wagon would be a DHC2, problem is the fuel burn, size for regular hangars, and speed for the price increase, sexy plane though.

Now the 206, especially a U206, makes a ton of sense if you can handle not having a tailwheel

Thanks 93K, I need some of this affirmation to go towards the 206 or 185. Realistically it sounds like I'm just giving up a small amount of payload to go with the 206 or 185 vs the beaver.

jrollf wrote:If your willing to go Experimental, the Bearhawk Model 5 (6 seat version) might be a good alternative.

Of course you would likely have to build one, don't think there are many in the wild yet. The trade, once built, would be much lower operating costs than a Beaver.

https://bearhawkaircraft.com/bearhawk-a ... -aircraft/


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I'll look into those, thanks JrollF!

Squash wrote:

TxKiger wrote:Hello BCP! I'm researching my potential next airplane and would like your insight.

Mission Profile

90% Flights
Within 200-400 miles of home base in Waco, Tx
Mostly will be solo, occasionally will take my wife and 2 kiddos
Off airport capabilities

10% of Flights
Trips to Colorado, Wyoming, Montana for hunting and fishing in remote areas
Off Airport
Will be bringing 3-5 people
Will need to haul 200-400 or more lbs of payload in addition to passengers

I'm leaning towards a Dehavilland Beaver, but my reasonable side is saying C206. What are your thoughts? Turbines are too expensive for me so they are out of the question at this time, but if you have other ideas I'd be happy to listen. Can anyone give me some real world numbers (takeoff, cruise, landing, etc) on the radial Beaver? The numbers I'm seeing online are all over the place.

For your mission, it would be helpful to give a good real-life example, with range included. For instance:
300 NM plus reserves. 6 people (weighing 1000 lbs). 300 lbs of gear. With this example in a 206 running ROP and fuel for the climb, you are looking at about 300# of fuel, and 1300# of people and stuff or a total of 1600 lbs. For a 206, you would need to find one weighing 2000# to make that all work and I don't think there are too many of those out there. Plus, if you fill the six seats, I don't know where you are going to put the 300# of gear. Someone mentioned the 185. The 185 makes a mediocre four place airplane. It makes a terrible six seater. And good luck getting 300# of gear in there with six people.

So....Beaver. I've been impressed watching Wrangell Mountain Air operate Beavers into legit off-airport strips where a bunch of people get out plus all their gear. They are probably light on fuel though.

Anyway, you get the idea. It's better to have some real world examples of range, people and gear to see if any of the planes out there are better suited to the mission. But coming from a 185 owner, I would not want to put six people in my plane with more than 50# of gear. I suppose a belly pod would help if one had their heart set on a Cessna.

Hey Squash, thanks for the advice. The weights for the individuals will be varying since I will be bringing different folks at different times. Thanks for your thoughts!

I think the Beaver is the only reasonable option. Nothing else is going to work. A 135 operation in Idaho has C206s but needed something bigger to expand the business. He bought a Beaver. I asked why he bought a Beaver rather than a Islander like everyone else, his replay was something like ‘because Beavers are cool.’

If your going to wuss out and go all practical you might as well get a Cherokee 6.

whee wrote:I think the Beaver is the only reasonable option. Nothing else is going to work. A 135 operation in Idaho has C206s but needed something bigger to expand the business. He bought a Beaver. I asked why he bought a Beaver rather than a Islander like everyone else, his replay was something like ‘because Beavers are cool.’

If your going to wuss out and go all practical you might as well get a Cherokee 6.

"If your going to wuss out and go all practical you might as well get a Cherokee 6" Made me lol

whee wrote:I think the Beaver is the only reasonable option. Nothing else is going to work. A 135 operation in Idaho has C206s but needed something bigger to expand the business. He bought a Beaver. I asked why he bought a Beaver rather than a Islander like everyone else, his replay was something like ‘because Beavers are cool.’

If your going to wuss out and go all practical you might as well get a Cherokee 6.

Haha. I think he should buy a Helio courier.

Some more food for thought... If you can actually afford to own a beaver that is not a 25K hr rat trap, you can afford to own, run and maintain a turbine 206/7. And it will do everything you want to do, faster, and with a few bonus perks that won't come on any beaver short of a turbine. (the turbine you already know is unaffordable).

I love a nice beaver as much as the next Motörhead, but in my older age, I find it harder to ignore logical.

Take care, Rob

Bearhawk5 or Bull Moose with the LS3 power. Run circles around one of those cool old Beavers.