Please help selecting a light twin
I'm to select an aircraft type for charter/tour operator business in the southern African region. Every insight is very welcome.
Requirements:
- economic in acquisition and maintenance (~$180k)
- "club class" seating, 4-6 pax, emergency potty
- Range ~1000 nm
- acceptable performance on short (3000ft) and unpaved (gravel, grass) runways
(decent STOL, robust undercarriage)
- occasional over-water ops (twin requirement)
- mostly low-altitude VFR, but pressurized would give some extra freedom
- spare part availability, maintenance support (southern Africa)
Candidate acft so far (more suggestions welcome):
- Piper Navajo
- Cessna 4xx
- Commander 5xx ?
- Britten Norman BN-2X-xx
- Beech Queen
Only the Britten Norman has the robust(?) fixed undercarriage, but a pretty narrow fuselage, how do the others compare in that respect?