Beechcraft Baron 58 (1970-2005)

Which airplane the specifications above describe. This page covers the whole Baron 58 line, 1970 through 2005, but its frontmatter describes exactly one airplane: the Model 58, S/N TH-773 and after, within the Continental IO-520-C engine block — S/N TH-1 through TH-1395 except TH-1389, which is 65.6% of the 2,124 serials TCDS 3A16 Section X makes eligible for the type, the certificate's clear majority (runbook rule 23). It is also the only block for which a primary Pilot's Operating Handbook was located this session, so it is the block whose cruise, range and endurance figures above can actually be traced to a document rather than carried over unsourced. Every other configuration below — the 1984-and-later IO-550-C run, the 58A reduced-gross variant, and the 58TC/58P — is a row in the Variants table with its own figures, or a flagged gap where no reliable figures were found this session.

The 1970 Beechcraft Baron 58 was the stretched, cargo-door successor to the Baron 55 -- 10 inches longer fuselage, dual cargo doors on the right side (similar to the A36 Bonanza), and 285 HP per side as standard. The 58 quickly became the most popular Baron variant and remained in production through 2005, with the IO-550-C replacing the IO-520-C partway through (S/N TH-1389 and TH-1396 on) and a G1000-equipped G58 (TH-2125 and on, a separate TCDS section, XI, not this page) succeeding it for current production.

Approximately 2,500 Baron 58s (and 58TC/58P pressurized/turbocharged variants) were produced through 2005. The Baron 58 has been described as the gold standard for owner-flown light twins -- comfortable 6-seat cabin, dual cargo doors for cargo flexibility, twin-engine redundancy, and 185+ KTAS cruise performance.

The Cargo Door Advantage

The 58's signature feature is dual right-side cargo doors (one for cargo, one for passengers in the rear). These doors enable:

• Stretcher loading for medical missions
• Bulk cargo without disassembly
• Easier passenger boarding/deplaning in three rows
• Photo/survey installations

This cargo door arrangement, shared with the A36/G36 single-engine sibling, sets the Baron 58 apart from the 55 series (single left door only) and most competitor twins (Cessna 310, Piper Aztec).

A note on the 58TC and 58P

This page's Variants table has long listed the turbocharged 58TC and pressurized 58P alongside the naturally-aspirated 58. A check of TCDS 3A16 during this pass found no mention of "58TC" or "58P" anywhere in the document — they are not on this certificate at all. Their real type certificate was not identified this session. The figures in the table below for those two rows are carried over unverified from before this pass; treat them as unconfirmed until someone locates and checks the correct sheet, and do not assume they share 3A16 with the plain 58.

The NA 58 (1984-2005 with IO-550) is the most numerous and commonly transacted individual configuration by market presence, even though it is the certificate's serial-count minority against the full 1970-1983 IO-520-C run -- the two facts are not in tension, since the earlier airplanes have had longer to attrite from the fleet.

Everything below is the S/N TH-773-and-after (1970-1983, IO-520-C) block only. No performance data for the IO-550-C block (1984-2005) is stored on this page; no primary handbook for it was found this session.

• Cruise: 185 KTAS at 11,500 ft, full throttle / 2300 rpm, standard day, 5,000 lb weight (not gross). Percent BHP for this setting is not stated by the source, so it is not claimed.
• Range: 1,325 NM at the same weight, altitude and power setting, zero wind, with start/taxi/climb/descent and a 45-minute reserve at economy cruise included.
• Fuel burn: ~27.1 GPH, derived (not directly stated) from the 194-gallon fuel load divided by the 7.15-hour endurance figure at the same conditions -- a whole-mission average, not a pure cruise number.
• Rate of climb: an enroute example of 550 FPM at 11,500 ft PA, 5,352 lb (max continuous power, flaps/gear up). The sea-level, gross-weight initial climb rate is on the same chart but was not legible at the scan quality available; it is not stored in frontmatter and should not be assumed to be the commonly-quoted ~1,700 FPM figure without independent confirmation.
• Single-engine service ceiling: 8,425 ft at 4,850 lb (not gross), one propeller feathered, max continuous power -- the number that matters most for an engine-failure decision on a twin. This is below the gross-weight figure would be; treat it as a floor, not the certified number.
• Takeoff distance, off-standard example only: 1,900 ft ground roll / 3,090 ft over 50 ft, at 5,650 ft pressure altitude, 15C, 5,400 lb, 9.5 kt headwind (Denver, in the POH's own worked example). Not sea level.
• Landing distance, off-standard example only: 1,450 ft ground roll / 2,500 ft over 50 ft, at 3,965 ft pressure altitude, 25C, 5,039 lb, 9.5 kt headwind (Amarillo, in the POH's own worked example). Not sea level or gross weight.
• Stall speeds, best glide, Vx, Vy: not legible in the available primary sources this session; declined rather than guessed. See validator_exempt.
• Empty weight / useful load: not sourced this session -- see validator_exempt. Two secondary aggregators checked disagree with each other and (in one case) with the certificate, so neither was used.

58TC/58P performance figures previously on this page (220 KTAS cruise, 1,450 NM range at FL200) are carried over unverified pending identification of their actual type certificate.

Price fields (price_min_usd, price_max_usd, price_typical_usd, annual_cost_estimate) were not re-verified this session and are carried over unchanged from the prior pass; they are not newly sourced or newly confirmed. The listings snapshot below is real, synced market data and is a useful sanity check against the stored bands.

58TC/58P discount to NA 58 reflects market consensus that turbo + pressurization complexity outweighs the speed/altitude benefit for most owner-flown operations -- a meaningful contrast to single-engine markets where turbo variants often command premium.

Universal Baron pre-buy concerns apply. 58-specific:

1. Cargo door seals: Right-side double doors have complex sealing; deterioration causes water intrusion and rear-cabin cold drafts.
2. Engine matching: As with Baron 55, both engines should be similar TBO position.
3. Continental IO-520 vs IO-550: Pre-1984 IO-520 known for top-end cylinder issues at mid-time. IO-550 (1984+) is meaningfully more reliable.
4. 58TC turbocharger condition: 58TCs require especially careful turbo inspection; turbo replacement: $5,000-$10,000 per side.
5. 58P pressurization vessel condition: Cabin pressure vessel must be tested. Pressurization leak repairs are specialized and expensive.
6. AD 2002-26-04 (forward bulkhead): Applies to Baron 58; verify compliance.
7. Spar carry-through corrosion: As with 55-series, inspect carefully.