Beechcraft Baron 58 (1970-2005) vs Diamond DA62
Head-to-head — specs, at a glance.
iBeechcraft Baron 58 (1970-2005)
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 in this pre-G58 configuration, with a G1000-equipped G58 succeeding it for current production.
- +Dual cargo doors for flexible loading and passenger comfort
- +Most popular Baron variant; strong parts/service support ecosystem
- +200+ KTAS cruise with 6-seat cabin and 1,480 NM range
- !Cargo door seals deteriorate; water intrusion and cabin drafts common
- !Engine matching critical; mismatched TBO positions costly to address
- !Single-engine ceiling only 7,400 ft; requires careful mountain operations
Diamond DA62
The Diamond DA62, introduced in 2015, is Diamond's flagship piston twin — a 7-seat composite, diesel-powered, FIKI-capable cross-country machine that reimagines what a light twin can be. It pairs the fuselage lineage of the DA50 single with two 180HP Austro AE330 Jet-A turbodiesels, delivering 192 KTAS cruise on roughly 13 GPH total — an efficiency profile that redefines piston twin economics.
- +192 KTAS cruise on ~13 GPH Jet-A—unmatched piston twin economics
- +7-seat FIKI-capable composite twin with single-lever FADEC and G1000 NXi glass
- +1,283 nm range and 20,000 ft ceiling; strong single-engine climb (450 fpm)
- !Austria-sourced parts and Austro engine components routinely face multi-week lead times
- !Composite airframe damage repair expensive and requires specialist shops
- !Austro AE330 engine work requires authorized service centers; not all field mechanics qualified
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