Don,

It's been about 15 years since I was in a club with a couple Sierras, but
here's my recollections:

"Don Byrer" wrote in message
...
Saw an interesting article in Private Pilot mag about the Sierra.
Roomy & stable....sounds like my kind of plane.
Prices look decent; and the FG Sundowner even cheaper (and more
insurable for a 150-hour pilot than the RG Sierra)

My preference would be to stick with the Sundowner. You're right that the
insurance will definitely be higher for the RG Sierra. Maintenance will
also be higher. The few extra knots you get with the Sierra comes at the
cost of weight and complexity which add to your expenses.

Looking for something that can handle two large adults + baggage and
maybe the occasional friend or two. IFR capable, tho I don't plan on
a lot of IMC til I get more comfy with it! Something I can take out
for 100-500 mile trips, 2-3 hour legs (because of MY legs )

Either one will do an excellent job in this realm. The RG might save you
30-45 minutes over that 500 miles.

PLUSes:
-Roomy
-IFR stable
-Reliable
-Two doors
-Uses a common engine; can get that fixed anywhere.
-Built like a tank

Good list. The first two are very noticable.

MINUSes (as I hear)
-Not as fast as other a/c with similar horsies???
-Parts and STC availability not quite as good as a 172 or PA28???
-Short field performance not outstanding???
-Mediocre climb performance???
-Prone to nose gear damage???
-Not recommended for grass strips???
-Not as quiet as others???

Some truth here.
For the Sierra, it's heavier than most with the same HP, so you lose some
speed; but that higher wing loading is what gives you that IFR stability.
Parts? It's a Beechcraft, so you'll pay for the airframe stuff that's
unique. As you pointed out, the engine's common.
Performance? For the Sundowner, not significantly different than your
average 172 or PA28. The Sierra is about 10% heavier, with 10% extra
horses. That means climb is about the same and ceiling is higher, but
you'll see higher V speeds and longer ground rolls.
Nose gear damage? For the Sierra, that probably comes from the fact many
were used for training (It's about the cheapest high performance [FAR
definition only], complex aircraft around.) It doesn't like being landed on
the nose gear, but then neither does any other airplane. We had one
instance in our club where someone landed a Sierra on the nose gear and bent
metal. But then we had the same thing happen on a 172.

I'd look to a mechanic with familiarity with Beech. Also check out type
clubs. Here's one: http://www.beechaeroclub.org/

Gerry