In article ,
says...

Add to that the typical market segment for a 337 (people who percieve
they won't be safe enough in a normal twin) and you're asking for
trouble.


The people who are liable to VMC roll a conventional twin are probably
the same people who will stall a 337 while taking their time over trying
to figure out which engine has quit.

--

Your point is well taken - the "Cirrus Syndrome" of creating a market
sector specifically for those who are doubtful of their own abilities...

However, in light twins this could be more a question of lucidity than
anything else. If the "conventional twin" you refer to is a KingAir, or
something with ample power and ample VYSE, then fine. But remember, in light
twins, which have "just enough" power to demonstrate SE climb, most pilots
faced with real-world situation do not succeed in performing the type of
recovery they demonstrated on their ME checkride.

It's not just a control issue - many of the small singles that "grew up"
into twins have so little excess horsepower available that the recovery must
be perfectly executed in order to be effective. Most of us would have to
admit that we can not always be counted on to do everything perfectly,
particularly under duress, and this is not to mention the fact that the
incident does not necessarily occur at sea level, at standard atmospheric
conditions. Many of the incidents are probably unrecoverable, or very close
to it from the get go.

Adding extra power to deal with this quickly moves one into the 421 or Duke
category, where the plane may not spiral out of control so much as the
operating costs - for a feature that is essentially there only for emergency
use. Suddenly, the ugly little 337 starts to look a whole lot prettier, and
that 'uncertainty' begins to look a lot like just plain good judgement.

All of the above does not really contradict your argument, as you were
talking about perception - and pilots as well as regulators tend to perceive
themselves as capable, and therefore safer in a standard twin than in a
single - even though the accident record has repeatedly disproven this.

GF