Cessna builds quantity
Beech builds quality
Piper builds junk

Ah, the old Ford vs Chevy argument again. Sound and fury,
signifying...nothing.

I'm only a datapoint of one, but having owned two Pipers, and flown the
pants off both of them, I can say that I am more than satisfied with
their quality of construction.

To put it all in perspective, would you put your family into a 1974
Ford Galaxie 500 and drive it to California from Iowa? Probably not.
But my Pathfinder, built the same year, is as good (and some ways
better than) new, and we make the equivalent of that flight several
times per year. If that's not quality construction, I don't know what
is.

All the aircraft manufacturers build a quality product -- they have to,
by law -- and Beech has been especially quality-conscious. Where they
have failed is in innovation and cost control. In the end, it doesn't
matter how fantastic your product is, if no one buys it -- and I
sincerely hope that the new owners are able to address this problem.
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"