SE turboprop vs. VLJ?

I read the press release from EADS Socata for the new TBM 850. They're
pitching it as a direct competitor to Very Light Jets with a 320kt
cruise at FL260 and 2.5-2.8M price. My question is does it really
compete with the new jets when it's a good 50kts slower? (typical
advertised VLJ cruise speeds are around 370kt +/-) Or is the speed
disparity a non-issue for those buyers? Compared to the Eclipse the
TBM's base price is $1M higher with a typically optioned plane about
1.3M more. Is short field capability a big seller in this segment?

Then again I read Beech is pitching its King Air C90GT as a VLJ
competitor with a 270kt cruise. At 3M it's 2x the price and 100kt
slower but has a larger cabin than the Eclipse. Maybe the marketing
spin is just lost on me?

Wooly

Some can get insurance for the Turbo but not a VLJ. Perhaps a good but
expensive stop over on the way to a VLJ.

Thx, {|;-)

Victor J. (Jim) Osborne, Jr.

wrote in message
oups.com...
I read the press release from EADS Socata for the new TBM 850. They're
pitching it as a direct competitor to Very Light Jets with a 320kt
cruise at FL260 and 2.5-2.8M price. My question is does it really
compete with the new jets when it's a good 50kts slower? (typical
advertised VLJ cruise speeds are around 370kt +/-) Or is the speed
disparity a non-issue for those buyers? Compared to the Eclipse the
TBM's base price is $1M higher with a typically optioned plane about
1.3M more. Is short field capability a big seller in this segment?

Then again I read Beech is pitching its King Air C90GT as a VLJ
competitor with a 270kt cruise. At 3M it's 2x the price and 100kt
slower but has a larger cabin than the Eclipse. Maybe the marketing
spin is just lost on me?

Wooly

The fact is that jets are easier to fly than turboprops, but
insurance companies base their rates on potential loss from
a group. The King Air is wonderful airplane, but If I had
the money to buy either, I'd buy am Eclipse 500 and have a
few years of operating expenses left over.
Hell, a new Bonanza is over $1.24 million dollars, nearly
the cost of the Eclipse. A new Baron G58 will probably cost
more than the Eclipse and be just as hard if not harder to
insure.


--
Merry Christmas
Have a Safe and Happy New Year
Live Long and Prosper
Jim Macklin
"Victor J. Osborne, Jr." wrote in
message ...
| Some can get insurance for the Turbo but not a VLJ.
Perhaps a good but
| expensive stop over on the way to a VLJ.
|
| Thx, {|;-)
|
| Victor J. (Jim) Osborne, Jr.
|
| wrote in message
|
oups.com...
| I read the press release from EADS Socata for the new TBM
850. They're
| pitching it as a direct competitor to Very Light Jets
with a 320kt
| cruise at FL260 and 2.5-2.8M price. My question is does
it really
| compete with the new jets when it's a good 50kts slower?
(typical
| advertised VLJ cruise speeds are around 370kt +/-) Or is
the speed
| disparity a non-issue for those buyers? Compared to the
Eclipse the
| TBM's base price is $1M higher with a typically optioned
plane about
| 1.3M more. Is short field capability a big seller in
this segment?
|
| Then again I read Beech is pitching its King Air C90GT
as a VLJ
| competitor with a 270kt cruise. At 3M it's 2x the price
and 100kt
| slower but has a larger cabin than the Eclipse. Maybe
the marketing
| spin is just lost on me?
|
| Wooly
|
|
|

Jim Macklin wrote:

Hell, a new Bonanza is over $1.24 million dollars, nearly
the cost of the Eclipse.

Huh? Do you mean Baron? The prices I have seen for a new Garmin
equipped A36 Bonanza were in the neighborhood of US $600,000.


--
Peter

AS my son would say, "My bad" you're are correct about my
mixing plane. But in my defense I do make silly errors on
occasion.
Still, when I began flying a new Baron was only about
$40,000.00


--
Merry Christmas
Have a Safe and Happy New Year
Live Long and Prosper
Jim Macklin

"Peter R." wrote in message
...
| Jim Macklin wrote:
|
| Hell, a new Bonanza is over $1.24 million dollars,
nearly
| the cost of the Eclipse.
|
| Huh? Do you mean Baron? The prices I have seen for a
new Garmin
| equipped A36 Bonanza were in the neighborhood of US
$600,000.
|
|
| --
| Peter

Jim Macklin wrote:

Hell, a new Bonanza is over $1.24 million dollars, nearly
the cost of the Eclipse. A new Baron G58 will probably cost
more than the Eclipse and be just as hard if not harder to
insure.

The Bonanza and Baron will cost a tiny fraction to operate compared to
the jet, or the King Air for that matter.