# Beechcraft Lightning > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Beechcraft_Lightning > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Beechcraft_Lightning.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beechcraft_Lightning > Source revision: 1342838165 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) {{Short description|Experimental Turboprop Aircraft}} {{Use mdy dates|date=September 2017}} {{Infobox aircraft |name= Lightning |image=Baylescraft Lightning (N241FS, cn RB01) (12-12-2023).jpg |caption=Beechcraft Lightning replica at the [Beechcraft Heritage Museum](/source/Beechcraft_Heritage_Museum) |type= Civil utility aircraft |manufacturer= [Beechcraft](/source/Beechcraft) |designer= |first_flight= June 14, 1982 |introduction= 1982 |retired= 1984 |status= |primary_user= |more_users= |produced= |number_built= 1{{Cite book |last=Pelletier |first=A.J. |title=Beech Aircraft |publisher=Putnam Aeronautical Books |year=1995 |isbn=1-55750-062-2}} |developed_from = [Beechcraft Baron](/source/Beechcraft_Baron) |variants= }} The '''Beechcraft Model 38P Lightning''' was an experimental [turboprop](/source/turboprop) aircraft built and tested by [Beechcraft](/source/Beechcraft) in the 1980s. == History == The Model 38P ('''P'''ressurized) (also known as the model PD.336) was created by installing a [Garrett AiResearch TPE-331](/source/Garrett_AiResearch_TPE-331)-9 engine in the nose of a [Beechcraft Baron 58P](/source/Beechcraft_Baron) fuselage, which was mated to a [Beechcraft B36TC Bonanza](/source/Beechcraft_Bonanza) wing in place of the Baron's wing with two engines. This resulted in a low-wing aircraft with six seats including the pilot's. The aircraft flew for the first time on June 14, 1982. After 133 flights over almost 18 months the aircraft was temporarily grounded so that the TPE331 could be removed and a [Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6](/source/Pratt_%26_Whitney_Canada_PT6)A-40 engine fitted in its place. The aircraft flew in this configuration for the first time on March 9, 1984 and the last flight was on August 8 the same year. Beechcraft originally planned to put the Lightning into production but the economic downturn among [general aviation](/source/general_aviation) manufacturers in the [United States](/source/United_States) in the 1980s led to the project being shelved[http://www.wingsoverkansas.com/murphy/article.asp?id=645 "The Beeches that got away", Wings Over Kansas website] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130407111201/http://www.wingsoverkansas.com/murphy/article.asp?id=645 |date=April 7, 2013 }} retrieved December 20, 2007. shortly after the first flight with PT6A power.[Phillips, Edward H.](/source/Edward_H._Phillips), ''Beechcraft - Pursuit of Perfection, A History of Beechcraft Airplanes''. Flying Books, Eagan, Minnesota 1992. {{ISBN|0-911139-11-7}} Several Model 38Ps were pre sold to customers by the Beechcraft dealer network, but the purchase deposits collected were returned when the decision was made not to produce the aircraft.{{Citation needed|date=March 2026}} == Variants == ;Model 38P :One prototype modified from a Model 58P Baron with a [Garrett AiResearch TPE-331](/source/Garrett_AiResearch_TPE-331)-9. Plans to produce the 38P with a [Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-40](/source/Pratt_%26_Whitney_Canada_PT6) were abandoned. ;Model 38P-1 :To be powered by a Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-116. Not built. ;Model 38P-2 :To be powered by a Garrett AiResearch TPE-331-9. Not built. == Specifications (Model 38P, PT6A engine, performance estimated) == {{Aircraft specs |ref=Jane's 1983–84 Aviation ReviewTaylor 1983, p. 80. |prime units?=imp |genhide= |crew=1 |capacity=5 passengers |length m= |length ft=29 |length in=11 |length note= |span m= |span ft=37 |span in=10 |span note= |height m= |height ft= |height in= |height note= |wing area sqm= |wing area sqft= |wing area note= |aspect ratio= |airfoil= |empty weight kg= |empty weight lb= |empty weight note= |gross weight kg= |gross weight lb= |gross weight note= |max takeoff weight kg= |max takeoff weight lb= |max takeoff weight note= |fuel capacity= |lift kg= |lift lb= |lift note= |more general= |eng1 number=1 |eng1 name=[Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-40](/source/Pratt_%26_Whitney_Canada_PT6) |eng1 type=[turboprop](/source/turboprop) |eng1 shp=550–650 |eng1 kn= |eng1 note= |power original= |prop blade number= |prop name= |prop dia m= |prop dia ft= |prop dia in= |prop dia note= |perfhide= |max speed kmh= |max speed mph= |max speed kts= |max speed note= |max speed mach= |cruise speed kmh= |cruise speed mph=316 |cruise speed kts= |cruise speed note=(max cruise, at {{convert|25000|ft|m|abbr=on}} |stall speed kmh= |stall speed mph= |stall speed kts= |stall speed note= |never exceed speed kmh= |never exceed speed mph= |never exceed speed kts= |never exceed speed note= |range km= |range miles=1285 |range nmi= |range note= |combat range km= |combat range miles= |combat range nmi= |combat range note= |ferry range km= |ferry range miles= |ferry range nmi= |ferry range note= |endurance= |ceiling m= |ceiling ft=25000 |ceiling note= |g limits= |roll rate= |glide ratio= |climb rate ms= |climb rate ftmin= |climb rate note= |time to altitude= |power/mass= |thrust/weight= |more performance= |avionics= }} ==See also== {{Aircontent |related= |similar aircraft= * [Piper Malibu Meridian](/source/Piper_Malibu) * [Socata TBM](/source/Socata_TBM) |sequence= |lists= |see also= }} == References == {{commons}} {{Reflist}} *Taylor, Michael J.H. (ed). ''Jane's Aviation Review: 1983–84''. London: Jane's Publishing Company, 1983. {{ISBN|0-7106-0285-5}}. {{Bonanza family}} {{Beechcraft}} Category:1980s United States civil utility aircraft Category:Low-wing aircraft Lightning Category:Single-engined tractor aircraft Category:Single-engined turboprop aircraft Category:Abandoned civil aircraft projects of the United States Category:Aircraft first flown in 1982 Category:Aircraft with retractable tricycle landing gear --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Beechcraft Lightning](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beechcraft_Lightning) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beechcraft_Lightning?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.