AOPA Pilot Magazine - June 2020 - 48

PILOT BRIEFING
AIRPLANES WE LOVE |
BUDGET BUY

|

Twin Commander 500S
In its own class
B Y I A N J. T W O M B LY

Two roaring engines, front and rear entry doors, unique high-wing looks, silky handling,
and one of the world's coolest names make Twin Commander's 500S Shrike Commander
a pilot's dream. Oh, and don't forget that aviation legend Bob Hoover used to barrel roll it
while pouring a glass of iced tea.
Designed in 1946 by the legendary Ted Smith, the Aero Commander 520 was one of
the first twin-engine civilian aircraft on the market. Although it never matched sales from
Piper and Cessna, the Ted Smith design flourished over time as the fuselage was stretched,
the gross weight increased, and more powerful engines were fitted. Later versions added
turboprop engines, and a derivative was morphed into a business jet.
It was during Rockwell's stewardship of Twin Commander, between 1958 and 1981, that
Bob Hoover traveled the world as a sales ambassador and performed full airshow routines
in the Shrike. Pilots who have been around for a few decades still rave about Hoover's fantastic feats of skill and energy management, executing low-level aerobatic maneuvers with
first one, then both propellers feathered.
SPECS
The Shrike was built between 1968 and 1979. It
Twin Commander 500S
featured two 290-horsepower Lycoming IO-540 Shrike Commander
engines, and with a gross weight of 6,750 pounds,
power loading is a respectable 11.6. In the market- Engines (2) Lycoming IO-540-E1B5,

rated at 290 horsepower each
place it fits between a late model Piper Seneca or Normal cruise speed
176 kt
Beechcraft Baron, and it also competes in the cabin- VSO
59 kt
6,750 lb
class category with the Piper Navajo and Cessna Gross weight
Standard empty weight
4,635 lb
402. It's not a stretch to say it's in a class of its own. Max range
732 nm
EMAIL ian.twombly@aopa.org

48 | AOPA PILOT June 2020

SWIPE RIGHT

* You think you're Bob
Hoover's protégé.
* Mid-century cool is your
style.
* You desire something with
more personality than a conformist Wichita- or Floridabuilt twin.
* Fuel is relatively cheap and
now is the time to burn it.
* Did we mention Hoover
used to barrel roll his Shrike
while casually pouring iced
tea?
SWIPE LEFT

* You're inclined toward a
more bargain-priced former
multiengine trainer.
* You prefer low-wing
airplanes. (What kind of
monster are you?)
SECOND LOVES

Barons have similar panache
for some but less space;
Navajos also offer a big
airplane feel but there's that
low wing.

AOPA Pilot Magazine - June 2020

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of AOPA Pilot Magazine - June 2020

Contents
AOPA Pilot Magazine - June 2020 - Intro
AOPA Pilot Magazine - June 2020 - Cover1
AOPA Pilot Magazine - June 2020 - Cover2
AOPA Pilot Magazine - June 2020 - Contents
AOPA Pilot Magazine - June 2020 - 2
AOPA Pilot Magazine - June 2020 - 3
AOPA Pilot Magazine - June 2020 - 4
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AOPA Pilot Magazine - June 2020 - Cover3
AOPA Pilot Magazine - June 2020 - Cover4
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