Cessna 425 Conquest I à Vendre (N425TB)

Vendu

Disponibles maintenant: 2001 Citation Bravo — $2,300,000

Caractéristiques de l’Avion

Prix Demandé

Vendu

Model

Cessna 425 Conquest I

Registration

N425TB

Notes du consultant

The short version

A Cessna 425 Conquest I, registration N425TB. Pressurised twin turboprop, Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A engines.

This aircraft has been sold. The page stays up because the Conquest I is a genuinely interesting aircraft that most buyers never seriously consider — and because the reasons they should, and the reasons they should be careful, are both worth setting out.

What the 425 is

Cessna's twin-piston line — the 400-series — was successful and, by the late seventies, dated. The 425 was the answer: take that proven pressurised airframe lineage and put turbine engines on it.

The result is a pressurised twin turboprop that is smaller and lighter than a King Air, cheaper to buy, and cheaper to operate, while keeping the two things owners of the piston 400s valued most — a comfortable pressurised cabin and honest handling.

For an owner stepping up from a pressurised piston twin, the 425 was close to the ideal transition: familiar airframe feel, turbine reliability, no fuel management drama, and none of the engine-out anxiety that keeps piston twin owners awake.

Why it deserves a look

Turbine reliability at the low end of the market. The PT6A is the best-supported turbine engine in general aviation. Moving from piston to PT6 removes the single largest source of unscheduled maintenance and worry in owner-flown twins.

Lower running costs than a King Air. Smaller, lighter aircraft with smaller engines. For an operator who does not need King Air payload or field performance, that is money saved on every hour.

It is a real cabin. Pressurised, comfortable for the mission, and a substantial improvement over an unpressurised twin.

The market underprices unfamiliar types. Fewer 425s were built than King Airs, so fewer buyers search for one. That thin attention sometimes shows up in the price — which is opportunity for a buyer who does the homework.

Why to be careful

The same thin market cuts the other way, and this is the part that matters most.

Fewer shops know it. The PT6A is supported everywhere; the airframe is not. Fewer 425s in service means fewer maintenance organisations with hands-on familiarity, and airframe-specific parts can take longer to source than for a King Air.

Resale is slower. A smaller pool of buyers means longer time on market when you sell. If a quick exit matters, that is a real cost even though it never appears on an invoice.

Comparable sales are scarce. With few transactions, establishing what an aircraft is genuinely worth is harder — for you buying, and for you selling. Valuations rest on fewer data points and carry wider error bars.

None of that makes the 425 a bad aircraft. It makes it an aircraft for a buyer who intends to keep it, has or can build a maintenance relationship that knows the type, and is not depending on liquidity.

The honest positioning

The 425 sits between a pressurised piston twin and a King Air C90. It is better than the first in every way that involves an engine. It gives up payload, field performance and — importantly — support depth to the second.

If you want the cheapest way into a pressurised turboprop and you fly modest loads on short legs, it is a strong and under-appreciated answer. If you need to carry more, get into shorter fields, or be able to have the aircraft worked on anywhere, the King Air is the safer choice and it is worth paying for.

What to verify on a 425

Engine variant, hours since new and since overhaul, position against hot section and TBO, and programme status. Confirm the specific PT6A variant from the aircraft's documentation rather than from a listing — dash numbers matter for parts and for performance figures.

Corrosion and basing history. As on any airframe of this age, storage matters more than hours.

AD and service bulletin compliance for the serial.

Avionics. What is installed, ADS-B Out certification status, and whether the panel suits how you fly.

Whether a shop near you knows the type. Ask before you buy, not after. This is the single most practical piece of due diligence on a lower-production aircraft, and it costs a phone call.

Inspection status, as the actual report.

Damage history and title, in writing, plus an independent search.

A pre-purchase inspection at a facility you choose, ideally one with 425 or 400-series experience. A seller who resists has answered the question — us included.

Who it suits

An owner stepping up from a pressurised piston twin who wants turbine reliability without King Air costs. A buyer flying modest loads on short-to-medium legs who intends to keep the aircraft for years rather than trade it.

Who it does not suit

Anyone who needs to sell quickly. Anyone without access to a shop willing to learn the type. Anyone needing King Air payload or field performance. And anyone who wants the comfort of a large market of comparable aircraft to price against.

What is currently available

The aircraft listed on this site today is a 2001 Citation Bravo, serial number 550-0995 — a jet, and a different proposition entirely from a light twin turboprop.

If the 425 appeals because of cost, the Bravo is not the answer and this is the wrong page to pretend otherwise. If what appealed was the step up in capability, the Bravo represents the next step again: faster, higher, and with PW530A engines on Power Advantage+ with full coverage, which makes its largest cost a known number. Its full specification and assessment are on its own page.

Further aircraft are due into inventory. When enquiring, saying what you fly today and what frustrates you about it is more useful than naming a model — it usually points to a different aircraft than the one people start with.