Interactive comparison

Compare ownership, not brochures

Purchase price is only one part of the decision. Figures are indicative estimates at the typical market year for each model.

Decision factor	Piper PA-42-1000 Cheyenne 400LSView aircraft profile	Piper PA-42-720 Cheyenne IIIView aircraft profile	Beechcraft King Air 300View aircraft profile
Typical market year	1987	1985	1986
Estimated purchase	€2m	€1.5m	€1.75m
Annual cash cost at 80 h	€577k	€510k	€557k
Five-year cash outlay	€4.88m	€4.05m	€4.53m
Cruise speed	350 kt	305 kt	320 kt
Advertised range	2200 nm	1900 nm	1560 nm
Seats	9	8	12
Realistic payload	620 kg	515 kg	768 kg
Runway need	1000 m	900 m	1000 m
Data confidence	Preliminary — verify source data before deciding	Preliminary — verify source data before deciding	Normalized for direct comparison
Main trade-off	Extraordinary turboprop speed and range, but small fleet size, Garrett engines and specialist support create concentrated risk.	Excellent speed, range and cabin for the used price, but ageing pressurization and two turboprop engines require professional management.	Powerful, fast and cabin-capable, but phase inspections, landing gear and two PT6A-60A engines demand professional oversight.

Popular head-to-head guides

Start with the decision pilots are actually researching

Each guide adds mission context and links back into the live comparison and Finder.

Two premium piston singles with very different answers to speed, fuel, cabin design and ownership complexity.

A fast, refined travelling aircraft against a slower utility platform built around payload and access.

Two leading single-engine turboprops that optimise for different combinations of speed, cabin volume and payload.

Modern diesel efficiency and composite design compared with a conventional turbocharged piston twin.

A modern Jet A trainer and tourer compared with the most familiar four-seat training platform.

No generic winner