Twin Commander Aircraft Aviation Parts Inventory

Operating Segments: Aircraft

HQ: Creedmoor, North Carolina

Parent Company: Firstmark Corporation

About Twin Commander Aircraft

Twin Commander Aircraft was created by Ted Smith in 1944, under the name Aero, with their primary focus on manufacturing  twin-engine transport aircraft that was lighter than competitors. Their preliminary design was completed in 1946; however, it didn’t take flight until 1948. The company took on a new name in 1950, as they rebranded themselves as the Aero Design and Engineering Company. What launched the Twin Commander into overnight popularity was the infamous flight from Oklahoma to Washington D.C. with one propeller missing, and at full capacity weight. This demonstrated the degree of stability and asymmetric control the company's flagship plane was engineered with. The Twin Commander caught the attention of the President as it became Eisenhower’s preferred method of travel. The mystique doesn’t stop there; in 1957, the Twin Commander broke the distance record for general aviation aircraft by flying 1,504.74 nautical miles from Guatemala City, Guatemala to Oklahoma City. A year later, the company was acquired by Rockwell-Standard & Associates. In 1981, Rockwell-Standard & Associates was acquired by Gulfstream Aerospace, shifting the landscape of Twin Commander Aircraft. The acquisitions continued in 1985 as Gulfstream was acquired by Chrysler Corporation, then acquired by Precision in 1989. Twin Commander finally found a home in parent company Firstmark Corporation, an entity known for supporting legacy aircraft. Twin Commander Aircraft now operates as an OEM parts and service provider. 

Products, Services, and Platforms

Aircraft: Twin Commander is known for its fuel efficiency, large cabin, and long range capabilities. Since the plane’s original production that began in the 1950s, there have been numerous model variants. Over time, the Twin Commander evolved through each iteration with performance and capability enhancements, added features, design upgrades and new power plants. Twin Commander models can be divided into three categories by power plant type: Early piston engine powered models; turbine powered models; and the most recent JetProp models. The following is a breakdown of the major Twin Commander model designations

Early Piston Engine Aircraft: The first models of the Twin Commander were originally built in the early 1950s. 

• These aircraft were powered by twin Lycoming piston engines rated at 290hp and have 500 series model designations. Over 1,000 of these planes are still flying today. Apart from the engines, the primary difference between these early planes and the more modern turbine and JetProp powered models was the length of the plane. Early 500 series models were approximately 36 feet long whereas later models were 42 to 44 feet long. A few models include the 500S/520, 560/560A, and 680FL/680V.

• Turbine Powered Aircraft: The first turbine powered Twin Commander was the 680T called the “Turbo Commander” that used Garrett AiResearch TPE331 turbine engines. The increased power of the Garrett AiResearch engines allowed for a gross weight rating of just under 9,000 lbs., better flight performance characteristics and increased take off power. The high gross weight rating and additional power required certain configuration changes to the airframe that altered the flight characteristics of the plane. The 690A and 690B models that followed the 680T were the primary turboprop Twin Commander models. A few models include the 690A and 690B.

• JetProp Powered Aircraft: Major changes were made to the Twin Commander with the introduction of the model 840 in 1979. The wings were increased 30 inches and canted winglets were added to increase the total wing area. The 254K variant of the AiResearch gas turbine TPE331 engines were used that generated 717.5 shaft horsepower each with new Dowty full feathering and reversible propellers. Wet wings were added outboard of the nacelles increasing fuel capacity from 384 to 482 gallons. The increased fuel capacity of the wet wings and fuel efficiency of the new engines allowed the 840 to have a maximum range of 2,040 nautical miles. It was the first Twin Commander to break the 2,000 nautical mile range barrier. Aircraft dry weight decreased by 507 lbs. over the 690B. A few models include the 980, 900, and 1000.

Subsidiaries/Partners

Twin Commander is a wholly owned subsidiary of Firstmark Corporation.

Competitors

Twin Commander’s primary competitors include Boeing, Airbus, Hartwell, Lockheed Martin, L3, DigitalStakeout, LogRhythm, RiskIQ, Primus Aerospace, Acme United Corp, United Technologies Corp, ZeroFox, Cloud Passage, Blueliv, Snaptrends, Bombardier, Dassault Falcon, Gulfstream Aerospace, Pilatus, Textron, Embraer, and several others.