Swearingen SA-26 Merlin 2 (N2820G)

Credit to you if you can immediately identify this one!
Even as a fan of classic business aircraft, I sure couldn't identify this 1970 turboprop. It's about the size of the Beechcraft Queen Air, but has that distinct Swearingen-looking nose/cockpit section!
Well.. that would be because this is a 54-year-old Swearingen SA26-T Merlin IIB. A far cry visually from the later Merlin variants I'm used to seeing! This aircraft is a result of Ed Swearingen's impressive design work. Initially, he took the Queen Air design, updated it, and dubbed it the Excalibur. From there, he then worked on another design that mated the Queen Air wings and tail and utilized the Twin Bonanza's landing gear. Eventually, this design was marketed under the Swearingen Merlin name. This was the start of Swearingen's run of success as the Merlin eventually evolved into the Metroliner line, with over 600 produced and many still in service.
On the other hand, only 87 Merlin IIBs were ever produced, so finding one, especially in an airworthy state, is quite the treat!

March 31, 2023- Miami Executive Airport (Miami, Florida)