The Classic Beechcraft Bonanza Remains a Favorite Sight Around the Midwest

By Carmelo Turdo

The Beechcraft Bonanza began as the Model 35, V-tailed design from Ralph Harmon and his team in 1945. The famous V-tail design reduced tail drag by 40% and used fewer parts than a conventional tail. Later V-tail models introduced airframe and powerplant refinements throughout the 1950s, and the "straight-tailed" Model 33 Debonair was offered along with the V-tail Bonanza through the 1960s. The Model 36 with the conventional tail became the standard model, and today, about 20,000 airframes later, the G36 with the G1000 avionics is still in production. The Model 50 Twin Bonanza received type certificate in 1952, and it was produced for both the civilian and military markets until 1963. The Queen Air and legendary King Air models were successors to the Twin Bonanza.

The Aero Experience looks for Bonanzas wherever we travel, and we have a selection from recent months featured below: