More than 60 years have passed since the first Beechcraft Bonanza flew in December 1945. The first and most prolific was the Model 35, which sported the signature V-tail. Over 10,000 of these readily identifiable aircraft had been produced when its production was stopped in 1982.
A conventional-tail variant, the Model 33 Debonair, was launched in 1960 and produced along side the V-tail Bonanza. While initially positioned as a lower-cost aircraft, the Debonair's available equipment soon rivalled that of the Bonanza. Before production ceased in 1984, over 3,200 had been made and its name changed simply to the Model 33 Bonanza.
The latest and largest Bonanza, the Model 36, was introduced in 1968. A 25.4cm (10in) stretch of the Model 33's airframe and repositioning of the aft bulkhead gave the new conventionally tailed aircraft a 73.7cm longer cabin and 0.17m³ (6ft3) additional volume. The additional space was put to good use, offering seating for six, with a club four configuration aft of the pilot seats. The fuselage stretch also opened up the Bonanza's centre-of-gravity range. The V-tail model in particular had a narrow range, with CG migrating aft as fuel burned off in flight. Since 1968 over 4.600 Model 36 Bonanzas have been built.
To honour the Diamond Anniversary of the Bonanza's certification, Beechcraft is offering a 60th Anniversary Limited Edition of the G36. Unique interior appointments and exterior paint scheme differentiate it from the already capable and distinctive standard G36.
Source: Flight International
