The answer: Bonanza

Challenged

Pattern Altitude
Joined
Apr 4, 2011
Messages
1,901
Location
Louisiana
Display Name

Display name:
Challenged
Well, after a bit of a winding journey since June of this year, I just closed on a V35 Bonanza. I'm pretty excited to get familiar with the aircraft and make her my own. This is not an airplane I've seen in person, which is a little nerve wracking, but I do completely trust the mechanic who did the pre-buy and feel very good about the deal and the ease of this particular purchase process. Here are the requisite pictures:

air1.jpg air9.jpg air8.jpg air7.jpg
 
nice bird....you'll get use to it in no time. Bout the easiest plane to fly out there. Vertical/altitude management will be the biggest learning curve.....was for me.

Also, learn how to keep the CHTs below 370....climb profiles and mixture management is needed to keep those cylinders cool.
 
I like the split seats and the single yoke. Wanted to get me one of those, but they all were beyond my budget ($75k and above; one 1976 was $130k).
 
Beautiful plane! Don't sweat the pre-buy too much. We bought our Cherokee sight-unseen as well. The biggest issue we had was magneto contact failure, which cost us about $500. We are almost finished with the first annual and turned up no major squawks. Just fix things as they come up and you'll be in good shape!
 
You have a wonderful flying machine. We have made several trips in our V35 from Florida to California (including Catalina Island) and just recently returned from a round trip flight from Florida to Alaska. When we used to have a Cessna 172, we got tired of hearing ATC say "keep your speed up". Now we get to chuckle when we hear them tell us "slow down".

Just be sure to keep a close check on W&B. It is easy to overload the aft envelope, and even if you are within the envelop on take off, you could become tail heavy as you burn fuel. But it is a great 3-person aircraft with luggage.

The other thing is that it is a very slippery airplane. During your (assumed) transition training pay particular attention to, or ask relevant questions, on how to slow her down.
 
Meh....Beechtalk is OK. But, I don't care to hear Walter and company blather bout stuff.
 
The gold standard for single-engine light airplanes; nice choice! That’s a very special feeling, flying around in your (new to you) Bonanza. Silky controls, big picture windows, plenty of power and slippery airframe, not to mention exceptional good looks assures good resale value. We’ve been getting a consistent 163-170KTAS@22”2300rpm in our V35A.
 
The gold standard for single-engine light airplanes; nice choice! That’s a very special feeling, flying around in your (new to you) Bonanza. Silky controls, big picture windows, plenty of power and slippery airframe, not to mention exceptional good looks assures good resale value. We’ve been getting a consistent 163-170KTAS@22”2300rpm in our V35A.
Same here. Just out of curiosity, what fuel burn do you use at that setting. I am usually at or just under 13.5gph in my V35.
 
Ooh!

Saw that one, it's got a 550, right?

Nice!
 
Ooh!

Saw that one, it's got a 550, right?

Nice!
All these years of knowing you and I still haven't had a ride in your Bo.... How we gonna fix that?
 
Sure. There’s gratuitous Cirrus bashing. Just like POA!
Every time I cringe at the price of a new SR-22 Cirrus, I look at the price and useful load of a new G36, and all is well once more.
 
Thanks everyone, this is a big investment in aviation for my family so it sure makes my day to hear the kind words. I'm really excited.
 
Beautiful bird! Congrats and enjoy

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G930A using Tapatalk
 
Yep. Does that help cruise at all or primarily climb?
horsepower? Climb rate. Speed only goes up by the power of the cube root of the differential (increased) horsepower. Which is another way of saying a lot of buck for no bang. Alternatively, it allows you to maintain power higher up, which improves your fuel mileage.

The short body bonanza is well served by the 260HP power rating. 285 and 300 are mo better of course, with higher mx costs, though people tend to minimize those when rationalizing the choice to go with the higher HP mills. The 225HP debbie is underpowered. Its basically a 150kt arrow. Which is nice no doubt, but if you're gonna go through the expense of the bonanza and conti combo might as well go all in and get the 1000fpm and 160+ performance numbers. 550 power is more than is needed imo, so you're sitting pretty. Your only limfac in the airframe is gonna be cg. the heavy prop helps in the case of the aft trending airplanes like the bo (opposite cessna and piper, which are forward trending with weight loss). You're at the sweet spot imo when it comes to Bos, my preference for conv tails notwithstanding. 150 to 170 ktas bird depending on how you choose to run it. Thats amazing versatility. Congrats.
 
The Bonanza is not your ordinary Cessna or Piper. It is a complex airplane that will last a lifetime if handled with care. Join the American Bonanza Society, attend a BBPT clinic and a ABS Service Clinic. Both will highly instructive and an excellent learning experience.
I instructed for ten years for the BBPT and it is well worth your time, especially as a new V-tail owner. It has its own quirks that straight tails don't have. The Service Clinic is also well worth the time and money.

Noah W
 
I was wondering how the V-tail is in a cross wind landing? What technique is used?
edit: Forgot to say congratulations on the new to you plane. Looks sweet..:)
 
Last edited:
Awesome !

The only plane you'll ever need.
 
I was wondering how the V-tail is in a cross wind landing? What technique is used?
edit: Forgot to say congratulations on the new to you plane. Looks sweet..:)
The V tail is excellent in crosswinds. When you add the vertical components of the two ruddervators, there’s more vertical surface on a V tail than a Deb. And in a crosswind, half of the vertical tail is blanked by the other half, which reduces the crosswind’s effect. And what’s more, a conventional rudder is partially blocked by the fuselage during the flare. That doesn’t happen with a V tail.
 
Back
Top