Beechcraft Twin Bonanza
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| Beechcraft Model 50 Twin Bonanza | |
|---|---|
| Supercharged 1961 J50 Twin Bonanza | |
| Type | Utility aircraft |
| Manufacturer | Beech Aircraft Corporation |
| Maiden flight | 1949 |
| Introduced | 1952 (US Army) |
| Retired | 1992 (US Army) |
| Status | Active in general aviation |
| Primary users | United States Army Private operators |
| Produced | 1952-1961 |
| Number built | 729 |
| Variants | Queen Air King Air |
The Beechcraft Model 50 Twin Bonanza was designed as an executive transport for the business market and a utility transport for the United States Army. Superficially it resembles the Beechcraft Travel Air, a twin-engine variant of the Twin Bonanza's smaller namesake, the Bonanza. The Beechcraft Twin Bonanza is half-again the size of the single-engine Bonanza, has more powerful engines, and is significantly heavier.
The single-engine Bonanza is one of history's most successful civil aircraft, in production since 1947. Like many light aircraft, a twin-engine version was developed in an effort to improve performance. The Twin Bonanza, despite its name, is not a true twin-engined derivative of the Bonanza. The Travel Air, and later the Baron (still in production as of 2006) have much more in common with the single-engine Bonanza. Of the twin-engine Bonanza models, the twin-engine conversion made by Bay Aviation - the Super "V" Bonanza - has the most in common with the early V-tailed models.
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[edit] Development
The first pre-production aircraft were started in 1949. The Model 50's type certificate was awarded in 1952,<ref name=aerofiles>Beechcraft. Aerofiles: A Century of American Aviation (2006-07-14). Retrieved on 2006-10-05.</ref> entering production as a utility transport for the U.S. Army. It was also the first twin-engine aircraft in its class to be offered to the business market.
The Army adopted the Twin Bonanza as the L-23, making it the largest fixed-wing aircraft in the inventory. During an initial demonstration flight for the Army, a Twin Bonanza crashed while trying to take off over a 50 foot tree line while full of soldiers and sandbags. Everyone involved walked away from the crash. The Army was impressed with the structural strength of the Twin Bonanza, later purchasing approximately 500 of the 729 airframes produced.<ref name=aerofiles/>
The Beechcraft Queen Air and King Air are both direct decendents of the Model 50 Twin Bonanza. All three aircraft share the same basic wing design, as well as landing gear, flaps, instrument panels, fuel cells, and more. The Queen Air added a larger cabin to the design, while the later King Air added turbine power.
[edit] Military operators
[edit] Specifications (E50)
General characteristics<h3>
- Crew: 1-2 pilots
- Capacity: 5 passengers
- Length: 31 ft 6 in (9.61 m)
- Wingspan: 45 ft 3 in (13.78 m)
- Height: 11 ft 6 in (3.51 m)
- Wing area: 277 ft² (25.7 m²)
- Empty weight: 5,010 lb (2,270 kg)
- Max takeoff weight: 7300 lbs (3311 kg)
- Powerplant: 2× Lycoming GSO-480-B1B6, 340 hp (253 kW) each
<h3>Performance<h3>
- Maximum speed: 229 mph (199 knots, 366 km/h)
- Range: 1,000 mi (870 nm, 1,600 km)
- Service ceiling: 30,000 ft (9144 m)
- Rate of climb: 1,614 ft/min (8.2 m/s)
[edit] References
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