desH wrote:
I’d love something that will depart from a 500m grass strip carrying 4 fatties and full baggage while still cruising at 160kts for 1000miles burning 10gph but I’m being realistic!
Thanks gents, I think you missed my humour there, I am not seriously expecting an aircraft in that price point that will do all those things! The majority of business trips will be either solo or with 1 or 2 colleagues maximum. 4 seats is likely only required for family trips (wife and my daughters 10 & 8) but the C6 would bring the extra bonus of being able to bring Grandad occasionally for babysitting duties!
I know the C182’s pretty well and had a share in a nice G1000 C182T which was a good machine for sure but not in my price point currently. As I mentioned however, I’ve spent far too much time flying them (probably 400+hrs between the C172/C182) and just cant get excited about owning one outright.
Bonanza is an interesting idea but again not an aircraft I know much about maintenance wise so will have to go and do some reading…
I knew nothing about the Bonaza until I flew it pretty soon after my PPL exam…
There’s a very good forum, Beechtalk www.beechtalk.com where you will find enlightenment.
Another useful link is the ABS, American Bonanza Society, www.bonanza.org.
There are tons of videos on youtube. You might want to have a look a the channels of Matt Guthmiller, who was the youngest pilot ever flying around the world at age 19 in a nice I believe 1991 A36 Bonanza and flies around the US a lot.
Also Martin Pauly, who flies up and down the US and produces very good videos.
This will give you an impression, especially from the angle of your desired mission profile. I have the smaller version, the 4 seater F33A, from 1992 and I just love that plane. It’s fast, sturdy, reliable, solid, very good from short fields, has excellent handling in all conditions, and makes 165kts true in cruise. The A36 has a better CG, a little slower but more payload, 6 seats, but otherwise similar.
Trust me. You’ll like it. You can send me a note and I’ll explain why I bought it, I use it part business, part private. I find that most Bo‘s I see are pretty well maintained, and they don’t have outright nasty neuralgic points like the i.e. the Arrows with their gear.
The Bo is in production since 1947 not without reason.
EuroFlyer wrote:
and makes 165kts true in cruise. The A36 has a better CG, a little slower
My old A36 (IO550B) would always make 176kts TAS in cruise
EuroFlyer wrote:
has excellent handling in all conditions
Totally agree with this, not many aircraft handle as well as a Bonanza
Once you have flown one there is no way back, I owned a Mooney and have flown Pipers and Cessna’s there is no comparison….
>>>My old A36 (IO550B) would always make 176kts TAS in cruise
My engine, an IO 520 BB, is currently being taken apart and it looks as if a new one could be necessary.
Do you recommend the IO 550 ? What are the up and downsides, like added climb rate and TAS vs increased wear on rods and crankshaft ?
EuroFlyer wrote:
Do you recommend the IO 550 ? What are the up and downsides
My aircraft (1984) came with a IO550B so I dont have any experience of the 520BB but understand that it is an altogether better engine with 20 more HP
After I bought it I put around 200 hrs on the original engine to about 1700 TT then (2002) bought a factory new engine which at the time was only about $3000 more than factory reman.
I didnt want anything but my old engine back or factory new as I was concerned about the history of the crankshaft in an overhauled engine
EuroFlyer wrote:
like added climb rate
If you can hold 100kt IAS (difficult) with the IO550B you are climbing like a rocket
Vref wrote:
Once you have flown one there is no way back, I owned a Mooney and have flown Pipers and Cessna’s there is no comparison…
I agree. I have owned and flown multiple types but nothing compares with my Bonanza. Totally stable, fast, roomy, comfortable. I have the IO-470N which is one of the smoothest and reliable engines I have had. Like others I have mused on upgrade to 520/550, but with my aeroplane operating as she currently does the 470 is the choice.
When considering the Bonanza grab a copy of John Eckelbars….
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/584857.Flying_the_Beech_Bonanza
This book is the go too bible and will give you all the technical information and advice you could wish for. Thern go fly one, then buy one.. 
I have owned my V35A Bonanza for 40 years as of next month. It has been a great airplane. I routinely get 168 Kts, 8000 MSL, 12.5 GPH. I can boost that 174 Kts if I am willing to burn more fuel.
My advice to prospective purchasers, don’t test fly in a Bonanza unless you are prepared to buy it. If you end up buying another type, you will always know what you are missing.
To be more serious, I consider the short body Bonanzas to be great aircraft if your mission is 3 people plus luggage, 4 without luggage and all the fat people up front. The F33A is slightly more challenged in that respect due to aft CG limits and generally heavier empty weights due to the third trainer tail surface. The A36 or variations are good 4 place plus luggage, or 4 adults and two kids, excepting the most recent versions which are challenged with respect to useful load and three 200 pound males are close to the limit for useful with full fuel. There are some STC’s that add tip tanks or tips and turbo-normalizing that increase the range and useful load. The A36 can be upped to 4000 pounds MGW from 3650 in some cases, but the performance suffers at the higher weights as one would expect. The Bonanza has excellent short field capabilities and can operate out of fields as short as 500 meters, assuming the pilot is well trained. Even poorly trained pilots should be able to use runways with 750 meters. Bonanzas are also good climbers and higher cruise climbs of 130 Kts are achievable and still get over 500 FPM thru 8000 MSL.
