Today’s Top Pick is a 1967 Beechcraft V35 Bonanza.

More than 75 years have passed since Beechcraft’s V-tail Bonanza entered the market, representing a swing toward all-metal modern design that would redefine the GA fleet.

The Bonanza was strikingly fast and efficient compared with other private aircraft of the late 1940s, making it an effective cross-country machine. The aircraft became a status symbol for well-to-do pilot owners and an object of desire throughout the aviation community.

The V-tails were popular for decades, so there are still many of them in the fleet, and they change hands regularly. There also is a significant range of condition and equipment levels among the Bonanzas operating today. The aircraft for sale here has a generously upgraded panel and received new paint in 2022 and a new interior in 2021.

This 1967 V35 has 3,519 hours on the airframe and 662 hours on its 285 hp Continental IO-520-BA engine. The new instrument panel features an Avidyne AMX-240 audio panel, Avidyne IFD-540, NGT-9000 transponder with ADS-B In and Out, Garmin GNC-255A Nav/Comm radio, Garmin GI-106B CDI, Aspen Avionics EFD-1000 PFD and MFD, S-Tec 20 autopilot, and Guardian Avionics 553 CO detector.

Pilots looking for a fast, capable four-place traveling aircraft with a combination of vintage styling and modern avionics should consider this 1967 Beechcraft V35 Bonanza, which is available for $229,000 on AircraftForSale.

If you’re interested in financing, you can do so with FLYING Finance. Use their airplane loan calculator to calculate your estimated monthly payments. Or, to speak with an aviation finance specialist, visit flyingfinance.com.

• FLYING Magazine:Air Compare: Beechcraft A36 Bonanza vs. Bonanza V-tails
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• AVweb: E-35 Bonanza Restoration

The post This 1967 Beechcraft V35 Bonanza Is a Timelessly Stylish ‘AircraftForSale’ Top Pick appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Today’s Top Pick is a 1968 Beechcraft E33 Debonair.

While it is true that in 1960 Beechcraft marketed the new “straight tail” Debonair as a basic, lower-priced version of its flagship V-tail Bonanza, that modest approach did not last long. Many customers chose the Debonair more for its speed, style, and handling. These were largely the same reasons other buyers preferred the V-tail models, and Beechcraft realized that offering two distinct versions of the Bonanza attracted more buyers.

Eventually the company dropped the Debonair name and began selling the model with the same high level of standard equipment as the upmarket V-tail.

Today pilots can step into a Debonair like the example for sale here and find contemporary glass-panel avionics that make the vintage airplane seem new. And while these Beechcrafts from the 1960s might be close to 60 years old they still display the responsive, harmonious handling and strong performance that have kept the model in production for decades.

This 1968 Debonair has 6,698 hours on the airframe and 523 hours on its engine since overhaul. The aircraft also is equipped with D’Shannon engine baffles and easy-access cowling, and D’Shannon cockpit side windows.

The panel features Garmin G500 PFD and MFD, Garmin GTN 650, GI 275 backup multifunction attitude indicator, GTX 345 with GPS and encoder, and  EDM 730 engine monitor with fuel flow.   

Pilots looking for a fast, comfortable traveling airplane with a panel nicely upgraded with mostly glass avionics should consider this 1968 Beechcraft E33 Debonair, which is available for $230,000 on AircraftForSale.

You can arrange financing of the aircraft through FLYING Finance. For more information, email info@flyingfinance.com.

• FLYING Magazine: Beech Bonanza and Debonair Approved for Garmin GFC 500 Autopilot
• FLYING Magazine: Air Compare: Beechcraft A36 Bonanza vs. Bonanza V-tails
• Plane & Pilot: Beechcraft Model 33 Bonanza/Debonair
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The post This 1968 Beechcraft E33 Debonair Is an Impressively Updated ‘AircraftForSale’ Top Pick appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Supernal, an advanced air mobility (AAM) subsidiary of Hyundai Motor Group spun out in 2021, on Tuesday unveiled its S-A2 vehicle concept at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2024 in Las Vegas, marking its entry into the eVTOL industry in earnest. The five-seat vehicle is built for a pilot and four passengers to fly on zero-emission air taxi routes in cities such as Los Angeles and Miami, as early as 2028.

Supernal said its air taxi services will emphasize safety and affordability, envisioning routine passenger travel over the congested streets of urban metropolises. Initially, the eVTOL will fly 25 to 40 sm (about 22 to 35 nm) trips, cruising at 120 mph (104 knots) at around 1,500 feet agl.

Before taking to U.S. skies, Supernal said S-A2 will achieve “commercial aviation safety levels” via FAA type certification, a process the firm expects to begin in 2026, per its website. Electric air taxi designs expected to hit the market in 2025 are about one year into that phase.

“By leveraging our talented 600-person team, the vast technical and business capabilities of Hyundai Motor Group, and trusted aviation suppliers around the world, Supernal is ready to deliver a new era of flight,” said Jaiwon Shin, president of Hyundai Motor Group and CEO of Supernal.

The large team—comparable to companies that have occupied the eVTOL space for years—will compete with the likes of Archer Aviation, Joby Aviation, and Boeing-owned Wisk Aero, all of which are backed at least in part by major airlines or aircraft OEMs. Supernal itself is working with a combined $1.2 trillion, funneled through its parent company’s other brands: Hyundai, Kia, and Hyundai Mobis.

The company also intends to work with Hyundai to develop an affordable manufacturing process for the air taxi, leveraging the prolific automaker’s web of engineering assets.

The Specs

According to Supernal, the main design considerations for S-A2 were safety, sustainability, and passenger comfort. The aircraft builds on the company’s S-A1 “vision concept”—an early prototype displayed at CES 2020. But a few key differences stand out.

The new concept retains the distributed electric propulsion system of its predecessor but doubles the number of tilting rotors from four to eight. Four propellers on the trailing edge of the nearly 50-foot wing tilt down to produce lift for vertical flight, while four on the leading edge tilt up.

Each tilt rotor will power the air taxi across all phases of flight, from vertical lift to horizontal cruise. According to Supernal, S-A2 will initially operate “as quietly as a dishwasher,” producing 60 dB of noise during vertical takeoff and landing and just 45 dB in cruise.

The S-A1, by contrast, paired four tilt propellers with four sets of stacked co-rotating propellers, using only the latter for vertical flight. The configuration was similar to the latest designs from Archer, Wisk, and U.K.-based Vertical Aerospace. Some observers have noted similarities between S-A2 and Archer’s Midnight prototype, which rolled out in March 2023 and took flight in October.

Supernal’s “robust” new airframe, measuring about 33 feet, also preserves the unusual V-tail design of S-A1. The V-tail replaces traditional vertical and horizontal tail control surfaces with a V-shaped “ruddervator,” which combines the functions of a rudder and elevator. 

Proponents of the V-tail claim it can reduce drag. Detractors dispute this and point to disadvantages in control and structural efficiency, arguing the design is useful only in special cases. Examples of V-tail aircraft include certain models of the Beechcraft Bonanza and Cirrus Vision Jet SF50.

The S-A2 airframe also includes redundant components in its powertrain, flight controls, avionics, and other critical systems. Should a rotor fail, for example, others can pick up the slack.

Supernal said the air taxi’s “clean, minimalist” aesthetic was influenced by automotive designs. Working with Hyundai engineers—who have spent years designing electric vehicles and “smart cars”—the manufacturer worked to blend style with functionality. The goal was to make the aircraft attractive to operators and passengers.

“S-A2 is a true representation of ‘auto meets aero,’” said Luc Donckerwolke, president, chief design officer, and chief creative officer of Hyundai Motor Group. “Drawing on the competence of Supernal’s top aerospace engineers and Hyundai Motor Group’s world-renowned automotive designers to create human-centric design that maximizes passenger experience and safety.”

Light changes between different phases of flight, for example, provide both aesthetic appeal and visual cues for passengers, Supernal said. Both the cockpit and fuselage are encircled by glass windows to give pilots and passengers panoramic views, with the potential side effect of added weight.

As it advances toward certification, production, and the addition of new use cases for S-A2, Supernal will also look to add flexibility. The ability to reconfigure the cabin for passengers or cargo or upgrade the battery module as the design improves, for example, may be on the horizon.

“S-A2 is designed to take full advantage of emerging electric powertrain advancements that will define the next generation of aviation,” said Ben Diachun, chief technology officer at Supernal. “From here, we will develop this concept into a revolutionary commercial product.”

The Flight Plan

Supernal’s S-A2 is on display at the company’s vertiport exhibit at CES 2024 until Friday. There, attendees can take a simulated flight over Los Angeles in a nod to what may be the company’s first commercial market. 

In 2022, it partnered with the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) to work with the city on exploring the feasibility of air taxi services there. That includes the development of key infrastructure, such as vertiports. Last year, Supernal opened an engineering headquarters and research and development facility outside the city.

Vertiports, for which the FAA released initial standards in 2022, will be a crucial component of Supernal’s planned service. The sites are expected to operate much like heliports today, with the addition of electric charging infrastructure. Many will be installed at airports and other existing airfields.

“Quiet electric flight will enable vertiports to be in cities, at airports and elsewhere for seamless integration with existing transit options,” Supernal said in a news release. “Combined with air traffic control improvements and advanced micro-weather forecasting, S-A2 and vertiports will facilitate mobility far beyond what existing and projected ground infrastructure can deliver.”

According to its website, Supernal will begin full-scale flight tests of S-A2 this year. But the company is not in a rush to launch alongside the initial cohort of air taxi competitors—which are expected to include Archer, Joby, and others—in 2025.

In addition to Los Angeles, Supernal has an agreement with the city of Miami to bring electric air taxi services there in 2028. Beyond the U.S., the manufacturer recently partnered with Korean Air to launch operations in South Korea.

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The post Hyundai Unveils Electric Air Taxi Concept with Eye on 2028 Launch appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Today’s Top Pick is a 1992 Beechcraft F33A Bonanza.

Beechcraft began selling its Model 33 Debonair in 1960 as a counterattack to Piper’s PA-24 Comanche, which had begun to nibble away at the market share of its flagship, the V-tail Model 35 Bonanza. The V-tail was a beautiful, fast design with a deluxe interior and panel—and a price to match. Piper eventually hit back with its own sleek, modern airframe, the PA-24, which attracted many customers who considered it close enough to a Bonanza at a much lower price. Beechcraft essentially needed an economy version of the Bonanza.

The Debonair’s conventional or “straight” tail set it apart from the high-end V-tail and its bare-bones cabin gave it a Spartan feel. But the airplane was fast, good-looking, and a hit with customers, some of whom had preferred the conventional tail all along. Through the 1960s the model evolved, gaining mode power and better equipment. By the end of the decade, it even received the Bonanza nameplate, which made sense because everyone knew the 33 and 35 models were essentially the same.

This 1992 F33A has 13,295 hours on the airframe, 2,000 hours on its Continental IO-520-BB engine since overhaul, and 138 hours on its McCauley propeller since new. The panel includes a Mid-Continent MD41-528 annunciator, and a full suite of BendixKing avionics including: KNS81Nav/RNAV, KLN94 GPS, I525A HSI, KX155 Nav/Com, KI209 CDI, N63 DME, KR87 ADF, and KI229 RMI, along with an Insight GEM610 engine monitor.

Pilots looking for a solid F33A Bonanza at a price point well below others on the market should consider this 1992 model, which is available for $120,000 on AircraftForSale.

You can arrange financing of the aircraft through FLYING Finance. For more information, email info@flyingfinance.com.

• FLYING Magazine: Finding Your Ideal Aircraft: Type Clubs and Wedding Planners
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• AVweb: GAMI: Higher Gross Weights Approved For Bonanzas

The post This 1992 Beechcraft F33A Bonanza Is a fast, well-documented ‘AircraftForSale’ Top Pick appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Today’s Top Pick is a 1963 Beechcraft P35 Bonanza.

In order to fully appreciate the significance of Beechcraft’s V-tail Bonanzas, one must think back to 1947, when the first production models rolled out. The speedy, low-wing, all-metal machine must have looked like a spaceship compared with the squadrons of slow, high-wing, fabric-covered aircraft that made up much of the general aviation fleet. Suddenly serious personal air travel seemed less like a dream to many people and more like something they could realistically pursue.

While the Bonanza line evolved and expanded through the decades to include models with conventional or “straight” tails, such as the F33A and stretched-fuselage A36, the V-tail 35 series airplanes never lost their charisma and mid-century cool factor. A V-tail still looks great taxiing up to the fuel pumps at your local airport, and they remain great cross-country performers.

This 1963 Beechcraft P35 Bonanza has 8,307 hours on the airframe, 547 hours on the engine since new, and 45 hours on the propeller since new. The panel includes a Bendix/King KMA24 audio panel, KLN 35A GPS, KY 97A comm transceiver, TKM MX11 comm transceiver, Narco nav receiver, Narco glideslope receiver and indicator, ADF, S-Tec 60 autopilot, and Stratus Appareo transponder with ADS-B.

Pilots looking for an economical way to get into an iconic high-performance light aircraft should consider this 1963 Beechcraft P35 Bonanza, which is available for $100,000 on AircraftForSale.

You can arrange financing of the aircraft through FLYING Finance. For more information, email info@flyingfinance.com.

• FLYING Magazine: Air Compare: Beechcraft A36 Bonanza vs. Bonanza V-tails
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The post This 1963 Beechcraft P35 Bonanza Is an ‘AircraftForSale’ Top Pick with Serious Cross-Country Chops appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Today’s Top Pick is a 2001 Beechcraft A36 Bonanza.

The Beechcraft Bonanza was a hit from its early days in the late 1940s. Compared with the fabric-covered GA aircraft that were common at the time, the all-metal, V-tail Bonanza must have looked almost like a spaceship. The attractive design evolved for decades, but for many customers the arrival of the A36 represented a breakthrough. With a stretched fuselage and six seats in a club configuration, the airplane offered passengers flexible seating or could carry lots of cargo instead of people. The first 36-series Bonanzas hit the market in 1968, and the model is still sought-after.

This A36 has 1,681 hours on the airframe, 690 hours on its Continental IO-550 engine, and 358 hours on its Hartzell propeller since overhaul. Inside its air-conditioned cabin, the aircraft’s updated panel includes Garmin G500 TXi 10 landscape displays with SVT, Garmin G600 autopilot with yaw damper, Garmin GTN 750 TXi and GTN 650 TXi touchscreen nav/comms, GTX 345R transponder, GTS 800 traffic advisory system, and more.

Pilots in the market for a fast, capable piston single with a large cabin suited for family travel or business use should consider this 2001 Beechcraft A36 Bonanza, which is available on AircraftForSale.

You can arrange financing of the aircraft through FLYING Finance. For more information, email info@flyingfinance.com.

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• The Aviation Consumer: Beechcraft Bonanza 36

The post This 2001 Beechcraft A36 Bonanza Is ‘AircraftForSale’ Top Pick for Family and Business Travel appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Today’s Top Pick is a 1967 Beechcraft V35 Bonanza.

When Beechcraft’s original V-tail Bonanza debuted in 1947, it must have looked like a spacecraft compared with the fabric-covered, strut-braced machines that made up much of the fleet. The sleek, all-metal Bonanza raised pilots’ expectations regarding the performance potential of general aviation aircraft and drove the industry toward more advanced materials and construction methods.

Today the V-tails remain popular even though they have been out of production for 40 years. This is especially true of later models like this 1973 example. Their all-around performance and comfort make them strong candidates for personal transport and long-distance travel. Their tails also help them stand out on the ramp. You are unlikely to mistake a V-tail Bonanza for any other aircraft.

The Bonanza for sale here 5,810 hours on its airframe, 422 on the engine and 645 on the propeller. Its updated panel includes a King KMA 24 Audio Panel, Avydine IFD 550 GPS/Nav/Com, King KX 155 Nav/Com, Avydine AXP 322 Transponder Garmin G5 EFIS, Garmin G5 HSI and an EDM 900 engine monitor.

Pilots who want to reach destinations quickly while making a strong style statement without giving up practicality should consider this 1967 Bonanza, which is available for $124,500 on AircraftForSale.

You can arrange financing of the aircraft through FLYING Financial Group. For more information, email info@flyingfinancial.com.

• FLYING Magazine: Used Airplane Report: Bonanza vs. Baron
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• The Aviation Consumer: Used Aircraft Guide: V-Tail Bonanza

The post Today’s Top Aircraft For Sale Pick: 1967 Beechcraft V35 Bonanza appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

I did not see how this could be, but I flew the Bonanza, first without the channel, and then with it. I kicked the rudder pedals a number of times and duly noted my subjective impression of the damping—that is, the number and size of oscillations required to return to steady flight. I am embarrassed to report that I did feel that the airplane with the channel was a little stiffer directionally. Possibly placebo effect.

The V-tail empennage was invented and patented in 1930 by a Polish pilot and aircraft designer, Jerzy Rudlicki, but it remained a rarity. The Stanley Nomad sailplane appeared in 1938, and after being converted from a conventional to a V-tail, it competed impressively in the 1939 National Championships. Fatefully, one of those impressed was Walter Beech.

There was an upsurge of interest in V-tails near the end of World War II. The attractive idea, which persists in many people’s minds to this day, was that two surfaces would naturally have less drag and be cheaper and easier to manufacture than three. A P-63 Kingcobra—laminar-winged variant of the P-39—was even equipped with an experimental V-tail after some wind tunnel tests using a variable-dihedral model were conducted at the Langley laboratory of the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA), NASA’s immensely useful and productive precursor. In 1944, the NACA published Technical Report 823 to summarize what was known from analysis and experience about V-tails. The report had an “on one hand, but on the other hand” tone, and the only definite conclusion you could draw from it was that a V-tail could be equivalent to a conventional one, but had no decisive advantage.

Still, whatever the Bonanza’s butterfly tail may have lacked in superiority, it supplied in novelty. 

The rule of thumb for sizing a V-tail is that its projected areas, in profile and plan view, should be roughly equal to those of a conventional tail. You can perhaps fudge a bit on the side area because there are two directional stabilizers rather than one. The result is that the total drag-producing surface area of the V-tail is similar to that of the three-part tail (nominally consisting of two horizontal surfaces and one vertical one). It’s not clear whether weight is reduced. From the point of view of manufacturing cost, it’s convenient that the surfaces can be identical and that you need only two, but the V arrangement is structurally complex, involves greater loads in surfaces of higher aspect ratio, and requires mixers for control and trim to combine pitch and roll into movements of a single surface.

Beech marketers, not being under oath, habitually maintained that the V-tail Bonanza was faster than the conventional-tailed Beech Debonair, a claim that had the double distinction of being false and—because the asserted advantage was so small—meaningless. In anycase, people loved their Bonanzas. When the V-tail version breathed its last in 1982—appropriately, the final model was the V-35—its demise was due principally to a long string of fatal accidents caused by a fault in the structural design of the tail surfaces, but not to its V-ness.

Apart from the Bonanza, most people would be hard-pressed to name many V-tail airplanes, but a list of no fewer than 142 of them can be found online. Some are fanciful. Many, such as a number of Schreder and Schempp-Hirth sailplanes, are essentially the same design with minute variations. Some, like the F-117 and the Scaled Composites 401, use a V-tail for its stealth characteristics, not for any expected aerodynamic advantage. The V-tail has lately found a new home, however, in airplanes that carry a single jet engine on their back, in the style pioneered by the Luftwaffe’s 1945 Volksjäger, or People’s Fighter. Examples include the Cirrus Vision Jet, the similar but defunct Eclipse 400, and the remotely piloted Northrop Grumman Global Hawk. Obviously, a vertical fin in the jet exhaust is not a good idea, and endplate verticals are just too B-24 these days.

One variable in V-tail design that received a lot of attention from the NACA was the ideal dihedral angle.There seems not to be much consensus. The Bonanza used a very flat 30 degrees. A 1950s French jet trainer, the Fouga Magister, used 35, as did the Eclipse 400. The Cirrus jet seems to use about 42 degrees, and the Global Hawk 49 or 50. With the passage of time, there appears to have been a trend toward more dihedral and larger surfaces of higher aspect ratio.

One of the aerodynamic peculiarities of the V-tail is that it wastes a certain amount of the force it generates. Take, just for the sake of illustration, a dihedral angle of 45 degrees: In order to produce a downward force of 100 pounds, the two surfaces must generate 141 pounds of force with each surface pushing outward just as hard as it pushes downward. The side forces neutralize one another, but the effort is still there.

A persistent design challenge has to do with the effectiveness of control surfaces, like rudders, elevators, and the hybrid ruddervators. As you deflect a control surface, the lift force generated increases steadily up to about 15 degrees. The force curve then grows flatter because flow separates from the “upper” surface while the drag increases rapidly. There is a limit, therefore, to the amount of useful control surface deflection you have available; it’s around 30 degrees. In some maneuvers, spin recovery for instance, you might want to use full rudder and full elevator at the same time. But the deflections can’t simply be added to one another. Instead, you have to increase the size of the tail surface or the control flaps, or both, to get the needed authority.

Comparing later V-tails with the Bonanza’s, I get the impression that Beech was too optimistic in designing its V-tail, and made the surfaces too small. Of course, that was the point: the V-tail was supposed to reduce weight and drag, and so the engineering push was to keep it small. Conversely, a V-tail like that on the Cirrus jet is used not to reduce drag or weight, but from practical necessity, and now we see designers being more conser-vative in their choices of area and span.

And if they still don’t get it right, there’s always that length of rain gutter to fall back on.

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