The End of the Beechcraft Bonanza

Within the past few weeks, news of the beloved Beechcraft Bonanza permanent retirement has been confirmed. Beechraft and other popular aircraft brand, Cessna, operate under a shared manufactuer company, Textron. Textron has ended production of the Bonanza and has shifted gears towards production of a different aircraft: the Beechraft Denali.

The first model Bonanza (BE-35) began production in the 1940's, with its first flight in December 1945. Soon after, it became avaliable to the public in 1947. The classic V tail design allowed it to cruise at higher speeds without added parastie drag. Various models of the V tail Bonanza are still in operation today. Later models were upgraded to be higher performance (up to 300 HP), turbocharged engines, making it an all around attractive buy.

Its sleek design, 4 seater capability, retractable gear, and long range capability made it a fantastic aircraft for your weekend warrior travelling cross country. However, it was soon nicknamed "Doctor Killer" due to the the many accidents associated with it. The main consumers of the Bonanza were wealthy individuals, such as doctors, lawyers, etc. who could afford the Bonanza's price point, but were not used to handling the aircraft and its original 165HP engine. Many accidents were attributed to gear up landings or lack of structural integrity of the V tail, leading to in flight break up of the tail. Production of the V tail Bonanza later ended in 1982.

Soon after, the Bonanza E/F33 and A36 models hit the market. These aircraft no longer featured a V tail design, and were roughly 1000 pounds heavier. With around 18,000 Bonanza's being produced in its time, its safe to say the Bonanza is one of the most popular light single engine aircraft. While it was not a common trainer aircraft like the Cessna 172 or Piper Archer, it catered to the likes of pilots who flew for travel, rather than as a hobby.

As of November, Beechraft has halted production of the Bonanza and Baron models. Instead of replacing it, Beechraft is shifting gears and are amping up production of the Denali. The Denali, at first glance, looks like Beechraft's attempt at recreating the Pilatus PC-12, both single engine turboprops. https://beechcraft.txtav.com/en/denali. The Denali is estimated to cost between 6.5-7 million dollars, with a 285 knot cruising speed. The PC-12 Pro sits at a slightly higher cruise speed (290 knots), with a price point of 6.8 million. https://www.pilatus-aircraft.com/en/pc-12

With the production of the Bonanza coming to an end, this clearly sets Beechraft's goals on breaking into the small jet world, leaving small general aviation. The Bonanza will be surely be missed, but the possibilites of the Denali hitting markets as a small private jet hold many possibilities, including new jobs for low time pilots.

Check out all models of Beechraft Bonanzas here:

https://www.bonanza.org/aircraft-index/browse-by-type/