Beechcraft Bonanza
.jpg) Beechcraft Bonanza. Photo: Bill Larkins, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
| |
| Make | Beechcraft |
|---|---|
| Model | Beechcraft Bonanza |
| Type | Civil utility aircraft |
| Country |  United States
|
| First flight | December 22, 1945 |
| Built | 1947–present |
| Status | In service |
| Number built | 18,525 (at end of 2025) |
| Registered in the US | 10,242 (FAA register, October 30, 2026) |
| Seats | one, five passengers |
| Engine | Continental IO-550-B, 300 hp |
| Cruise speed | 176 kn (2011 model G36) |
| Range | 716 nmi (2011 model G36) |
| Service ceiling | 18,500 ft (2011 model G36) |
| Max weight | 3,650 lb (2011 model G36)
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| More aircraft · For sale | |
The Beechcraft Bonanza is a four- to six-seat, single-engine airplane introduced in 1947 by Beech Aircraft of Wichita, Kansas. It has been in continuous production longer than any other aircraft in history. More than 18,000 Bonanzas of all versions have been built, plus more than 6,000 twin-engine derivatives. It came with the famous V-tail and with a conventional tail; early conventional-tail models were sold as the Debonair.[1] In the U.S. there are 10,242 Model 33, 35 and 36 Bonanzas with a valid registration.[2]
In November 2025, Textron Aviation, Beechcraft's owner, announced that the Bonanza and the Baron would stop production once the last orders were filled, and promised continued parts, maintenance and support for owners.[1]
History
At the end of World War II two all-metal four- and five-seat airplanes reached the top of the civil market, both cruising up to 170 mph: the Bonanza and the Cessna 195. The 195 carried on prewar thinking with a high wing, a radial engine and a tailwheel. The Bonanza, designed by a team led by Ralph Harmon, was a low-wing, all-aluminum airplane with an easy-to-manage six-cylinder flat engine and retractable tricycle landing gear, at a time when most light airplanes were still wood and fabric.[1]
It first flew in December 1945, and deliveries began in 1947. The first Model 35 used a 165 hp Continental E-185, with five prototypes and 1,500 production airplanes built.[1] The Bonanza became a sought-after business and personal airplane, served as a military trainer, and briefly flew as a feeder airliner for Central Airlines of Texas.[1]
Three Bonanza families
- Model 35: the original V-tail Bonanza.
- Model 33: the conventional-tail Debonair, later called Bonanza, built until 1995.
- Model 36: the longer, six-seat conventional-tail Bonanza, still built today; the A36 is the most common Bonanza on the U.S. register.[1][2]
Registered in the United States
The FAA register lists 10,242 of these airplanes with a valid U.S. registration. Here they are by the model name the FAA uses.[2]
| FAA model name | Registered |
|---|---|
| A36 | 2,344 |
| F33A | 974 |
| V35B | 905 |
| S35 | 454 |
| V35 | 419 |
| G36 | 374 |
| V35A | 319 |
| P35 | 313 |
| B36TC | 303 |
| 35-B33 | 289 |
| 35 | 258 |
| C35 | 252 |
| K35 | 236 |
| M35 | 222 |
| H35 | 220 |
| G35 | 219 |
| J35 | 217 |
| F35 | 189 |
| 35-C33 | 185 |
| A36TC | 172 |
| 17 other model names | 1,378 |
Specifications (2011 model G36)
| Item | 2011 model G36 |
|---|---|
| Crew | one |
| Passengers / capacity | five passengers |
| Length | 27 ft 6 in |
| Wingspan | 33 ft 6 in |
| Height | 8 ft 7 in |
| Wing area | 181 sq ft |
| Empty weight | 2,517 lb |
| Maximum takeoff weight | 3,650 lb |
| Engine | Continental IO-550-B, 300 hp |
| Propeller | Hartzell Propeller |
| Cruise speed | 176 kn |
| Range | 716 nmi |
| Service ceiling | 18,500 ft |
| Rate of climb | 1,230 ft/min |
Figures as given in the Wikipedia article and its sources.[1]
Photos
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N567M Beechcraft Bonanza 33 (BE33). Photo: User:CambridgeBayWeather, Public domain -
Beechcraft-A36-Soloy-KBFL-070207. Photo: Alan Radecki, CC BY 2.5 -
Ifta-a36-N812AD-071115-01-16. Photo: Alan Radecki Akradecki, CC BY-SA 4.0 -
Ntps-b35-N8718A-071012-02-12. Photo: Alan Radecki Akradecki, CC BY-SA 4.0 -
BeechV35-g-vtal. Photo: MilborneOne, CC BY-SA 3.0 -
1957 Bonanza H35 N5589D. Photo: Cgettings at English Wikipedia, CC BY 3.0 -
Bonanza G36 at Oshkosh. Photo: Spartan7W, CC BY-SA 3.0 -
V-Tailed Beechcraft Bonanza. Photo: Tom Fleischman (Tfleischman at English Wikipedia), Public domain
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All photos are from Wikimedia Commons; click a photo for its full credit and license.
Buying a Beechcraft Bonanza
Sources
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 Wikipedia, "Beechcraft Bonanza", read November 1, 2026. Airplane Wiki's text is written in its own words; facts are checked against this article and its sources.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Federal Aviation Administration, Releasable Aircraft Database, file dated October 30, 2026. Valid registrations of fixed-wing airplanes whose FAA maker and model names belong to this family. Airplane Wiki uses only counts from this file, never owner names or addresses.