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critical engine at zero-thrust, at speeds near Vmc, plenty of rudder remained available. This was the case even with the operating engine producing enough power to sustain 200- 300 FPM climb rates. Admittedly, that was something well below full power. Low ceilings prevented us from exploring Vmc manners all the way down to directional control loss.
Typical economy cruise in Zefting’s normally aspirated, 295 hp Model-D50C is 160-165 mph TAS at 10,000 feet and 30 gph. Keeping the engines loaded while descending will cause speeds to rise, requiring some pilot planning to slow enough to extend f laps and gear on schedule. Maximum gear and flaps speeds (Vlo & Vfe) are 150 mph. In the pattern and on an instrument approach, the BE-50 is rock solid and responsive to power adjustments. Zefting invited me to fly a visual approach into Seattle Paine Field’s (PAE) Runway 16L (their smaller runway, at only 3,004’ x 75’). Flying the extended final right at or slightly above blue line (110) and slowing to 100-105 crossing the fence, with gusty crosswinds and only 10 knots of headwind component, we could have easily stopped within half the runway (1,500 feet). We rolled past the midpoint taxiway, seeing no need for heavy braking to prove a point already made.
After a short field takeoff from 16L (equally impressive), we quickly went IMC on the return to Boeing Field (BFI). There, I shot an ILS with a stiff crosswind aloft in a steady rain. The Twin Bo is so well-behaved and predictable that the resulting landing (only my second in the plane) was quite ego-stroking. More credit goes to Beech’s design than to this novice T-Bone pilot at the controls.
Seven Decade Legacy
The Twin Bonanza legacy is an impressive one. While relatively few of them remain, its offspring are still every- where. The BE-50 morphed into the BE-65 Queen Air, which got a bigger fuselage and tail. Next came the King Air, with turboprop engines and pressurization. Swearingen’s Merlin line, which began production using major components of existing T-Bones, eventually grew into the Merlin III and then Metroliner regional airliners (both popular today as cargo haulers). The gear supporting the Twin Bo, then the Queen Air and the Merlin II, is the same system seen un- derneath King Air 90 models still in production until 2021 (72 years after it first flew on the prototype BE-50).
Matthew McDaniel is a Master & Gold Seal CFII, ATP, MEI, AGI, & IGI and Platinum CSIP. In 34 years of flying, he has logged nearly 22,000 hours total and over 5,900 hours of instruction given. As owner of Progressive Aviation Services, LLC (www.progaviation.com), he has specialized in Technically Advanced Aircraft and Glass Cockpit instruction since 2001. McDaniel is also a Boeing 737-series Captain for an international airline, holds eight turbine aircraft type ratings, and has flown over 135 aircraft types. Matt is one of less than 15 instructors worldwide to have earned the Master CFI designation for 11 consecutive two-year terms. He can be reached at matt@ progaviation.com or 414-339-4990.
March 2024 / TWIN & TURBINE • 23