Page 6 - Volume 18 Number 3

Beechcraft Foby LeRoy CookIn the late 1940’s, Beech Aircraft Company had basically two products; the single-engine Model 35 Bonanza and the Model 18 Twin Beech executive transport. Both were excellent performers in their categories, but there was obviously a wide gap of sales potential between them. Thus, Walter H. Beech, foreseeing the likely loss of business to Aero Design and Engineering’s prototype Aero Commander, commissioned a new “light twin” that would attract customers to a Beechcraft.The term “light twin” meant, at the time, anything less than a cabin-class radial-engine corporate airplane, something that could be personally flown by the company president or a single pilot, but would still offer twin-engine reliability and performance. Such aircraft were now possible, because more- powerful horizontally-opposed engines and lightweight feathering propellers were becoming available. Business flying was the future of general aviation, because the boom of post-World War II personal aviation had already peaked and was essentially stagnant.Beech’s new Twin Bonanza project was conceived and executed in less than eight months, making its first flight on November 11,4 • TWIN & TURBINE1949; committees, departments and boards didn’t have to reach a consensus in Walter Beech’s day. With a 5,500-lb. gross weight and 45 feet of wingspan, there wasn’t much “light” about Beech’s new light twin. Little did anyone suspect that it would be the foundation of a dynasty of ever-evolving business airplanes, culminating in the turboprop King Air.Laying The FoundationA spacious cabin was paramount for the Twin Bonanza’s mission; the basic Bonanza concept was widened to permit three-across seating in two Buick-size seats. The throw-over control yoke and rudder pedals were positioned for the left and center front seats. Theelectrically-operated landing gear, flaps and retracting entrance steps were scaled-up from the Bonanza. And the over-wing entrance door and outer wing panels were beefed- up Bonanza items.The Twin Bonanza’s broad center section incorporated fat nacelles housing Lycoming’s 260-hp geared GO-435 engines, turning 3,400 rpm for one minute at takeoff, with a 3,000-rpm normal rating, utilizing a 77:120 propeller drive ratio. Bladder-type fuel cells offered main and auxiliary selection; the Twin Bonanza’s brilliant schematic- type fuel-system controls on the left sidewall are still used to this day.The bed-mounted Lycomings were housed under swing-up side panels,MARCH 2014The Twin