Used late-model G36 Bonanzas like the one in the lead image sell for well north of $700,000.
It’s tough to argue that the iconic Bonanza has long ago established itself as one of general aviation’s most respected piston singles. And the 36 series still earns high marks for its roomy and upscale passenger dwelling, good fit and finish and timeless good looks. While still in production in limited numbers by Textron as the G36, the 36-series Bonanzas are in as much demand now as they were when we looked at the market a couple of years ago.
The good ones with new avionics, aesthetic and creature improvements and low-time engines sell at impressive prices. Moreover, compared to later-model techy models that have more modern styling and safety features (Cirrus comes to mind), for many there’s simply nothing quite like owning and flying a Bonanza and it’s just one reason for the Model 36’s huge success.
Choose your vintage
Flash back to 1967 when Beech had to compete with Cessna’s 210—a retrac that had a six-place cabin and enough speed for traveling. Even after stretching the fuselage and adding so-called family seats to the S35 V-tail model, the Bonanza wasn’t capable of seating six full-sized adults. But the 1968 model year brought a true six-place Bonanza with aft cabin doors and a conventional tail. The Continental IO-520-B-powered 36 got even more pax-friendly in 1970 with a club seating arrangement.
From a distance, particularly when decked out with new paint jobs, modern interiors and gee-whiz avionics, it’s tough to tell a vintage 36 from a newer one. Part of that is because over the years the 36 remained largely unchanged, although Beech added more equipment as standard, including an autopilot in 1976 and also turbocharging in 1979 with the 300-HP Continental TSIO-520-UB-powered A36TC. Then came the B36TC in 1982, which had the Baron 58 wing—a serious hauler because it carries 102 gallons of fuel. The current 2024 Aircraft Bluebook shows the starting retail price of a 1990 B36TC at $315,000, and it originally sold for around $390,000, when typically equipped with options.
If turbocharging isn’t your thing, the 1984 model year brought the normally aspirated Continental IO-520 to the Bonanza, plus a new instrument panel, and gone was the “throw-over” control yoke in favor of traditional controls and better-placed engine instruments, giving the Bonanza a more modern feel.
The Bonanza joined the party with Cessna, Diamond and even glass-panel-equipped Cirrus models in 2006 as the G36, equipped with Garmin’s G1000 integrated avionics and flight control system. The Bluebook shows a 2007 G36 priced at around $530,000, though we’ve seen them sell for higher when re-engined.
Performance, loading
A normally aspirated Bonanza 36 won’t outrun a Cirrus SR22, but it easily pulls away from a Piper Saratoga and keeps up with a normally aspirated Cessna 210. Most A36 owners we talk with plan on 165 knots and 1000 FPM climbs when lightly loaded. To keep up with a Cessna turbo 210 and a Mooney 231, the A36TC and B36TC models can do it in the middle altitudes, turning nearly 180 knots. Get a B36TC—with its long wing—up around 20,000 and it’ll smoke along at 190 knots, while gulping north of 17 GPH of fuel to mind the cylinder temps.
“Be careful of the CG when loading lots of stuff and passengers,” more than one owner told us. In a plain-vanilla A36, plan on 950 pounds in the cabin with the tanks full, and for the A36TC, plan on sacrificing useful load (800 pounds or so) if you want full tanks. The B36TC, with its 200-pound gross weight increase, can carry roughly 900 pounds in the cabin with the tanks full.
Speaking of fuel capacity, Beech changed the fuel system around 1973 when the standard capacity was reduced to only 44 gallons, with a 74-gallon extended range system available. We believe it’s highly unlikely that there are any standard-capacity A36s in the fleet. An 80-gallon system was made standard in 1980, plus aux tip tanks are a popular aftermarket retrofit. Worth mentioning is that D’Shannon’s tip fuel tanks (40 additional gallons) bump the gross weight to 4010 pounds. The company says the fiberglass tanks also provide lower stall speed and increased aileron authority. Learn more at www.d-shannon-aviation.com.
Handling, pax comfort
Most every Bonanza 36 pilot can attest that the aircraft’s handling is about as good as it gets, and somewhat higher control forces are also a safety feature in that they translate directly to rock-solid stability—desirable in an IFR platform. Done right, landing is much easier than in some airplanes, although at extreme forward CG loadings (common when flying solo), it requires some determination to raise the nose in the flare and make a smooth landing. Bonanza pilots learn early on to use the electric pitch trim. But as with any airplane, a good (and safe) landing begins with a stable approach that’s on speed. Carrying too much speed in the touchdown with a Bonanza is where the potential trouble lurks.
Garmin, and now Dynon, have digital autopilot retrofits for 36 Bonanzas that smooth the ride better than most aging iron-gyro-based autopilots (you’ll find Bendix and King systems—some with yaw dampers—in many), but one characteristic of the classic V-tail that isn’t really a factor in the 36 models is the notorious tendency to Dutch roll in turbulence. That’s because the extra length seems to make for a more comfortable ride.
The general cabin experience isn’t bad, either. The outside visibility is good and the dwelling is comfy, although headroom and legroom are cramped for taller people. With four aboard, it’s a luxury liner, but adding a fifth and sixth person makes things tight. It’s one reason Bonanza pilots upgrade to familiar Barons (the nose baggage area makes a big difference), especially ones with growing families who go places. For one, there is a noticeable shortage of baggage space. Some room aft of the third row of seats (watch that CG envelope) was created with the 1979 model. Before that, the only place to stow things was the modest slot between the front seats and the rear-facing center row. There is not enough room to fit six people and six bags on board.
Turbonormalizing
A Tornado Alley 300-HP IO-550 Whirlwind III turbonormalizing engine mod injects power and utility to stock 36 Bonanzas. Fuel mixture management changes for the better, because the manifold pressure remains constant for takeoff and climb (full rich) regardless of altitude and density altitude below the critical 18,000-foot altitude. Moreover, the engine mod moves the airplane’s CG forward so you can load more stuff in the cabin. But watch that it doesn’t get forward of the forward CG limit when the tanks are full and with one or two people in the cabin. The American Bonanza Society—find them at www.bonanza.org (a must-join type organization for anyone interested in ownership)—notes that a turbonormalized Bo may not outrun all normally aspirated ones at lower altitudes, but it will at sweet-spot cruise altitudes. The engine has GAMIjectors, an overhauled Garrett turbocharger, wastegate, controller and pressure relief valve, a stainless steel exhaust manifold, a high-temp silicone/Teflon hose package, a new alternate air door with ice detection system (worthy, in our view) and a $66,950 starting price.
There is a 2001 AD requiring the turbocharger exhaust bracket clamp be replaced every 400 engine operating hours. The company has upgrades in place for older Whirlwind systems, plus a $9000 larger Rammer II intercooler with Scoop Duct for more efficient ram air induction. See more data at www.taturbo.com.
Market scan
Our latest sweep of the used Bonanza 36 market turned up a variety of models for sale, though sales pros told us that these planes are still in high demand, and prices are strong. We found a 1973 A36 with 8300 hours on the airframe but less than 200 hours since a major overhaul on its IO-550 engines. It had a variety of avionics, including a Garmin G5 flight display, Garmin-AT GNS 480 navigator and a basic S-TEC autopilot. It had speedbrakes, flap and aileron gap seals and vortex generators, plus a dual control yoke. With an annual inspection due in a month, it was priced at $220,000.
A 1994 B36TC with 5600 hours on the airframe, just under 600 hours since overhaul of its turbocharged TSIO-520 engine, new paint, new interior, a full suite of the latest Garmin big-screen avionics and a GFC 500 autopilot was listed for a whopping $650,000. For comparison, a 2011 Garmin G1000-equipped G36 with 1300 hours on the original engine was priced at $750,000.
No matter which Bonanza you consider, get an insurance quote first. The retractable landing gear could be an issue for senior pilots and those with low time.
As it is for Cirrus, Diamond and other models, Bonanza sales pros still tell us the market demand for nearly every Bonanza model is still high and inventory is relatively low. That’s keeping prices for good models at a premium.
As we’ve heard in the recent past, the tight insurance market seems to be feeding at least some of the used Bonanza inventory as older pilots facing higher and non-renewed policies step out of their Bonanzas and into more basic planes that are easier to insure.
We’re also hearing that upgrades to existing Bonanzas are as popular as ever, and that includes the latest avionics. Garmin and Dynon have offered full-glass suites with integrated autopilots and models with recent upgrades are at the top of the used market when it comes to price and demand. So are engine mods.
The popular D’Shannon Aviation mods, and its Raw Power engine conversion kits, give Bonanzas a serious shot in the arm. All 1983 and previous models need to have the IO-550 STC and baffle cooling kit to qualify for the 3850-pound gross weight increase. All 1984 and later A36 and G36 models don’t need any upgrades for the increase. D’Shannon’s tip fuel tanks increase the gross to 4010. The company also has a high-performance exhaust kit for IO-550, IO-520 and IO-470N Bonanzas. There are also gap seals, vortex generators and new instrument panels. It’s not just about avionics and engines. Safety and utility-enhancing systems are popular, too.
Arizona-based AmSafe has STCs for seatbelt airbag systems for the Bonanza and you can find more information at www.amsafe.com. There is Approach Aviation (www.approachaviation.com) selling its SmartSpace baggage conversions for pre-1979 airplanes. It gives a much-needed 8 cubic feet of baggage area behind the rear seats, with a 70-pound capacity, while retaining the rear hat shelf. Installation is reported to take only a day.
“I bought the $6500 D’Shannon Genesis Max GWI (gross weight increase) STC, which boosted the gross weight from 3650 to 3850 pounds. I also upgraded to Garmin’s G1000 NXi. The $28,000 upgrade added significant functionality to my existing legacy G1000 system, and the Garmin Flight Stream 510 wireless capability is a real plus. ADS-B came from a Garmin GTX 345R transponder, which was $5443. Whelen LED strobes, beacons and landing/taxi lights were a $2900 expense,” G36 Bonanza owner Frank Roe told us.
For Roe, he bought the newer G36 because he didn’t want the hassle of refurbishing a plane—something he’s done twice in the past. Plus, he makes a good point that the 36 is easy to land and makes for a stable instrument platform. Also, the large cargo doors and air conditioning make it an excellent piston single for hauling passengers in comfort.
Two runway loss of control (RLOC) accidents. Two. That’s all we found when we reviewed the 100 most recent accidents involving Beech Bonanza 36-series aircraft. That’s an almost unheard-of low rate for what is the most common general aviation aircraft accident. Plus, one of them involved a blown tire on landing—not the pilot’s fault.
Accordingly, because we expect to see at least five times that number of RLOC accidents in nosewheel airplanes, we like 36-series’ ground handling characteristics.
The other good news was that we also expect to see some accidents in which the pilot was unable to extend the landing gear. There were none in the data we reviewed.
Six pilots did forget to extend the gear. One got our attention with a gear-up touch and go as the prop started to hit the runway. On the “go” part, he hit the gear handle and the gear began to extend. A happy ending was averted when the left wing hit the runway and brought things to a noisy, partially-extended-gear stop.
There were 11 fuel-related accidents—a tribute to the axiom that is you give a pilot more than one fuel tank to select, he’ll eventually mess things up. Only three pilots ran the tanks completely dry. The rest ran one tank out of fuel and then failed, for various reasons—usually not following the checklist procedure—to switch tanks and get a restart. One pilot set the fuel selector between tanks and several changed tanks but didn’t turn on the aux pump. Our take? It’s OK to run a tank dry, but do it on purpose—not by accident—and be prepared to follow the checklist. Our preference? Don’t run a tank dry. You probably don’t need the last drops of fuel and you scare the bejeebers out of your passengers.
Then there’s the gorilla in the room—engine stoppages not due to running out of fuel. There were a whopping 38. That’s twice what we expect to see—the only other aircraft with that rate that we’ve seen recently is the Navion, not exactly a modern bird.
What shook us up was that of that 38, the NTSB could not find a cause in 17 of them. Where it could find a cause, it was usually maintenance malpractice. Fittings on engine compartment fuel lines were not tightened, leading to several accidents. One of the big causes was failure to properly torque hold-down bolts after cylinder replacements.
On one, all cylinders had been replaced 15 months and 227 hours prior to the mishap. Four of eight nuts retaining cylinders 1 and 2 were loose—no break-out torque reading could be measured. The loose through bolts supposed to provide clamping force on the number one main crankshaft bearing and didn’t. The bearing shifted aft, restricting oil flow to that bearing and leading to oil starvation and failure of the connecting rod.
Our recommendation is a careful prebuy of the engine area on a 36-series Bonanza.
We also saw eight takeoff accidents on high DA and/or short runway situations. Most of the airplanes were at or over gross. The pilots either pressed on and hit something after liftoff or aborted and couldn’t stop. High, hot, short and/or heavy takeoffs should ring alarm bells for 36-series pilots.
