The Beech Model 35 Bonanza was
the founder member of a remarkable family of aircraft, not only for the fact that production of Bonanzas of all types amounts to about 15,000, but also because the V-tail Bonanza extended over 35 years of production.
Flown for the first time on 22 December 1945, the prototype Model 35 Bonanza, distinguished easily by its V-(or butterfly-) tail, was to become another outstanding success in the mould of the Models 17 and 18. Unlike them, it got off the ground rather more quickly for when the company announced that full-scale production was to begin in March 1947, it already had a backlog of around 1,500 orders. It was a moment for the benefits of wartime experience to pay off, for about 1,000 deliveries had been made by the end of that year.
The general configuration of the. Model 35 has remained virtually unchanged throughout the aircraft's history. A cantilever low-wing monoplane of all-metal construction, including the distinctive tail unit, the Model 35 has an enclosed cabin providing seating for a pilot and three or four passengers. From the outset the Model 35 has had retractable tricycle landing gear, but the original version had only a swivelling nosewheel: a steerable unit was introduced on the Model A35 in 1949. An optional feature throughout the years has been a landing gear safety system of Beech design. Named 'Magic Hand', this ensures that the wheels cannot be retracted accidentally on the ground, or a landing made with the wheels up. As first flown, power was provided by a 138kW Continental E-185-1 flat-six engine, but a variety of standard and optional powerplants have been installed during the long production run. These have included turbocharged units for the V35 TC and the V35B TC.
