What's in a name - Travel Air Vs Twin Bonanza

Fearless Tower

Fearless Tower

Touchdown! Greaser!
Joined
Jan 1, 2010
Messages
16,473
Location
Norfolk, VA
Display Name
Display name:
Fearless Tower
Anyone know why Beech named the BE-50 the Twin Bonanza?

The BE-95 Travel Air is really a twin-engined Bo. The BE-50 is a whole 'nother animal. Stood next to one at my A&P's shop yesterday and let's just say that a Twin Bonanza looks like it eats Bonanzas for lunch.
 
I'd guess because the Be50 development started way before the 95 series.

The Be50 shares some parts with the earlier Bonanzas IIRC. Note the 10" section they spliced into the middle of the windshield. I understand the flanking pieces are Bonanza parts. I also believe wing sections outboard of the nacelles are bonanza wings.

I love the T-bone. I do think you could fit a 95 inside. Too bad it gets the fuel economy of an Oil Fire and the cruise speed of a Mooney. It does have a couch and airstair, though. I see it as a poor-man's King Air. Similar nmpg too. Heh.
 
kimberlyanne546 said:
That is porn to you?
Click to expand...

Me and a handful of friends to vegas, fighting over who gets to chill on the gd couch while we hum along, no headsets (due to the geared engines running props at appx 1800RPM), telling lies and pointing out suckers on the interstate. The cooler of alcoholic refreshments is implied. The iPad wouldn't be enough for the inflight movie -- I dunno how to solve that aspect of the Tbone yet. iPad movies are perfect in my Vtail.

That thing oozes style points out of every seam. I'd roll my eyes at a Citation driver and expect him to understand and be properly shamed. That is a conveyance where you are not interested in getting somewhere in a hurry -- you understand that wherever you're going, they'll wait for you. Unlike the lap-dog in the jet.

Hell and damn yes. :D
 
schmookeeg said:
There's a real pretty one for sale on Beechtalk if you want some Tbone porn. The images are nice and high-res too. I'm allergic to baby blue, but that thing seems sweet if you can handle a maintenance headache. :)

Buy it so I can stop thinking about it.

http://www.beechtalk.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=59244
Click to expand...
How bad is the insurance?

It is tempting....but I'm always concerned about 'cheap to acquire' airplanes. Otherwise, I'd own my own DC-3 by now!
 
schmookeeg said:
Me and a handful of friends to vegas, fighting over who gets to chill on the gd couch while we hum along, no headsets (due to the geared engines running props at appx 1800RPM), telling lies and pointing out suckers on the interstate. The cooler of alcoholic refreshments is implied. The iPad wouldn't be enough for the inflight movie -- I dunno how to solve that aspect of the Tbone yet. iPad movies are perfect in my Vtail.

That thing oozes style points out of every seam. I'd roll my eyes at a Citation driver and expect him to understand and be properly shamed. That is a conveyance where you are not interested in getting somewhere in a hurry -- you understand that wherever you're going, they'll wait for you. Unlike the lap-dog in the jet.

Hell and damn yes. :D
Click to expand...

I like it. Same goes for any twin Grumman amphib or perhaps a Sikorski S-43 ;)
 
Fearless Tower said:
How bad is the insurance?

It is tempting....but I'm always concerned about 'cheap to acquire' airplanes. Otherwise, I'd own my own DC-3 by now!
Click to expand...

Hideous.

I quoted out with my 1600TT / 900 Complex / 100 ME (none in type) at $3200/yr on a 60k hull value. I understand that with 50 Make/Model, it drops to $2600, and with 500 M/M it drops to $1700 or so and stays there.

For comparison, I quoted a $200k 58P Pressurized/Turbocharged Baron with the same credentials, and my quote was $2700. I have no 58P time either. More than triple the hull risk and it was 15% *less* :) Insurance says "we no likey"
 
schmookeeg said:
Me and a handful of friends to vegas, fighting over who gets to chill on the gd couch while we hum along, no headsets (due to the geared engines running props at appx 1800RPM), telling lies and pointing out suckers on the interstate. The cooler of alcoholic refreshments is implied. The iPad wouldn't be enough for the inflight movie -- I dunno how to solve that aspect of the Tbone yet. iPad movies are perfect in my Vtail.

That thing oozes style points out of every seam. I'd roll my eyes at a Citation driver and expect him to understand and be properly shamed. That is a conveyance where you are not interested in getting somewhere in a hurry -- you understand that wherever you're going, they'll wait for you. Unlike the lap-dog in the jet.

Hell and damn yes. :D
Click to expand...

Wait there is a couch? And movies? OK that is cool. Can your passengers drink alcohol or do you have to be a commercial pilot for them to do that?
 
schmookeeg said:
Hideous.

I quoted out with my 1600TT / 900 Complex / 100 ME (none in type) at $3200/yr on a 60k hull value. I understand that with 50 Make/Model, it drops to $2600, and with 500 M/M it drops to $1700 or so and stays there.
Click to expand...
What is sad, is those numbers actually look good......compared to a BE-18!

Alot of guys with numbers like that are not even insurable in the -18.
 
Only thing worse than having a geared lycoming is having TWO geared lycomings.
 
I registered in BeechTalk to see the pics. Great looking ship.....
Is it listed with pics publicly?
 
jhausch said:
I registered in BeechTalk to see the pics. Great looking ship.....
Is it listed with pics publicly?
Click to expand...

Oh, I forgot they did that with attachments... oops.

I'm not aware of a public host for the images, but I'm certain someone could arrange that pretty easily :)

I've asked for pics from Gregg, and if I receive them that way, I'll post them up publicly.
 
there was a twin bonanza out doing takeoffs and landings the first day i flew my Cherokee II glider. I could hear that thing 4 miles away!
 
Fearless Tower said:
How bad is the insurance?

It is tempting....but I'm always concerned about 'cheap to acquire' airplanes. Otherwise, I'd own my own DC-3 by now!
Click to expand...


T-Bones aren't bad, if I was gonna buy one I'd get one with the GSO 480 conversion (IIRC I've seen one with TIO 540s in it as well). Insurance is insurance, the T-Bones aren't any worse than a 310 on insurance really. General support isn't too bad either, but I wouldn't be wanting one with O-435s on it anymore. It would be a cool plane to keep for life, but it's gonna be an expensive PITA when you need to convert the engines.
 
dell30rb said:
I thought there was some FAR about not transporting intoxicated passengers. Unless this is only enforced / applies to someone who is really smashed.
Click to expand...

Correct, it's a pilot discretion thing that give pilots the ability to kick drunk unruly people off a flight for the most part.
 
dell30rb said:
I thought there was some FAR about not transporting intoxicated passengers. Unless this is only enforced / applies to someone who is really smashed.
Click to expand...

Right and it's no different for commercial/airlines. If you've ever seen the reality TV show Airline you would have noticed each and every episode featured at least one "drunk passenger gets kicked off the plane" story.
 
Henning said:
T-Bones aren't bad, if I was gonna buy one I'd get one with the GSO 480 conversion (IIRC I've seen one with TIO 540s in it as well). Insurance is insurance, the T-Bones aren't any worse than a 310 on insurance really. General support isn't too bad either, but I wouldn't be wanting one with O-435s on it anymore. It would be a cool plane to keep for life, but it's gonna be an expensive PITA when you need to convert the engines.
Click to expand...

I've dreamed of getting a TIO540 field conversion on one of these monsters. Any idea how accurate that recollection is? :)

I know about the IO720 conversion, that's not quite what I'd be after
 
jasc15 said:
What's this all about? :confused:
Click to expand...

This plane has geared horizontally opposed air cooled engines. The big ass prop is geared down to spin at 1800 rpm, while the engines scream along at much higher rpm.

Keeps the prop tip speed down so the plane is quieter.

More moving parts. Not as common. I'm guessing shorter TBO too.
 
Yes Kimberly, there are other things than some nubile female body which can cause a young man to experience feelings of longing bordering on lust... Certain airplanes, such as a Twin Bo... Certain models of cars like a Corvette ZO6, or a Maserati, etc.. A tricked out race gun by Loughridge... A custom guitar by Sheppard or an original Les Paul... And so on... Viewing pictures of these items can cause physiological changes in the beholder bordering on lust and as such are referred to as gun porn, car porn, airplane porn, etc... Now I know a chaste young thing like yourself has never had these physiological changes occur so you have no frame of reference... You will just have to fantasize...

Clear prop!

denny-o
 
Dr. O said:
Yes Kimberly, there are other things than some nubile female body which can cause a young man to experience feelings of longing bordering on lust... Certain airplanes, such as a Twin Bo... Certain models of cars like a Corvette ZO6, or a Maserati, etc.. A tricked out race gun by Loughridge... A custom guitar by Sheppard or an original Les Paul... And so on... Viewing pictures of these items can cause physiological changes in the beholder bordering on lust and as such are referred to as gun porn, car porn, airplane porn, etc... Now I know a chaste young thing like yourself has never had these physiological changes occur so you have no frame of reference... You will just have to fantasize...

Clear prop!

denny-o
Click to expand...

http://wingsandwheels.com/wantads1.htm

The hardcore stuff is on page 10.
 
Lots of Baby Blue can be found on many Beech products during the 50's and 60's. Panels, interiors, trim stripes and many total exterior paint jobs were so adorned. The color happened to be Olive Ann Beech's favorite, and all of her personal airplanes were painted. When I was at the plant she had a baby blue Queen-Air 80 (that she didn't like) a baby blue tri-gear 18 (that she really liked) and a baby blue (to be) King Air 90 on the production line that wasn't completed.

schmookeeg said:
There's a real pretty one for sale on Beechtalk if you want some Tbone porn. The images are nice and high-res too. I'm allergic to baby blue, but that thing seems sweet if you can handle a maintenance headache. :)

Buy it so I can stop thinking about it.

http://www.beechtalk.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=59244
Click to expand...
 
schmookeeg said:
I've dreamed of getting a TIO540 field conversion on one of these monsters. Any idea how accurate that recollection is? :)

I know about the IO720 conversion, that's not quite what I'd be after
Click to expand...


I'm pretty dang sure I saw a T-Bone with a pair of J2BDs in it, I just don't remember if that was the one I saw in Calgary, there was a Twin Navion there as well. Ugly as sin airplane that is...

I didn't know they did the 720 on the T-Bone, I know Excalibur did it on the Queen Air, and that is a sweet conversion.
 
Hey, Twin Navions are quite distinctive. Of course the later ones (CAMAIRS) have pretty ugly designed engine nacelles.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top