Beechcraft Twin Bonanza

Piston twin engine • Low Wing • Retractable gear

Range Map

Origin:

• nm at current load

• two fingers to move map

Payload vs. Range

Configure weights

Default: 190 lbs

Default: 30 lbs

Occupants
lbs lbs / pax

gal

Fuel on board

lbs

Extra weight

nm

Range

Available Range / nm
Mission capable. Aircraft can handle the current load with full fuel tanks.
Fuel tradeoff required. You'll need to leave gallons of fuel behind ( gal usable for nm range).
Over max gross weight. Reduce payload by lbs to safely operate this aircraft.
Extra weight is the additional payload available with your selected passengers.

Mission Profile

Endorsements & ratings:
  • High-Performance
  • Complex
  • Multi-Engine
165
KTAS
Cruise Speed
825
nm
Max Range
20000
ft
Service Ceiling
8
Occupants
1406
lbs
Wet Payload
Used market Only available used

Estimated Ownership Costs

Create a free account to view or request ownership cost data.

Log in Sign up

About the Beechcraft Twin Bonanza

Type certificated 1951

Overview

The Beechcraft Model 50 Twin Bonanza is a six-to-eight-seat piston twin built by Beech Aircraft from 1951 to 1963, derived from the single-engine Bonanza and powered by two geared Lycoming engines. Early models (50, B50) used the 260 hp GO-435; the C50 onward moved to the more capable GO-480, and the representative D50A carries two naturally-aspirated 295 hp GO-480 engines driving the type’s distinctive 54-inch-wide cabin. The military operated the design as the L-23, later U-8, Seminole, and roughly 975 airframes were built across all variants, including about 195 military aircraft.

The Twin Bonanza fits the buyer who wants a roomy, stable cabin-class twin with vintage character rather than modern economy. Its wing and center-section carry-through structure seeded the Model 65 Queen Air in 1960 and, through it, the King Air line that still flies the same basic wing design today. Today the type appeals to classic-twin owners and pilots who value the cabin and handling and accept geared-engine discipline and parts scarcity as the price of entry. Choose the Twin Bonanza when you want a wide-cabin 1950s Beech twin with direct King Air lineage and are equipped to maintain a low-production geared powerplant.

Key Features for GA Buyers

  • Cabin-class width. The 54-inch cabin seats three across in the front rows and is certificated for up to eight occupants, wider than most period light twins and a direct ancestor of the Queen Air cabin.
  • King Air structural lineage. The wing, center-section carry-through, landing gear, and flaps are the basis of the Queen Air and King Air, so the airframe engineering is proven across decades of production.
  • GO-480 power on the representative D50A. Two naturally-aspirated 295 hp geared Lycoming GO-480 engines give roughly 165 kt economy cruise and a 20,000 ft service ceiling on a 6,300 lb gross weight.
  • Stable, coordinated handling. Pilots report solid stability and coordinated turns with feet on the floor, a Ralph Harmon design trait shared with other Beech models.

Trade-offs

  • Geared-engine technique. The GO-480 turns the propeller through a reduction gearbox; the propeller must never drive the engine, and power changes follow a prop-then-throttle sequence to avoid gearbox lash and premature overhaul.
  • Fuel burn versus speed. Economy cruise runs about 27 GPH for roughly 165 kt; pushing toward 176 to 178 kt high-cruise raises the burn into the low-to-mid 30s GPH.
  • Parts and overhaul scarcity. The low-production geared Lycoming is supported by only a few specialist shops; per-engine overhauls run roughly $40,000 to $65,000, and gearbox and specific structural parts can carry long lead times.
  • TBO and twin reserves. A 1,400 hr TBO across two geared engines makes the overhaul reserve a real per-hour line item, not a rounding error.

See Also

Technical Specifications

Dimensions & Weights

Wingspan 45.25 ft
Height
11.5 ft
Length
31.5 ft
Parking area (ft2)
2016.63 ft2
Max Takeoff Weight
6,300 lbs
Max Landing Weight
6,300 lbs
Useful Load
2,210 lbs
Fuel Capacity
134 gal

Performance

Cruise Speed
165 KTAS
Never-Exceed (VNE)
Source: FAA Type Certificate Data Sheet 235 KIAS
Max Structural Cruise (VNO)
Source: FAA Type Certificate Data Sheet 178 KIAS
Approach Speed
82 KIAS
Stall, Clean (VS1)
71 KIAS
Range
825 NM
Service Ceiling
20,000 ft
Rate of Climb
290 - 1450 fpm
Takeoff over 50 ft obstacle
1,260 ft
Landing ground roll
1,375 ft

Engines

Sign in to view or request powerplant data.

Log in Sign up

Sources

Where the figures on this page come from. Beechcraft Twin Bonanza specifications are traced to published references; estimated values are flagged inline next to the figure.

Similar to the Beechcraft Twin Bonanza

Similar Pistons

Cessna 310

Cruise
195 kts (higher than this aircraft)
Range
661 nm (lower than this aircraft)
Seats
6
2 × Piston Low Wing Used market
Compare

Piper PA-34 Seneca

Cruise
200 kts (higher than this aircraft)
Range
828 nm (higher than this aircraft)
Seats
6
2 × Piston Low Wing
Compare

Beech Baron 55

Cruise
188 kts (higher than this aircraft)
Range
933 nm (higher than this aircraft)
Seats
6
2 × Piston Low Wing
Compare

Aero Commander 500

Cruise
178 kts (higher than this aircraft)
Range
955 nm (higher than this aircraft)
Seats
7
2 × Piston High Wing
Compare

Piper Aztec

Cruise
172 kts (higher than this aircraft)
Range
915 nm (higher than this aircraft)
Seats
6
2 × Piston Low Wing
Compare

Cessna 337 Skymaster

Cruise
144 kts (lower than this aircraft)
Range
600 nm (lower than this aircraft)
Seats
6
2 × Piston High Wing Used market
Compare

Beech 58 Baron

Cruise
202 kts (higher than this aircraft)
Range
1480 nm (higher than this aircraft)
Seats
6
2 × Piston Low Wing
Compare

See how the Beechcraft Twin Bonanza stacks up against similar aircraft

Explore Piston aircraft

External Media

Videos

Image Galleries

Articles and other links

Cookies and analytics. We use Mixpanel and Google Analytics to understand how this site is used. Mixpanel records session replays (interaction patterns, scroll, and click timing). Page content is masked: we do not see what you read or type. Cookies are set only if you accept. Read our privacy policy.