Thank you for the entertainment and education over the past few months. I've been a V-tail fan for over 20 years, since I was a student pilot who saw a guy and his wife pull one out of their hangar at KOAK. Since then, I've spent all of my ownership hours in 2-seat taildraggers (Luscombe, C-140, Swift). The Swift had a Lyc O-360 and showed me that fast is fun and changed the scope of my "mission." Instead of just local flights, I started going to the fly-ins a state or two away. We moved cross country, and the Swift went to a new owner.

I'm tentatively in the market for another plane. After looking at the big engine Swift ads and knowing I cannot afford them, I noticed older Bonanzas and re-ignited my interest. I nearly pulled the trigger on a J35 but tempered my decision by allowing the holidays to dampen plane passion. I've never flown in a Bonanza, just taught in the Duchess over 100 hours.

After New Year, I checked out an original-looking Swift with 145 stock horsepower. It looks real good. It's a touch more expensive than the mid-30s Bonanzas (a few H, J, K-35s).

My normal flights are local practice flights plus regional fly-ins a couple times a year. That's a good stock Swift mission. On the other hand, for about the same cash I could go for a Bo and expand range, speed, and carrying capacity to see family in SoCal or farther north. Not sure how much maintenance will be other than $2000 annuals. It's tempting.

What's your call? ("Both" is not allowed.)

David,
Since you're on a (mainly) Beech forum, most of the replies will be reasons to own a Beech. Is there a comparable Swift forum to get reasons to go that way? I just saw a flight of 5 Swifts take off from Bremerton a week ago. And there were two in Coeur d'Alene when we stopped for gas. Looked like fun, but I suspect you've gotta be dedicated to own one and there won't be as much support (ABS, BBBP, service clinics, BeechTalk, Beechlist, and the decades of production/parts/salvage/and aftermarket).
I'd take a look at the guys that have Beech Mentor tags on their posts that are close to you. These are owners that have indicated a willingness to talk/write/fly with people that want to know about their aircraft. I'll bet you can find all the information and exposure you'll need to make a decision.
Swifts are cool but the Bo is just as fast and can carry 2 + 500 lbs of gear.

Welcome David!

You did the right thing giving the decision pause the way you did.
When you do make a move, you need to be certain that it is the right one.
Not a fast one.
Enjoy the predicament and take your time.

If your flying will continue to consist of mostly fly-ins and hamburger runs, then the Swift would be the winner. Personally I like the way the Bonanza handles better. I think it has better balanced control feel, and it flies both slower and faster. It also accelerates better, takes off shorter, climbs faster, and lands shorter. The downside of the Bonanza is that the third wheel is on the wrong end and it doesn't draw much attention at a fly-in.

The Bonanza would be the choice if you every want/need to carry more than two people, or actually use the plane to travel. If IFR work is in the cards, the Bonanza is also the clear choice here as well.

It's kind of like picking a motorcycle. If the choice were between a Goldwing and a 1940s Harley Davidson, there isn't a single category where the HD would come out on top vs. the Honda. That said, if your mission were to show off at bike shows the HD would win every time.

Craig nailed it.
But really, use the mentor link on the red bar above and find someone to take you up.
At the end of the day it is going to be a 90% emotionally feeling.

The one very logical aspect will be budget. So look carefully at both. I would suspect the Bonanza will be easier to sell/partner if worst case scenario.

Tim

I know of a 180hp Swift that is very nice that could be had for 42,500.00 PM if interested.

Need to get Sacha to chime in - I think he had a swift before getting his C35.

To be honest, either a swift or a Vtail polished and trimmed in a primary color have about the best ramp appeal available without a round engine. Based on conversations with a local swift owner, I can say that even the early 35's have better support - thanks to ABS and a long list of individuals like Lew Gage.

The H35 and later models are modern traveling machines. But even my -35 allows me to travel on a hamburger run a state or two away. (Or as the case: go see grandma.)

Why isn't "BOTH" an option

How tall are you, David? The Swift cockpit is on the small side. My husband fits in his Luscombe just fine, but wasn't comfortable in a Swift.

Thank you, everyone. I'll try to find a local, Bay Area mentor to see what a Bonanza is really like.

I am 5' 10" @ 165 lbs. I know I fit the cockpit. With full fuel, any passenger would need to be 120 or below as it stands. There is a gross weight increase STC that would add over 100 lbs.

I own a 200 HP swift and a M35 Bonanza. Love them both. One is a MG and the other is a Cadillac. I guess that dates me. The swift does not have much baggage room, but the wife and I take 30-35 hour vacations in it. You just have to pack carefully. I would not take a 145 Swift to a high mountain airport in the summer.

Not sure if those are your choices for emotional reasons or performance reasons. If you are open to other aircraft, don't overlook a Mooney, especially the J model. Ours cruises at 150 KTAS on 8.7 GPH, carries enough fuel to bust even the best bladder (64 gallons), and has a useful load of 970 lbs. 50 gallons will get you non-stop from SFO to SEA with a 10 gallon reserve and still let you load up about 675 lbs of people and bags. Be aware though that useful load varies greatly. Anywhere from 875 to just over 1000 lbs.

Standing by for incoming from the Beech crowd....

Bob

Bob...

Mooneys are nice, but it sounds like the OP is kinda like some of us old Bo owners- and I'll repeat:


THERE ARE FEW AIRCRAFT WITHOUT A ROUND ENGINE THAT LOOK BETTER THAN A POLISHED E-SERIES BO - SAVE MAYBE A SWIFT.

The only difference - the Bo is FAST!

Am I wrong? I can't think of one... and definitely not one that is better supported today.

Sounds like an old bo is about to get a new home

(edit: Ok, a polished C170 is quite nice too - )

Welcome David....

.....kinda biased here..,but expand you horizons go with the Bo!!!

I had the impression that he liked the look of the Bo and the Swift, but I wasn't sure. When I was looking, I considered my objectives then looked at every reasonable alternative; Bo, Comanche, Arrow, Cardinal RG, 182RG, Mooney (F & J), Rockwell 112. For what I wanted the Mooney J was the best fit.

You must first consider what you want in a plane and give some allowance for visual appeal.

I agree, the V tail is a classic, my wife and I both love it, but the CG envelope was too restrictive for me. Straight tail is better in that regard.

What's the goal?
Speed?
Load?
Range?
Looks?
Unimproved fields?
Short field?
Economy?
Parts availability?

Bob