Hello all,

I think I've got about 3 hrs in a Sundowner...that's the extent of my Beech experience. But, I told myself years ago that I would someday own and fly a V Tail Bonanza.

Me? I'm 38 yrs old and a USAF pilot with about 2k hrs in the A-10. I was a basic CFI and A&P in the mid 90s while finishing college. My GA exposure is about 550 hrs in typical flight school singles and a mechanic on the same. I'm currently living in S Korea and will be back to Tucson AZ for my final AF assignment this May. So I guess the fact of finally having a place to settle has given me the 'gotta get a plane' itch?

Here's the too much information part...I'm really into dirt bikes, street bikes and classic cars. I love the older V Tails! You know, the 'beautiful old Bonanza' type. Pristine, yet made to look period correct. My problem? The more I learn of them, the more hesitant I become. Things like scarcity of parts...?

That's me, and that's why I'm here. I hope to have lots of questions for you all in the near future.

v/r,
Rob

Rob,

Welcome to Beech Talk and thank you for your service!

I think you'll find tremendous resources here, from those who own and fly older V-Tails, to experts who can help you find and pre-buy one, and even good potential candidate airplanes for sale. Regardless of what variety of Beech you wind up with, you'll find lots of people who will happily help you spend your money

Drew

The heck with the Bonanza......tell us what it is like to fire the gun in the nose of the A10

Rob,

Speaking only from my own experience I would NOT shy away from an older "E" series airplane which is what I think you are considering. I WOULD urge you to purchase three books from ABS prior to making a decision on which group of airplanes to consider in your search.
".Those incomprable Bonanzas" by Larry Ball -Describes changes in models year to year.
" Colvins Clinic" by Norm Colvin- Good reference on maintenance,common problems, etc.
" E series Bonanzas" by Lew Gage- MANDATORY information about flying,maintaining the older Bonanzas.

As many others on this forum have said numerous times, the early airplanes are best suited for pilots who enjoy a hands on approach and love to tinker with their own airplanes. There is nothing more enjoyable for me than to fly my G35 for an hour or two and then spend another hour wiping it down and making sure it is mechanically happy before I put it away.
I would urge you to educate yourself on the two aspects of ownership that could be problematic.

The electric prop used on the E series is a wonderful, robust design but some of the critical parts are sometimes difficult to find and expensive. BE SURE that the Prop ASSEMBLY is in good working order and have the prop change bearing and prop blades inspected as part of the prebuy.

The E225 engine is also a wonderful robust design but is not well supported anymore.
Not a big problem if the engine is in good health but an overhaul quickly puts you way upside down financially in the plane.

The rest of the airframe is really not much different than much newer Vtails.

I really like the older planes because of their simplicity, design, and they represent the very best that post war America had to offer.
Please have a good prebuy inspection done by someone who is a true expert on the early planes.
I also urge you to be patient. I have seen some great values lately as more and more people quit flying. I would plan on spending between 25k and 45k for a very nice early Bonanza depending on how important avionics are to you.

Good luck!
Chuck Beavers

Rob,

Welcome! As for parts, not to worry, when they get scarce, they get expensive, and when they get expensive somebody figures out how to make them and then they get cheaper again...... It is the thing you fight to protect, Free Enterprise, and we thank you for that!

Where are you based? I know several A10 drivers... And some of them are big GA guys....

My 2 favorite airplanes in the USAF inventory are the A-10 and the C-130, the last stick and rudder airplanes on our team..... I got to fly the sim and do some 1v1 at the Whiteman after their airshow this year and I was not disappointed... What a wonderful airplane!

Rob:

You can scarcely do better than a good V-Tail, the plane which is the stuff of pilots' dreams all over.

'Course, you fly a gun!

Tell us where you are, we'll get you all fixed-up to see, ride, fly and discuss. No extra charge.

Welcome to the Magnificent Obsession!

---

PS-

Thanks for what you've been doing; I have a cousin, artillery guy - says A-10s are Very Welcome Sights when needed.

Welcome to Beechtalk. I flew mine again yesterday for the first time in a month and was impressed again with the airplane. You won't be sorry owning one, but take time to define your needs.

If you don't need the new hotshot glass panels you save yourself a lot of money with no loss in reliability, though I'd consider an engine monitor a critical instrument.

Although planes are selling slowly in this market, good ones sometimes go very quickly, so while being patient you also need to be able to jump in.

Your mechanical skills will help a lot to keep cost down, but like any other aircraft, the Bonanza has to be maintained according to the book.

Hey Rob,

Welcome to BT. Check out peddler's talk. I know of at least one nice older bo listed there for sale.

Welcome aboard Rob. I think the A10 and the Apache helicopter are the ultimate military aircraft. Would have loved to chase bad guys around with either one.

I,ve owned two V35's and if you find one that has been well cared for and hangared throughout its life, you will be happy with it for sure. As an A&P you shouldn't worry too much about spare parts. They're still available both new and salvaged. I would be more concerned about corrosion and do a thorough inspection of the aircraft with it completely opened up before finalizing a purchase.

When you get back to Tucson, ping me find me or something and we'll go flying, I'm based at marana. There's a couple of us V tail owners located there. I have owned my V for 10 years, lots to talk about.

This!

Wow you guys! This is the best forum reception I've ever seen. Thank you for the replies and thank you for saying 'thank you' about my military service. As I'm sure many of you know its easy to downplay such things when you've been a part of them for a while. With that said, I've been away from my daughter for 2 1/2 of the last 4 yrs so there is certainly a sacrifice that is made. Thanks to all of you for keeping that in mind.

Many of you have asked about the GAU-8 (Gun). It is amazing! Believe it, or not, you become de-sensitized a bit after flying and employing the Hawg, but every once in a while you find yourself grinning like an idiot because you're lucky enough to have such cool toys at your disposal. Best description: An open exhaust dragster engine 3 feet in front of your face that goes from 'off' to 'max RPM' in 1/2 second. The sound, the vibes, the smell...

Mr Rosendaal, I thought your name looked familiar. I've played a role in many air base open houses and I'm good friends with most of the East and West Coast demo guys over the last 7-8 years. We're a small community so we know nearly everyone. You didn't wrap it Johnny Green or Joe Shetterly, did you? Both good friends.

All, my mission: About 100 hrs/yr. Day/Night VFR with occasional IFR in/around the southwest. Tucson to Phoenix, Flagstaff, Vegas, San Diego, Catalina, Baja... I don't care about, nor really want gucci instrumentation. I only weigh about 160, my 12 yr old daughter is approx 50 lbs, and I'm not attracted to larger women (still single) so I don't think a huge useful load is all that critical. Average trips of 150-320 NM.

I'm somewhat thinking J Model because of the motor, but I'm partial to the earlier paint schemes...who knows?

v/r,
Rob

Wow. That has to be tough! She is going to feel like a princess having you full time. There are real experts on this forum and you will find they have probably answered many of your questions over time. The search function will lead you down the rabbit hole.

You will love the handling of the lightweight Bos, especially with a 470 engine. Your mission sounds perfect for one.

Paul McCracken is a great resource here, especially regarding the older Bos.

Rob,

I know Harb, Rifle, and Dusty.... Both Harb and Rifle have flown my Rocket and I took Dusty for a Ride in the Red Tail P-51C at Dryden last year.... He got shorted on the Mustang ride at Heritage conf... So I fixed him up.......

Welcome to BT, and don't hold it against me that I know Harb.....

Tailwinds,
Rozy

Rob,

Welcome to BT. Thanks a lot for your service and for the description of riding the GAU-8!