Page 26 - Volume 11 Number 4

a sportsman who trained special hunting hawks, and an exceptional bird was known as a De Bonne Aire (of a good air). Beech Aircraft management was optimistic that the Model 33, too, would also be “of a good air.”
The chief challenge was how to establish the Model 33’s price while retaining Beechcraft quality. The airplane also needed to look different than the Model 35, upon which it would be based, and the engine had to be of sufficient power and less expensive. As a result, the Debonair featured a standard empennage that would immediately set it apart from the Bonanza, a 225-horsepower Continental IO-470-J engine that was specifically designed for the Model 33 featuring a lower compression ratio and approval to burn 80/87 octane fuel. Finally, the price for a standard-equipped airplane would be $19,995 – slightly higher than the Comanche, but lower than a comparable Model 210.
To achieve that price, many of the Model 35’s deluxe features were made optional for the Model 33. Examples included a third cabin window, right side rudder pedals, clock, OAT gauge, sun visors, sensitive altimeter, indicator light for stall warning (no horn), and a fixed assist step for cabin entry/exit. In addition, overall exterior paint was an option. The standard scheme was limited to an accent stripe along the fuselage that carried upward along the vertical stabilizer.
As for performance, the four-place Model 33 had a maximum speed of 195 mph at sea level and a maximum
gross weight of 2,900 pounds. Useful load was 1,170 pounds and range (standard, 50-gallon fuel tanks) was 845 stat- ute miles with no reserve. Because the Model 33 was so similar to the Model M35 then in production, the FAA certificated the Debonair under the Bonanza’s approval 3A15. The official designation was Model 35-33.
When sales personnel perused the first production Debonairs, they were not impressed. They commented that the airplane, both inside and outside, was much too spartan and, according to some observers, even fell short of a standard Comanche and Model 210! They thought Beech had gone too far to make the Model 33 competitive on price, and at the expense of sales appeal. The only redeeming characteristic was the low price, but after an early surge in orders for the airplane, dealer interest rapidly declined. In short, it was hard to sell the Model 33, and for salesmen accustomed to the Bonanza’s quality, the humble Debonair was an ugly duckling and definitely not a “De Bonne Aire.”
Despite its lackluster appearance, utilitarian features and less than stellar sales, the Model 33 achieved a respectable production of 233 airplanes for the 1960 model year. Beech officials, however, listened closely to complaints from salesmen and a flood of planned upgrades for the 1961 model year promised to make the Debonair more worthy of its name.
The next version, designated Model 35-A33, received an overall paint scheme, sun visors, improved seat padding, wider, more colorful selection of fabrics, a chart box and a small hat shelf as standard equipment. These and other improvements, however, increased the price for a standard-equipped Debonair to $21,750. In addition,
Beginning in 1970, the factory manufactured five F33C aerobatic versions of the Model F33 Bonanza. No F33C were built in 1971-1972, and the last aerobatic versions left the factory in 1986. The Model G33 Bonanza was the final version of the Model 35-33 series, powered
by a Continental IO-470-N rated at 260 horsepower. Only 50 were produced in 1973 before production was terminated. (WICHITA STATE UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES, SPECIAL COLLECTIONS AND UNIVERSITY ARCHIVES)