Page 26 - Volume 11 Number 10

As expected, performance increased significantly, with a maximum speed of 250 mph at 19,000 feet compared with 210 mph for the naturally-aspirated Model V35. Production of the V35TC continued into the 1967 model year, and 79 were built before production changed to the V35A-TC, of which 49 were manufactured during the 1968-1969 model years. The last turbocharged version of the V-tail Bonanza was the 1970 V35B-TC that cost $45,250. Only seven were built and none were produced during 1971.
After a nine-year absence, turbocharging returned to the Bonanza family of Beechcrafts with introduction of the A36TC in 1979. The company may have been motivated to revisit the concept of a turbocharged A36 thanks to the popularity of Cessna’s Turbo Stationair 7, T210N Centurion and Piper’s new PA32- 301T turbocharged Saratoga that was certified in January 1980.
the airplane due to high cylinder head temperatures. Beech Aircraft established a special training course to familiarize pilots with the airplane’s characteristics, particularly if they were new to turbocharging. If, however, pilots flew the A36TC in accordance with procedures they were taught and specified in the Pilot’s Operating Handbook, the airplane was a strong performer and a welcome addition to the Bonanza lineup. During the first year of production, 32 airplanes were built followed in 1980 by 126 and another 113 in 1980 – the last year of manufacture for the A36TC.
During 1980-1981, Beech engineers reworked the A36TC into the improved Bonanza B36TC. It incorporated a series of upgrades to the airframe and engine including:
Continental TSIO-520-UB engine rated at 300 horsepower
New instrument panel featuring separate control wheel shafts (the iconic, 1940s-vintage Beechcraft throw-over control column was finally eliminated)
Throttle, mixture and propeller controls were grouped into a quadrant located in a console between the two front seats
Circular engine instruments similar in appearance to those installed in the King Air product line were mounted vertically
Fuel capacity was increased 108 gallons total (102 useable)
Wingspan increased to 37 feet 10 inches from 33 feet six inches
Wedge-like vortex generators were installed in specific locations on the wing leading edge to improve roll control at high angles of attack
The engine/turbocharger installation was improved Air conditioning was available as an option
Maximum takeoff weight increased to 3,850 pounds
At a power setting of 31 inches Hg manifold pressure at 2,400 RPM (maximum power setting), the B36TC could cruise at 200 knots true airspeed (TAS, ISA conditions) at 25,000 feet. The first and only airplane built in 1981 was serial number EA-242. Another 50 were built in 1982 followed by 65 in 1983. The factory manufactured only 139 airplanes during the 1984 through 1992 model years. According to Textron Aviation, production of the B36TC ended in 2002 after a total of 424 airplanes had rolled off the assembly line since 1981.4
The current production version of the venerable Model 36 series is the Bonanza G36, first introduced for the 2005 model year. Priced at $800,000 for a standard- equipped airplane, the G36 ushered in the era of flat
The turbocharged A36TC was introduced for the 1979 model year and featured a Teledyne Continental TSIO-520-UB
engine rated at 300 horsepower. To cope with cold tem- peratures at 25,000 feet, the cabin heating system was revised to provide a 20 percent increase in heat compared with a standard system. Fuel capacity, however, was only 74 gallons. (WICHITA STATE UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES, SPECIAL COLLECTIONS AND UNIVERSITY ARCHIVES)
Built initially for the 1979 model year, the A36TC was powered by Continental’s TSIO-520-UB engine that developed 300 horsepower. Cowl flaps were eliminated in favor of air cooling louvers that caused cooling problems for certain cylinders during the flight test program, but these were eventually resolved and the airplane received FAA certification on December 7, 1978, under (amended) Approved Type Certificate 3A15. An oxygen system was available and the cabin heating system was improved to provide 20 percent more heat at the turbo Bonanza’s maximum certified altitude of 25,000 feet.
The A36TC was well received by pilots, but they had to closely monitor cylinder head temperatures and mixture during climbout to avoid having to “step-climb”
24 • KING AIR MAGAZINE
OCTOBER 2017