Page 28 - Volume 11 Number 10

Introduced in 1981, the B36TC featured significant upgrades that set it apart from its predecessor, the A36TC. Although the turbocharger system was essentially the same, the installation was reconfigured to improve cylinder cooling. An important improvement was the airplane’s fuel capacity that was increased to 108 gallons. Maximum speed at 25,000 feet was 200 knots TAS. Production was terminated in 2002 after 424 airplanes had been built. (WICHITA STATE UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES, SPECIAL COLLECTIONS AND UNIVERSITY ARCHIVES)
panel, fully-integrated avionics by featuring the Garmin G1000 system. As of 2017, production airplanes have the improved G1000nxi version. The system includes the GFC700 autopilot that replaced the G1000/Bendix/ King KAP 140 found in some early G1000 systems. Other features include synthetic vision, XM weather and WAAS precision instrument approach capability.
In 2012, the G36 and its G58 Baron sibling were given a new interior with more comfortable seating, and an improved cabin environmental system was installed that provides air inlets for all occupants, not just in the cockpit as on previous aircraft. The G36 also features a 28 VDC electrical system fed by dual alternators and electrical buses that automatically tie together when the engine exceeds 2,000 RPM. According to Beechcraft parent company Textron Aviation, the Bonanza G36 has a maximum range of 920 nautical miles, maximum cruise speed of 176 knots and a useful load of 1,038 pounds. Takeoff roll (sea level, standard day) is 962 feet.
The author was among flight instructors at the Beechcraft Training Center that conducted ground-based courses and familiarization flights aimed at teaching pilots new to the B36TC how to manage the turbocharger system. In my opinion, the B36TC was a major improvement over the A36TC and possessed excellent flight characteristics, but cylinder head temperatures still had to be monitored closely during extended climbs, particularly on a hot day. As of early 2017, prices for a pre-owned B36TC varied from about $400,000 for a late production airplane with less than 1,200 hours total time, to $189,000 for an early production version with more than 3,000 hours total time.
As the Model 36 series enters its 50th year of production in 2018, the versatile Beechcraft will continue to be one of the company’s most popular airplanes. Despite its extraordinary price tag for a single-engine machine,
OCTOBER 2017
26 • KING AIR MAGAZINE