Beechcraft Bonanza F33A

have rarely seen even small examples of shoddy workmanship in Beechcraft products. The F33A Bonanza, which is still called Debonair by some die-hard pi- lots and air traffic controllers, has pleasing lines and an appearance of great structural strength. The apparent strength is more than skin deep, of course; the airplane is certified and built to the standards for Utility cate- gory airplanes. A proper preflight inspection re- quires relatively little time and effort for the pilot. The fuel system has three drains-two for the bladder sumps and one for the fuel selector valve sump. Usable fuel capacity is 74 gallons, which is enough to keep the engine AOPAPilOT ·\37 F33A running at 75 percent power for nearly four and a half hours with a 45-minute reserve. Each tank has a tab with markings to facilitate visual inspection of fuel quantity. To prevent potential unporting, takeoff is prohibited with less than 13 gallons of fuel in either one of the tanks. The upper portions of the engine cowl of the F33A can be opened for a thorough visual inspection of oil and brake fluid quantities, and to check en- gine component and battery security and condition. The Hartwell cowl latches (lever mechanisms) are easy to operate but do require some care and attention in order to ensure that the cowl sections are secured properly. The large cargo door facilitates ac- cess to the cavernous baggage com- partment. Maximum capacity of the 37-cubic-foot compartment is 270 pounds. The compartment also pro- vides the space for a fifth seat-a 16- pound, $1,350 option. There is substantial flexibility for weight and balance considerations. Maximum ramp weight is 3,412 pounds, and standard payload with full fuel is about 843 pounds. Beech's well- equipped demonstrator was within the loading envelope with four 170-pound people, 20 pounds of baggage and full fuel aboard. The Bonanza F33A is a delightful airplane to fly. The cabin is roomy, and the seats are very comfortable. Visibil- ity is excellent, except on initial climb, when the high eyebrow of the panel affects forward visibility. Performance is impressive. The air- plane accelerates rapidly on the takeoff roll. Several times, I caught myself glancing at the manifold pressure gauge to ensure that I was not overboosting the engine. The 285-hp, fuel-injected Continental 10-520 is not turbocharged, of course, but it does give the feeling that it is boosted. An- other Pilot staff member reported very good performance during a maximum- performance departure he conducted to avoid wake turbulence from a heavy airliner. Rate of climb at maximum continuous power (full throttle and 2,700 rpm) is 1,167 fpm. I found that cruise climb power (25 inches and 2,500 rpm) and 120 knots resulted in climbs between 700 and 900 fpm, on 38· AUGUST 1985 warm days, with good forward visibil- ity. One climb of 10,700 feet in this configuration was made in 13 minutes in very warm air. According to the performance tables in the pilot's operating handbook, the F33A's cruise performance is best at 6,000 feet on a standard day. The ta- bles show 172 knots, true, and 15 gph at 75 percent power. The Bonanza's controls are light and responsive. The aileron and rudder controls are interconnected, and shal- low turns can be made without using the rudder. There is no pilot-controlla- ble trim system for the rudder, and the pilot's right leg gets a workout during takeoff and climb. A single, throw-over control column is standard; dual con- trols are available for an extra $650. Yaw and roll stability are not the F33A's strong points. The airplane does an endless series of Dutch rolls in even light turbulence; and when a wing drops, it tends to stay down un- less the pilot takes corrective action. These characteristics, combined with the light control feel, would suggest that the airplane is a handful to hand- fly on instruments. This subject is de- batable, but the consensus among Pilot staff members who flew the Bonanza was that the responsiveness and de- lightful feel of the controls are worth the extra work load, which includes concentration on basic attitude flying. What really adds to pilot work load-especially for pilots, like myself, Recommended TBO Length Height Wingspan Wing area Wing loading Power loading Seats Cabin length Cabin width Cabin height Basic empty weight Empty weight, as tested Max ramp weight Useful load Useful load, as tested Payload w/full fuel Payload w/full fuel, as tested Max takeoff weight Max landing weight Fuel capacity, std who have not flown the airplane long enough for intimate familiarity-is the arrangement of controls and instru- ments. The F33A's panel design re- flects misguided symmetry, and a lot of space is wasted. Most of the instru- ments are mounted in a cream-colored plastic floating panel in front of the pi- lot. The radio stack is in a black metal panel in front of the right seat. In the middle, set in simulated wood-grain vi- nyl in a hub-and-spokes arrangement, are the engine gauges and fuel-quan- tity indicators. Engine, flap and landing gear controls, as well as the course de- viation indicators, switches and circuit breakers, are scattered in low sub- panels and blocked from the pilot's normal line of sight by the massive flight-control bar. I was checked-out in N6455U by Pi- lot Editor Edward G. Tripp, who picked up the airplane at the factory. Tripp drilled into my mind the necessity to check and double-check each and ev- ery action, before and after. Suffice it to say that I discovered his advice to be very well founded. With considerable craning and neck-twisting, I conducted one ILS approach to minimums in light turbulence with no problem at all. Then, relaxing after taxiing the airplane to the pumps, I wondered why the en- gine would not shut off. I discovered that I was cycling the propeller control, which is located where the mixture control resides in other airplanes that I regularly fly. (The mixture control in the F33A is beneath the throttle.) The airplane could greatly benefit from the intelligent panel redesign per- formed last year with the 36-series Bo- nanzas and 58-series Barons (see "Pilot News: Beech Repanels Bonanza, Baron," December 1983 Pilot, p. 27). If nothing else, we believe Beech should at least move the landing gear position lights where the pilot can check them in a normal scanning pattern. However, our nit-pickings with the F33A's panel paled in comparison with the anguish we suffered when our short-term lease of N6455U expired and we had to return the airplane to Beech. The Bonanza helped us to fulfill a number of editorial missions in a va- riety of weather conditions and traffic situations. (For example, one hub air- port controller asked Tripp to maintain 165 knots to the marker. The relatively high landing gear and flap speeds of the F33A helped to make it a no-sweat fait accompli.) Beech has taken a bold step in its marketing program for the F33A, and we hope that it is, indeed, an aggres- sive effort to stimulate sales and not an end-game strategy for the last of the short-fuselage Bonanzas. (Production of the V -tail Model 35 was suspended a few years ago.) In short, the F33A is a delightful and capable airplane. If potential Bonanza buyers have, indeed, been holding out for a deal they cannot refuse, they need hold out no longer. 0 Beechcraft Bonanza F33A Base price: $167,726 Price as tested: $200,612 AOPA Pilot Operations/Equipment Category': Cross-country: $173.640 IFR: $206,240 to $245,800 Specifications Powerplant Teledyne Continental 10-520-BB 285 hp @ 2,700 rpm/full throttle Recommended TBO \,500 hr Propeller McCa\}ley constant-speed three-blade, 80 in dia 1,500 hr or 5 yr 20 ft 8 in 8 ft 3 in 33 ft 6 in 181 sq ft 18.8 Ib/sq ft 11.9 Ib/hp 4 or 5 10 ft I in 3 ft 6 in 4 ft 2 in 2.1251b 2,268 Ib 3,4121b 1.2871b 1,I441b 8431b 700lb 3.4001b 3.400 Ib 480 Ib (444 Ib usable) 80 gal (74 gal usable) Oil capacity 12 qt Baggage capacity 270 Ib, 36.7 cu ft Performance Takeoff distance, ground roll \,000 ft Takeoff distance over 50-ft obst 1,769 ft Max demonstrated crosswind component 17 kt Rate of climb, sea level 1,167 fpm Cruise speed/endurance w/45-min rsv (fuel consumption) @ 75% power, 8,000 ft 170 kt/4.4 hr (86.4 pph/14.4 gph) @ 65% power, 8,000 ft 163 kt/4.8 hr (79.8 pph/13.3 gph) Service ceiling 17,858 ft Landing distance over 50-ft obst \,324 ft Landing distance, ground roll 800 ft Limiting and Recommended Airspeeds Vx (Best angle of climb) 77 KJAS Vy (Best rate of climb) 96 KIAS Va (Design maneuvering) 134 KIAS Vfe (Max flap extended, approach) 154 KIAS Vfe (Max flap extended, full) 123 KIAS VIe (Max gear extended) 154 KIAS Vlo (Max gear operating) 154 KIAS Vno (Max structural cruising) 167 KIAS Vne (Never exceed) 196 KIAS Vs1 (Stall, clean) 64 KIAS Vso (Stall in landing configuration) 52 KIAS All specificatiol/s are based all mal/ufacturds ca/culatiol/s. All performallce figures are based 01/ stalldard day, stall/lard atmosphere, at sea level al/d gross weight, llIlless otherwise I/oted. 'Operatiol/s/Equipmelll Categories are defil/ed il/ JUlIe 1985 Pil£t, p. 94. The prices reflect the costs for equipmel/t recommCllded to operate il/ the listed categories. AOPA PILOT • 39