- quality handcrafted wooden model civilian aircraft -
- quality handcrafted
wooden model civilian aircraft -
Beechcraft P-35 Bonanza
|
Scale 1:24 Length 12.5" Wingspan 17"
Photography by Action Asia Photo |
Sporting a distinctive V-shaped or butterfly tail, the Raytheon Beechcraft P-35 Bonanza set the standard for the stylish yet well-equipped aircraft. Since its introduction in 1947, the Bonanza has been admired as a classic in the aviation world and earned Fortune Magazine's prestigious award as one of the best designed mass-production products. The Bonanza first flew on December 22, 1945. Featuring metal construction, retractable undercarriage and high performance, it heralded a new class of high performance general aviation aircraft. In theory, the Bonanza's V-tail design uses only two surfaces to perform its function as compared to the three surfaces of a conventional straight-tail design. This reduction in surfaces reduces both drag and weight, while also lowering the probability of tail buffeting from the wakes generated by the aircraft's wing and canopy. Aircraft control response with the V-tail is equivalent to that of a conventional tail of 40 percent greater surface. Manufacturing costs for the V-tail design are also lower because fewer parts are required to fabricate only two surfaces instead of three. The 10,000th Bonanza came off the production line in February 1977, but five years later, Beech discontinued production of the V-tail Bonanza to concentrate solely on the straight-tail Bonanza 36. Concerns over the safety of the V-tail design (and the resultant liability) undoubtedly played a major role in that decision. Independent studies found that the V-tail Bonanza had a fatal in-flight failure rate 24 times higher than the straight-tail version; a possible cause is the greater stress placed on the tail and fuselage of a V-tail aircraft during pitch and yaw maneuvers than on a straight-tail version. Capacity: Pilot + four |
||
© 2002-8 All Wood Wings - All Rights Reserved
