Beech Aircraft

THE BEECH Aircraft Corporation was formed in 1932 by Walter Beech as a small aircraft manufacturer. In 1947, the company introduced the Beech 35 Bonanza, a single engine, four-passenger general aviation airplane that became an immediate popular success. This aircraft was widely considered the finest small plane on the market due to its combination of a luxurious interior and advanced design. Most importantly, unlike traditional aircraft which utilized a T-shaped “straight-tail” with a rudder on the vertical portion of the tail and elevators on the horizontal portions, the 35 Bonanza utilized a “V-tail” system combining the rudder and elevators on two tail surfaces that extended at 45-degree angles to the fuselage.

This revolutionary configuration lowered costs, gave the Bonanza a distinctive appearance, and reduced drag, which, ...