V-Tail Bonanza's ??

[Win]

Some of my earliest memories as a child are of whacking my head on a Bonanza wing. My late father ( a dentist ) had several V Tails - the last I recall being an S Model sometime in the mid to late 60's. He had numerous airframes over the course of his life, up to and including a Citation, but I believe the V Tails were always his favorite, so much so I had that one engraved on the back of his tombstone.

Other than color schemes, I don't recall much about them because of my age at the time. I did get to fly in them a lot and seem to recall all of them having a bit of a side to side sashay, even though the S model had a yaw damper (IIRC).

Later when I was out of school and had my ticket and some time, I recall talking with him about the tail controversy and he seemed to be on the pilot error side of things. He said they were a clean airplane and could get away from you very fast if you got the nose down with power on.

edit: I would also add that they were a roomy airplane, that was fast for its size - not like a Mooney where you feel like sardines stuck in a can.

 

[wings&wheels]

Hang out in aviation long enough and you'll learn that any somewhat affordable airplane out there has a "doctor killer" added to it. The Bonanza was the "V-tailed doctor killer".... the Tomahawk was the "T-Tailed doctor killer".... The Ercoupe, the "No Rudder Doctor Killer"..... The "Cessna 17-2 Doctor Killer, 17 hours a year, 2 people dead"... etc etc.

The planes werent killing the doctors, the doctors were killing the planes. Wealthy enough to afford the plane, but dont fly often enough to be proficient.

I never heard of the Tomahawk as a Doctor killer...I thought it was a much more indiscriminate killer, spinning you in regardless of degrees or professional certifications. Also, if all a Dr. could afford was a Pa38, not sure I'd use them In all seriousness, I had a Tomahawk for 5+ years and I absolutely loved my little T-tailed devil.

All basic, common GA airplanes fly the same and they also all fly different.....that said, the only noticeable handling trait I noticed in the V tail is the slight 'wagging' as others note.

I will say though, the V tails do have one distinguishing trait; absolute beauty.

How did I miss this thread? I love the Bonanzas....someday!

 

[sloinker]

My uncle had a Navion with tip tanks. Had it for years. Sold it a couple decades ago. My father was a part owner of a Cessna 150. He piled it up in 1976 on a gravel runway in Manton, Ca. More than 100 degrees out with a creek and power lines on one end. Underpowered plane, inexperienced pilot. He walked away, neraly tore his nose off and broke a bunch of ribs. Plane burned into molten aluminum mostly. Last time he ever piloted a plane. He's still kicking, barely, at 91 years old.

 

[billt460]

How did the Aircoupe (sp), fly without a rudder?

 

[wwillson]

I had a Tomahawk for 5+ years and I absolutely loved my little T-tailed devil.

I got my private in a Tomahawk. It's a fun airplane to fly and pretty darn easy to land. I soloed it at 5.6 hours total time, which now scares the heck out of me. My private training was done at ALO (Waterloo, IA) which has a tower and three huge runways. You could take off, land, come to a full stop, and take off again on any runway there. The first time I saw a narrow short grass strip, I thought it was a joke that we could actually land there.

 

[wings&wheels]

How did the Aircoupe (sp), fly without a rudder?

On most models, the rudders are coupled to the ailerons and relatively limited in travel. Some later twin tail models had rudder pedals, but IIRC they were also somewhat limited in authority.

 

[frankbee3]

I absolutely love the Beech Bonanzas. My favorite model Bonanza is the S35. Came out in 1965 or 66. It is the lightest V tail with the Continental IO-520 engine. Basically, the first year of what I call the big block engine.

I used to teach in the Bonanzas and considered it the best sorted single engine airplane available. I like them better than the Cirrus.

If I ever can afford it, I would like to have a Bonanza, especially from about 1966 on..

 

[GooseGestapo]

How did the Aircoupe (sp), fly without a rudder?

I’ve flown several Ercoupes. Mostly, I noticed the lack of power! A whopping 85hp! Forget flying with 2 occupants if temperatures are over 90deg.
Rudder and elevator are very restricted. You can stall one, but it has to be a “whip stall”. (Abruptly pulling up on the controls in a bank). But the stall is unremarkable. The last one I flew had a O-200 Continental 100hp engine and rudder pedals, and was licensed as an Experimental a/c.
The most memorable flights was checking out a former Vietnam F-4 pilot in one that had belonged to a couple of former students. The F-4 pilot had been shot down and incarcerated in the “Hanoi Hilton”. He broke both legs on ejection and was badly abused/mistreated by the VC.
He could barely walk, and when the Ercoupe was classified as a light sport aircraft, not requiring a medical certificate, he took a “discovery” flight with me as the plane was for sale. We had a BLAST! He joked and said the Ercope flew just like an F-4…
fully loaded with weapons and fuel on a hot day below 200kts… We all busted out laughing!
With no rudder pedals or flaps, just a single brake pedal in the middle of the floor, he could still fly unassisted. He flew it (with me along) from KPIM to Mallards Landing (private paved airport), unassisted, so I signed him off for a BFR and make and model. (After a couple more familiarity flights). .
The most bizarre thing about the Ercoupe is landing in a cross wind! You approach the runway in a crab, and touch down in a crab! The shock absorbed trailing link landing gear allows up to a 25mph demonstrated cross wind component. It feels like a “controlled crash”…
We climbed at 60mph, descended at 60, and cruised at 80…on 4gph. And yes, they have a battery and electric start…

 

[97prizm]

Hang out in aviation long enough and you'll learn that any somewhat affordable airplane out there has a "doctor killer" added to it. The Bonanza was the "V-tailed doctor killer".... the Tomahawk was the "T-Tailed doctor killer".... The Ercoupe, the "No Rudder Doctor Killer"..... The "Cessna 17-2 Doctor Killer, 17 hours a year, 2 people dead"... etc etc.

The planes werent killing the doctors, the doctors were killing the planes. Wealthy enough to afford the plane, but dont fly often enough to be proficient.

Kind of like early Porsche 911 turbos? When the cast iron turbo kicked in mid way through a corner causing snap oversteer and sending the driver into the wall? Those were called "widow makers."