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Beech Bonanza P35 VH-AWM
Walkaround Photos

The Butterfly Bonanza is a real head turner. This and the Fouga Magister are two of the main proponents of the V-tail formula. It's a bit like the Wankel rotary engine, it might have been a great idea, but it was never going to upset the status quo.

The unusual tail arrangement is so distinctive that I spotted this wreck from a kilometre away and knew instantly what it was. Well, it wasn't likely to be a Magister anyway!

I used to work with a pilot who flew one of these Bonanzas and I asked him about the flight characteristics of the V-tail. He said it tended to weave in straight and level flight, but once you got used to that, there was no great difference to flying a conventional tail.

I shot these while on holiday at Coffs Harbour in NSW in 2006. I believe it has now been given to the Queensland Air Museum at Coloundra.