Next year will mark the Bonanza’s 75th anniversary, and Textron Aviation cranked up the way-back machine for a historic nod to the design’s roots with an optional Olive Ann Beech edition.
Along with her husband Walter, Olive Ann founded Beech Aircraft company in 1932 and served as co-founder, president and chairwoman, and she remained active leading the company until retiring in 1982. That storybook career spanned multiple generations of aircraft development from the timeless Beech Staggerwing through the King Air. She passed away in 1993 at age 90.
“The retro scheme of our 75th anniversary special edition Bonanza is a nod to Mrs. Beech’s strength, vision, pioneering leadership and her well-documented style,” said Lannie O’Bannion, Textron Aviation’s senior vice president, Global Sales and Flight Operations. “The interior color combination is inspired by trends from the 1950s, when Mrs. Beech assumed leadership of the company.”
Ms. Beech had a specific shade of blue, dubbed Olive Ann Blue, that she used for her cars, interiors and aircraft, and that shade is used throughout this special edition’s paint scheme and interior design. Other design touches include a throwback “Bubble B” logo dating back to 1954, and Ms. Beech’s signature displayed inside and out.
The Beechcraft Bonanza G36 is the latest model of the Bonanza line, which has grown from four seats in its original 1947 model 35 to six seats, and from 165 horsepower to 300 horsepower, in current production. The Bonanza has been in continuous production for longer than any other type of aircraft, with more than 17,000 aircraft built to date. The G36 sports Garmin’s G1000 NXI avionics package, and the interior can be reconfigured for various roles, from business to recreation. Powered by a Continental IO-550-B engine and a constant-speed, three-blade propeller, the G36 cruises at 176 knots and has a range of 920 nautical miles.
