Plane & Pilot mag

[Flyin Tony]

Just got the new mag in the mail and they say the A36 is the best plane of all time. What a load of crap. The comanche should be #1 (just playing but it should be in the top ten) They say the A36 will get 160kts on a good day. I get that in the comanche on a bad day. I get 1,000 fpm climb at full gross at 4,000 ft airport. But I dont think that the A36 should be #1

What does everyone else think

I say the Cessna 210 or a Grumman Tiger, or the 182/172 any one of them over the Bonanza

 

[EatSleepFly]

I say the Cessna 210 or a Grumman Tiger, or the 182/172 any one of them over the Bonanza

Ummmm, no.

 

[Ralgha]

Ummmm, no.

I second that.

 

[Goose Egg]

I say the Cessna 210 or a Grumman Tiger, or the 182/172 any one of them over the Bonanza

C-210: Good airplane, but I'd rather have a Bonanza.
C-182RG: Good airplane, but I'd rather have a Bonanza.
C-172: Good training airplane, and fun to fly. But if I'm actually buying an airplane, I think I'd go with the Bonanza.
Grumman Tiger: Good airplane, but really doesn't compare to the Bonanza.

But then again, it's a moot point--the only way I'd be able to afford any of these airplanes is if I was significantly overpaid. Oh well, a kid can dream.

 

[Tripower455]

I get that in the comanche on a bad day.

With full fuel, 6 people and their baggage? The Comanche is a very nice airplane. I always thought of them as a smaller Bonanza, performance wise. It is a shame that Piper stopped making them when they did.

But........

Other than that, they are not comparable airplanes. In fact, the only airplane in your post that is even close to an A-36 is the 210, and I'd STILL rather have a Bonanza!

One of my first jobs was flying A-36's for a 135 operation. Lots of fun!

 

[typhoonpilot]

It is difficult to agree with these publications when they come out with stuff like this. I would say that the mission has to be defined before you can say what the best airplane is. I doubt that the A36 could come out in the top 10 on a mission where you are required to land on an unimproved strip in the mountains. However, if you want to move 4 to 6 people fairly quickly between two paved strips then it would be in the top 10. Likewise I wouldn't rate the A36 very high as a Search and Rescue platform whereas the C-182 or C-206 would be my top picks. How about aerobatics ? Definitely not the A36. Super Decathlon would be a good all around pick for that.

Personally for U.S. manufactured piston singles I would go with the Mooney M20J as the top machine for getting around. Bulletproof Lycoming O-360 engine that sips gas and gives you 160 KTAS. For an off road workhorse it would be between the C-206 and the Cherokee 6.

TP

 

[BD King]

Give the kid a break. He actually thinks he has a 160 knot comanche that climbs at a 1000 feet per minute,at gross, and from high elevations.

 

[pilotman2105]

It is difficult to agree with these publications when they come out with stuff like this. I would say that the mission has to be defined before you can say what the best airplane is.

Agreed. Every airplane has its own quirks about it. It's as much a user specific thing as it is a utilitarian thing. Some people want the back to basics, no excess instrumentation while others want glass cockpits. Furthermore, some people want and need to be able to get into and out of 1500 strips while others won't land at anything less comparable than O'Hare.

It's a pretty dumb premise for an article, but some decent information is provided about the individual airplanes.

 

[Flyin Tony]

BD king must have a A36

 

[supsup]

I'd take a saratoga or lance over a bonanza anyday. 4 people, bags and 5 hours of fuel at 165kts in a lance. I flew a brand spankin knew A36 the other day. Useful load after full fuel is about 500lbs. Don't get me wrong the bonanza fly's like a dream, garmin 530/430, autopilot, A/C, stormscope,shadin fuel computer s-h-i-t. But you might as well take those 4 nice leather seats out because nobody's sittin in them. IMHO.

supsup

 

[Flyin Tony]

I just dont think im a BONANZA type of person. I have talked to alot of people that have flown the Comanche and Bonanza, and 70% say they like the comanche better for flying in the soup. And I hate the way beech set up the yoke on the older Bonanza's. But I have yet to fly a BO. I read a thing on the comanche flyer web page about when there was a comanche and bonanza fly in at the same airport on the same day, and the Guest Speaker for the bonanza guys who spoke about seeding clouds to stop the formation of tornados. He showed slides of inside the eye of storms, and told how he once guided a C310 pilot down from heavy turbulence, after which the main spar of the 310 was found to be bent! During the Q&A after his talk he asked him what model bonanza he flew in those storms. He said he flew a Twin Comance!! He said the Comanche is the toughest bird there is.Told how the PA-30 has 3 spars, zinc-chromated air frame, Lycoming (bullet-proof) engines, etc., etc.

I dont know what got me going on this but I love our comanche!!!!
even tho its going to cost 2 grand tomorrow.

 

[Tripower455]

And I hate the way beech set up the yoke on the older Bonanza's. But I have yet to fly a BO.

What's wrong with the yokes? Some of them were the "throw over" type, but a lot of them had 2 yokes. The throw over jobs were nice for 135, since there was a bit more legroom in the front for the pax. The Beech controls are very well balanced, and feel as if they are on ball bearings.

Very nice IFR platform as well, although, I was only able to go ifr on ferries.


About the only thing I didn't like about the older Bonanzas and Barons was the flap and gear switch reversal, which was an annoyance that I was willing to put up with since they are such nice flying aircraft.

 

[UnstableAviator]

I definately agree that the Bonanza/Baron are awesome flying aircraft. Other GA piston aircraft just feel "cheap" in comparison. Even the SR-22 I flew last weekend doesn't seem to handle as nicely. It was very responsive in pitch and roll, perhaps I just need more time to really be smooth with it.


I have about 220 hours in an F33A Bonanza, and my biggest gripe is how low the yoke is in relation to just about everything else ever built. Every aircraft has its quirks, and this is the one that I seem to notice every time I take my seat.

 

[vetteracer]

I think the article took into consideration all around use and all time sales. The A36 is the culmination of all the Bonanza models and is one heck of a ship. There is no comparison between an A36 and a standard 210. They are different animals. If you are into un-improved short strips buy a 210. If you are into cruise and distance travel then an A36 is your bird. That being said, many more folks are apt to chose the latter..

I have over 900 hours in a V-35B, which is the same airframe and engine as the A36 with a V-tail. It trued out at 168 knots at 8000 feet. That was the ground speed I found in no wind conditions. I have never flow a 210 that did better then 155 other then the Turbo models at higher altitudes. Again two different animals.

I have no piper time so my opinion is just between the above mentioned. I have a lot of Grumman time and bang for the buck they should get an award for their simplicity and low cost operations. Their cruise speed is remarkable for there power plant size. I owned an AA-1 Yankee. Had a 108 HP motor and cruised at 128 knots across the ground, but it was a lead sled, needed a lot of runway and had a poor useful load. But bang for your buck it was pretty good.

An A36 has the same numbers as a C-310R. Same useful with full fuel, only a few knots difference in the ground speed. Hands down the Bonanza handles like a dream and flies like a dream. I attribute the success to the Bonanza wing, which they used in all their designs.

If I had to vote for a single engine GA aircraft The A-36 would get my number one vote.

Mark

 

[BD King]

I definately agree that the Bonanza/Baron are awesome flying aircraft. Other GA piston aircraft just feel "cheap" in comparison. Even the SR-22 I flew last weekend doesn't seem to handle as nicely. It was very responsive in pitch and roll, perhaps I just need more time to really be smooth with it.


I have about 220 hours in an F33A Bonanza, and my biggest gripe is how low the yoke is in relation to just about everything else ever built. Every aircraft has its quirks, and this is the one that I seem to notice every time I take my seat.

Look on the backside of the yoke and see if there is a little pull out tab. That may help you with the yoke position.

 

[rumpletumbler]

My dad owned two 172's in his lifetime for short periods. He tried a Bonanza and said it has less room than a 172. He is 6'3---260lbs. He said screw that and went for the room. I've never sat in one so I don't know.

 

[EatSleepFly]

My dad owned two 172's in his lifetime for short periods. He tried a Bonanza and said it has less room than a 172. He is 6'3---260lbs. He said screw that and went for the room. I've never sat in one so I don't know.

At its widest point, a 172 cockpit is under 40 inches. V35B is a little over 42 if I remember correctly, so not much different in width. Lots more legroom though. Plus adjustable rudder pedals and it just seems bigger inside.

For what its worth, I have a bunch of time in a V35B and a few hours in a PA24-250. The Commanche was nice, but its no Bonanza. I wish the guy I flew the Bonanza for wasn't such an a-hole...that was such a fun airplane to fly.

 

[TDTURBO]

Almost unanimously, everyone I talked to regarding this subject, stated that the best all around single engine airplane ever made was and is the 182RG.

So I bought one, I put gap seals on it and I get 158kts true, 1300lb useful load, bullet proof Lycoming O-540, 92 gallon 1150NM range and great short field performance not to mention a solid IFR platform. After flying it for 3 yrs and taking it across the country, over Cuba to the Caymans and most of the Bahama Islands, I can't find a thing I dislike about it.

I haven't recieved the new Plane and Pilot yet, but I hope it got an honorable mention.

The Bo has a Continental engine, need I say more? You will be doing top overhauls every 400hrs.

 

[Headwind]

The Bonanza has been in production longer than any other aircraft. It still has the same landing gera system it had in 1945. They got it right the first time! The C-210 has had three (3) different gear systems in it's shorter life. The Comanchee didn't stay in production long enough to up-grade or improve their landing gear. I have owned a Bonanza and flown most G.A. singles and light twins and like flying the Bonanza best of all. The B-200 is like flying a big Bonanza. My second choice would be a C-180 with IO-550 conversion. That gives you 165 KTAS, good short field performance, and plenty of room.

HEADWIND

 

[BD King]

Headwind and I must be cut from the same cloth. Almost all Beechcraft products have the same control harmony and rocking chair comfort, especially the King Air. One of their products which is normally bad mouthed is the Duke. I spent about a thousand hours in one and enjoyed the airplane. Now, of course, I was not picking up the fuel bill or maintenance costs. However, other than replacing one of the fuel cells, the airplane was reliable.