extra gallons at your fi'nger (and wing) - American Bonanza Society

nftwsl 

, - 

DALE S. MAY'S 5-35, 0-7865, N941 A OVER THE COLORADO ROCKIES 

SEE BACK COVER FOR DETAILS

GENERAL AVIATION AIRWORTHINESS ALERTS 

BEECH AIRCRAFT - AMERICAN 

SAFETY EQUIPMENT CORPORATION 

SAFETY BELT AND SHOULDER 

HARNESS ASSEMBLI ES 

There is a possibility of interference 

between the lap belt connector and 

buckle and also belween the lap belt 

buckle cover and shoulder harn ess/ 

crotch strap adapter on certain lap belt 

assemblies manufactured by the 

Am erican Safety Equipment 

Corporation. Beech Class I Service 

Instruction No. 1158 identifies the 

suspect lap belt and shoulder harness 

assemblies and provides instructions for 

inspection and rework if required. 

BEECH MODEL V-35B - 

LANDING GEAR MOTOR 

The in-transit light remained 

illuminated and the gear was fu lly 

extended by the emergency method. An 

investigation revealed low power output 

from the landing gear motor. The motor 

appeared sati sfactory l or continued use 

by visual inspection. Record s indicate 

this was the original motor with 1,71 5 

hours of aircraft time. Beech 

recommends motor replacement at 

1,000 hours. 

BEECH MODEL 35 SER IES - 

RU DDERVATOR CONTROL PUSH 

RODS, P / N 35-524 106-6 

Reports have been received of 

corrosion and trapped water found in 

ruddervator differential control push 

rods on Beech Bonanza (V-tail) 

airplanes. Failure of these push rods 

can substantially alter the handling 

qualities of the elevator/ rudder 

systems. 

Beech Class I Service Instructions 

No. 0989 provides for inspection and 

anti-corrosion treatment of the Bonanza 

ruddervator push rods. Push rod 

assemblies that have been anti- 

Course l ocation _____ ____ _ 

Date _____________ _ 

Request for Hotel Accommodations: 

Please reserve ...... Single ____ _ 

corrosion treated by the manufacturer 

may be identified by the word s 

" corrosion proofed " stamped in black 

ink near the center of the tube. 

It is recommended that the 

ruddervator push rods be examined for 

corrosion and trapped water per Beech 

Service Instructions No . 0989 and that 

a report of any defective parts found be 

submitted via an FAA Malfunction or 

Defect Report. 

• NOTE ' Norm Colvin and the Editor 

have inspected numerous ruddervator 

push rods and have fo und a significant 

number with corrosion and cracks. 

There does not seem to be a pattern as 

to age of the airplane or if it is 

hangared or not. All V-tail owners 

should consider compliance wi th Beech 

Service Instruction No. 0989 

mandatory. Copies of th e SI are 

available from ABS headquarters on 

request. 

SERVICE DIFFICUL TV REPORTS 

3 / 11 / 82 - BE A-35 

On removal of left and right wing 

attach original bolts (calendar time - 

34 years) found five of eight bolts with 

typical stress corrosion cracks in 

bottom of first and second complete 

thread grooves. Left and right front 

spar lower; NAS 152-43. Front and 

rear spar upper; NAS 150-33. 

3 / 6 / 82 - BE V-35 

The ri ght side of fu selage skin at the 

leading edge of stabilizer was damaged 

due to improper clearance with th e 

stabilizer skin . Inspection requires 

removal of entire stabilizer. 

1982 CHAPTER CALENDAR _____________ _ 

NORTH CENTRAL CHAPTER 

June 25 thru June 27 - Oshkosh, 

Wisconsin (coincides with ASS Service 

Clinic. also EAA Museum Tour 

October 1 thru October 3 - Boyne 

Highlands, Michigan, day trip to 

Mackinac Island 

CONTACT: DAVE MICHAELS, 23601 

Outwood Drive. Southfield. Michigan 

48034,313 / 356-4326 

SOUTHEAST CHAPTER 

No events planned 

NORTHEAST CHAPTER 

No events planned 

WESTERN CHAPTER 

September (date to be announced) 

- Portland, Oregon 

CONTACT: ALDEN BARRIOS, 1436 

Muirlands Drive, LaJolia, California 

92037, 714 / 459-5901 

SOUTHWEST CHAPTER 

June 13 thru June 20 - Canadian 

Trip, Montreal, Quebec, Ott awa and 

other points of interest 

CONTACT: BILL MURMER, 7405 

Airport Boulevard, Houston. Texas 

7706 1, 713 / 643-2697 

1982 BONANZA PILOT / FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR REFRESHER SEMINARS 

REGISTRATION FORM 

ROCKY MOUNTAtN CHAPTER 

June 4, 5 & 6 - Fl y-in to Colorado 

Springs (coincides with AS S Service 

Clinic) 

June 26 - Mystery overnight fly-in 

July 10 & 11 - Saratoga, Wyoming 

fl y-in 

MS July 24 - Pot-Iuch swim party @ 

Bill & Mike Moore 's 

August 14 - Pig-on-a-stick BBQ @ 

Frank Kratky's ranch 

September 18 - Autumn color 

outing in Steamboat Springs 

September / October - A yet 

undated activity by the RM C ladies 

Name ___________________________ ABS# ______________________ __ 

Address _____________ Ph one =; __________ __ 

City _ _ _ ___ State _ ___ Zip __ F. I. Cerl. # ___ =-_."......,..,...,--___ 

(If applicable) 

Arrival _____ Departure _____ Guarantee atter 6:00 p.m.? _____ _ 

Double Credit Ca rd Name and # ---------c=---=--,--. 

(Ex. Dale) 

June 26-27 ... . . .. .. .. ... . ... .. . , . . Po rtland, OR Nov, 13- 14 . .. . ... . . . .. . . ... . ... Washingto n , DC 

Sept. 25...26 . , . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Da llas, T X Nov. 20-21 . . ,',.,', . . , . . ,., . . " ..... De troit , MI 

Ocl. 2- 3 . ... .. .. .. . .. . . . ...... . .. San D iego, CA 

Please fill out this form and mail it along with your registration fee in the amount of $75.00 to American Bonanza Society, Mid-Continent 

Airport, P. O. 8 0)( 12688, WichUa, KS 67271. 

P8981182 

am erican bonanza society

Colvin's Corner 

SERVICE CLINIC NOTES 

Since the start of the ABS Service 

Clinic we have inspected more than 

700 Bonanzas. Most Bonanzas go 

through the Clinic with few 

discrepencles of any consequence; 

however, there have been a few cases 

where the owner had to leave his 

airplane to be fixed. 

It's funny, but sometimes the 

Bonanza you least expect to find 

serious trouble in is the very one that 

must be fi xed before it is flown again. 

At one of this year's Clinics a new 

Bonanza owner brought his slick Model 

36 Bonanza with 500 total hours in for 

inspection. The airplane had only minor 

squawks until we retracted the landing 

gear. This airplane has a 24-volt 

electrical system, so the landing gear 

retracts like a mouse trap. When we 

retracted the gear the inboard doors 

hung open about two inches. We tried 

to retract them further by using the 

hand crank, but nothing happened. We 

tried to extend the gear with the hand 

crank - nothing happened. Then, we 

tried to extend the gear electrically; but 

that didn 't work either. Our initial check 

of hand crank free play revealed more 

than normal play. 

We had an airplane on jacks with the 

gear retracted and no way to get it 

down. We had to disconnect the 

actuator rods to each strut in order to 

get each strut down and then lock the 

lift legs before we could get the 

airplane oN the jack. 

It would appear that a tooth on the 

very end of the brass sector gear, 

inside the gear box, had sheared. One 

more takeoff and this beautiful Bonanza 

would have had to be bellied in . The 

pilot was scheduled to take his check 

page 1184 

J, Norman Colvin 

Retired Beech Project Engineer 

-on Bonanzas and Barons 

ABS Technical Consultant 

Service Clinic Inspector 

ride in his Bonanza the next day; so it 

was good fortune that he decided to 

run it through the Clinic . 

We have had other cases where the 

owner had to catch a ride home; so, 

you see, sometimes the Clinic pays off. 

By the way, we looked at a Model 

C-35, powered by a turbocharg ed 

Franklin engine. The airplane was 

formerly owned by Carco Airlines in 

Albuquerque, NM and was used to ferry 

technicians from Albuquerque to the 

White Sands missile range in New 

Mexico. This good old bird has flown 

12,000 hours and is still going strong. 

Norm 

FUEL GAUGE FLUCTUATION 

Dear ABS: 

I wrote to you in August of last year 

concerning the intermittent fu el 

indications I was receiving. Your reply, 

which I want to thank you for, 

confirmed what I had suspected - that 

the trouble was In the printed circuit 

boards. 

I understand now that Beech has 

come out with a Service Bulletin on the 

printed circuit boards. Can you tell me 

if this modification calls for the present 

circuit boards to be replaced by the 

new ones or are the new ones in 

addition to the present board ? 

Beech's price for the parts is $345. 

am wondering if you could give me 

some idea of what the cost of the labor 

would be. 

Bernard J. Bartley 

ABS #12450 

Dear Mr. Bartley: 

Beec h has issued a Class Two 

Service Instruction (Number 1196) that 

deals with the subject. 

Loose terminals on fuel transmitters 

frequently cause gauge fluctuation, so 

check for loose terminals and poor 

ground connection. 

Yes, the price of kit #55-3032-3-2 

is $345. The labor estimate is four 

hours. 

GEAR RETRACTION 

Dear ABS: 

We own a 1964 S-35 Bonanza, S I N 

0-7576. Our landing gear motor is out, 

and we were wondering about putting 

in a faster gear (four seconds, rather 

than the seven second one we now 

have). Please give me an explanation 

as to th e difference and necessary 

changes for this. 

The plane is fine . but if we are going 

to have to do work, we would like to 

improve 5734K if we can. The plane is 

down now; please respond as-soan-as 

possible. 

James P. Lee 

ABS #9691 

Dear Mr. Lee: 

The reason the current model 

Bonanzas' gear retracts so fast is 

because th ey have twenty-four volt 

electrical systems and the retract side 

of the landing gear motor uses the 

equivalent of a twelve-volt coi l. 

There are other differences in the 

motor, all of which cannot be 

incorporated in your airplane. There are 

two things that you can do to insure 

maximum performance in your existing 

motor: First - check the landing gear 

limit switch points for high electrical 

resistance; if there is any significant 

amount of resistance. replace the 

switch. Second - a relay. installed close 

to the landing gear motor, will provide 

full current to the motor. (Your landing 

gear motor draws 35 amps under load, 

so good current flow to the motor is 

essential .) 

EXTENDED RANGE 

Dear ABS; 

In one of your past issues you made 

mention of a Beech Bonanza or a T -34 

with extended range fuel and oil 

systems. I am now in need of this 

information and cannot locate the issue. 

Could you please send me this 

information? 

In reference to your March 1982 

issue, tilters for Winslow Filters are 

made by World Wide Corporation and 

are sold by Van Dusen Aircraft 

Supplies. 

Chester Motyka 

ABS #7757 

american bonanza society

Dear Mr. Motyka: 

In most extended flight situations. 

wing tip tanks Bfe used and the back 

seat area is filled almost to the ceiling 

with fuel tanks. 

Frank Haile, Jr., 2650 Freewood 

Dallas, Texas 75220, has flown 

Bonanza around the world, so he 

has first-hand information on how to 

equip an airplane for extended flight. 

I'm sure Frank would be glad to be of 

help. 

Thank you for the information on 

Winslow Filters. 

GREASE FITIINGS 

Dear ABS: 

I am the owner of an A-35 Bonanza. 

Wh en recently doing an annual, my 

A&P and I were having great difficulty 

lubricating the landing gear system 

because some of the grease fittings are 

gone. These seem to be pressed 

fittings, so I'm wondering how to 

replace them . Can you help? Thanks! 

Joe Davis 

ABS # 13484 

P .5 . Your column alone is worth far 

more than the price of my annual ABS 

membership. 

Dear Mr. Davis: 

The drive-in type grease fitting was 

very reliable at best, as you have 

Nsc;ov,ered .. In some cases the hole can 

threaded, but this is time consuming 

and difficult to do: so, I would suggest 

that the fitting hole be thoroughly 

cleaned and the grease fitting be 

bonded in position using epoxy cement 

or possibly a form of super glue. I 

would think the epoxy would be best. It 

should cure over night. 

SKI TUBE 

Dear ABS: 

I am a proud and happy owner of a 

1976 A-36 Bonanza. I would like 

information about three accessories for 

th e aircraft, prices and where they may 

be purchased: 

1) Snow ski tubes that fit into the 

tailcone behind the fifth and sixth seats; 

2) Digital timer I calculator that fits 

into the ramshead yoke center piece; 

3) A fold down table for the club 

seat passenger area (the new ones 

from Beechcraft are very expensive). 

Any help would be appreciated very 

much. 

Terry Judge 

ABS #13779 

Mr. Judge: 

I do not know of a kit for carrying 

snow skis, but one can easily be built 

by using aluminum tubing large enough 

american bonanza society 

to accept a pair of skis. A hole can be 

cut in th e rear cabin bulkhead and the 

tube sealed to this bulkhead and 

supported at its aft end . Any good 

aircraft sheet metal mechanic can build 

such an assembly. 

The Bonanza Society Newsletter 

Aviation Mart lists several companies 

who sell digital timers. 

For fold down tables (other than 

those offered by Beech) I would 

suggest you go to a cabinet shop and 

have one built. This will give you a nice 

table at the best price. 

AIR NOISES 

Dear ABS: 

At cruise I have a very high pitched 

squeal that sounds like it is coming 

from the overhead vents; however, I 

have taped all vents, put in new door 

seals, turned off all electrical equipment 

and sealed both rear windows - but, 

still , I cannot stop this awful noise. 

Have you any suggestions? 

B. J. Balmer 

ABS # 14654 

Dear Mr. Balmer: 

There is a small hole somewhere in 

the outside skin. It can be a gap in a 

skin lap or a loose rivet, and it will be 

hard to find . 

I think I would start by removing the 

overhead duct system; then go fly the 

airplane, and use a doctor's 

stethoscope to pinpoint the noise. You 

might have to loosen some headliner. I 

saw this condition several years ago 

and determined that it was where the 

top cabin bulkhead and skin met, but I 

did not hear just where the hole was 

found. 

RECESSED FUEL VENTS 

Dear ABS: 

I've experienced fuel tank ai r vent 

icing several times in the last two 

winters. Ohio Aviation in Dayton, Ohio 

doesn't have any information regarding 

this. Would you please send me all 

Newsletters having articles about this 

problem - in particular about how to 

(and where to) get the modification 

accomplished in order to prevent the 

problem in the future? I fl y a K-Model 

Bonanza and understand that late 

models have a flush vent system which 

eliminates the icing problem. Thanks for 

your help. 

Donald W. Fitton, Jr. 

ABS #8879 

Dear Mr. Fitton: 

I will forgo researching back issues 

of the Newsletter that included similar 

tank venting problems. I will, however, 

tell you how to fi x and modify your 

existing system. 

Your main fuel tanks have a vent for 

each tank. The auxiliary tanks have a 

common vent. The fuel tank vents 

should extend below the wing or 

fuselage belly (for auxiliary tanks) 

one-and-three-quarter inches, and they 

should point forward ten degrees. The 

vent end should be chaphered to 45 

degrees. I would suspect that your tank 

vents point aft instead of forward . If so, 

this will cause the bottom of your fuel 

cells to rise as fuel is burned off. 

Installation of an ice free vent is a 

simple task. You will need two scoops: 

part number 414-920022-5 for the LH 

tank and scoop part number 

414-190022-3 for the RH tank. 

It will be necessary to cut a hole in 

the lower wing skin just forward and 

slightly outboard from the existing vent. 

Position the scoops on the inside wing 

skin with the vent hole pointing forward. 

Rivet the scoop in pOSition. Run a hose 

from the ice free vent and tee into the 

existing vent line inside the wing, and 

you will have an ice free vent. I would 

suggest you look at a Model S-35 or 

later to determine exact location. Most 

any mechanic can install the scoop. I 

would not bother with the auxiliary tank 

vent; just be sure it points forward. 

Figure 55. detail " A" in the Model 

H-35 and after parts catalogue shows 

the scoop clearly. The scoops can be 

ord ered from any Beechcraft Dealer. 

SOUND DEADENER 

Dear ABS: 

Thank you for the response you gave 

me on using sound deadener on my 

Model 35. Can you advise if there 

exists a sound deadener in an aerosol 

can that can be applied and will not 

disolve under petroleum based liquids, 

Le., fuel and oil? I have tested 

commercial auto undercoat, and it is 

nothing but a tar base. I am concerned 

with engine oil (leaky master cylinder) 

destroying the sound deadener. 

Bill McCreary 

ABS # 14566 

Dear Mr. McCreary: 

Beech uses a sound deadener called 

Vaporite 550, made by Anderson 

Pritchard Oil Company. Beech applies 

this material with a high pressure gun, 

but it can be brushed on. You can, 

most likely, buy this material in small 

lots through a Beech dealer. I know of 

no like material that can be applied with 

a pressure can . 

page 1185

TACH SPEED 

Dear ABS: 

I enjoyed meeting you and having 

you inspect my 1976 F-33A Bonanza, 

N222MK, while in Baton Rouge. I found 

the Clinic and your " Colvin's Corner" 

very helpful. 

In the March, 1982 ABS Newsletter, 

Volume 82, No. 3, I read Mr. Criley's 

letter, " Tach Check " with interest. 

However, I have been unable to find the 

Basic RPM printed on my tach. The 

tach was stamped as follows: Jul 1979, 

Part # 36-380007-3, Mfg #30B101-3, 

SN D2224. Could you help me with the 

" Basic RMP" for this tach? 

I checked the time at 2,300, 2,400 

and 2,500 RPM , and the Basic RPM 

1982 SERVICE CLINIC SCHEDULE 

Colorado Springs, CO 

Oshkosh. WI 

Woodland , CA 

Bedford, MA 

Oneonta. NY 

June 4-8 

June 25-29 

July 23-26 

Sept 17-20 

Sept 22-24 

Please fill out this form and mail it along with 

your clinic Inspection fee in the amount 01 

$60.00 to American Bonanza Society, 

Mid-Continent Airport. P. O. Box 12888. 

Wichita, KS 67277. 

NAME ___________ _ 

AODRE SS ____________________ __ 

TELEPHONE _ ________ _ 

ABS# ____ _ 

AIRCRAFT MODEL __ __ N" __ _ 

Indicate your first three choices of inspection 

dale and time. 

DAY , 2 3 

Friday -- ---- - - 

Saturday -- ---- -- 

Sunday - - ---- -- 

Monday -- -- -- 

Tuesday -- ---- -- 

Wednesday - - ---- -- 

Thursday -- ---- -- 

TIME 1 2 3 

8 :00 A.M . -- -- -- 

9:00 A.M . -- --- - - 

10:00 A.M . -- ---- -- 

11 :00 A.M. - - ---- - - 

1:00 P.M. -- --- -- 

2:00 P.M. -- ---- -- 

3 :00 P.M . -- ---- -- 

4 :00 P.M . -- ---- -- 

page 1186 

averaged 2,356 RPM - assuming the 

tach is accurate, and we use Mr. 

Criley's formula to solve for the Basic 

RPM . 

Jack Threadgill 

ABS #14419 

Dear Mr. Threadgill: 

This is in reply to your letter in which 

you asked for information on 

tachometer accuracy. 

The tachometer in your Model F-33A 

Bonanza is most accurate in the range 

from 1,800 to 2,700 RPM ; tack time is 

based on 2,310 RPM . We had to pull 

the drawings to come up with these 

figures. 

AUXILIARY GENERATOR AND AIR 

PUMP 

Dear ABS: 

I read an article in the latest issue of 

AVIA TlON SAFETY relating to backup 

systems for the electrical and vacuum 

systems. The article was not 

particularly complimentary of 

Beechcraft's interest in redundant 

systems for single engine aircraft. What 

recommendations do you have for 

backup systems for: the alternator?, 

and the vacuum system? 

I fly an F-33A, SI N CE-802, built in 

1978. I plan to see you in Oshkosh in 

June for your ground inspection. 

C. H. Bradley, Jr. 

ABS #11727 

Dear Mr. Bradley: 

A standby generator system is 

available through Beech. This system 

has enough capacity to operate one 

radio and the gyros. Some owners have 

installed a second instrument air pump. 

There are three places that hold the 

STC approval to install the second 

instrument air pump; they are: Lodi 

Energy Systems, 15100 De Vries Road, 

Lodi, CA - 209/ 368-7607; United 

Beechcraft, Wichita, KS - 3 16/ 

94 2-3261; Beechcraf1 West, Van Nuys, 

CA - 213/786-14 10 . 

COWL DOORS 

Dear ABS: 

My wife and I have an M Bonanza, 

9595R, which we acquired in 1978. In 

the past four years we have put almost 

1,200 hours on the aircraft and are 

now within 150 hours 01 a major engine 

overhaul. It also needs paint. However, 

before we proceed with either we would 

appreciate your advice on two items: 

1) Engine - Our 10-470-C has 

been run regularly, and we believe 

conservatively; however, while its 

performance is generally satisfactory, 

we have had a burned valve on #4 - 

12/78 , and another burned valve on 

#4 - 9 / 79 and a split in the wall of 

#6 -- 8 / 80. Immediately after its 

major (before we purchased it) it had a 

split between the barrel and head of a 

cylinder which had to be replaced. With 

a total of almost 2,600 hours on Ihe 

engine (counting the previous overhaul) 

and the history outlined above, we feel 

we should change engines. Question: 

Are we wrong in this approach? 

Question: Is there another engine other 

than the 10-4 70-C approved for the M 

Bonanza? (We have heard particularly 

good reports on the 10-470-L.) 

2) Top Cowl - The top cowl 

must be replaced. Because of a poor fit 

along the front edge it has worn badly. 

We find the DZUS nut closing system 

very undesirable and difficult to use 

during preflight checks. Question: It is 

possible to replace the DZUS nut cowl 

with a newer version with the release 

handle? (With all of the available 

Bonanza modifications, no one seems 

to discuss this one.) Question: Does 

this change require significant 

modifications, and is there someone in 

our area who could do the 

replacement? 

The Bonanza is a fine airplane , and 

we look forward to many years 01 fl ying 

in ours. Awaiting your reply with 

interest. 

Joseph St. Georges 

ABS #10864 

Dear Mr. St. Georges: 

The 10-470-C engine in your 

Bonanza is normally a good engine. 

Your last overhaul may not have been 

the best and some of Ihe parts used 

not up to par. I would suggest that you 

go to a 10-470-N engine which would 

give you an increase in horsepower, 

and it is an engine that was used in a 

Bonanza. 

Changing engines will require an 

STC that will make th e change costly. 

I"m not sure who holds an STC for such 

an installation, but would suggest you 

call Lou Stallings in Tulsa, telephone 

number 918/ 835-7462 or Beryl 

D'Shannon in Lakeville, Minnesota, 

telephone number 800/ 328-4629. 

Either of the two shops could hold an 

STC and could supply the engine. I, 

myself, wouldn·t to to the 10-520 series 

engine since it involves more change. 

Since you plan to install new cowl 

doors it would also be a good time to 

go to the new cowl latch system. At 

one time Beech offered this latch 

system in kit form ; however, the kit has 

now been cancelled. So, th e only way 

to go is to buy the component parts. 

This new latch will require 

considerable man hours to instalL 

Incidentally , new cowl doors will have 

to be trimmed to fit your particular 

airplane. 


FUEL INJECTION ON E-5ERIES ENGINE 

ABS: 

promised attached are the 337s 

STC material for the installation of 

the Dukes auxiliary fuel pump and 

Bendix RSA5AD1 fuel injector. Both 

installations can be done by an A&E 

with no problem. I would like to give 

special thanks to: Jim Turner, Avetec 

Eng ., San Leandro, CA; Don Sheets, 

Bendix Corp.; Sam Campbell, Capitol 

Insl. Co., Wichita, KS ; Bob Nelson, 

General Supervisor (and one smart 

ME). 

Jim is a personal friend who happens 

to own an aircraft accessory repair 

station. He and I have flown together 

lor a few years, and I have been trying 

to keep up with his 295 HP G0-480 

Navion. We talked about fuel injecting 

my G-35, SI N -4509, and I continued 

to think about the possibility of 

improved performance. We checked 

into using the STC SE23SW Bendix, 

which uses the RS5BD1 and found that 

this unit was no longer produced and 

parts are no longer manufactured by 

Bendix. So, even If the price was right 

th e unit is old and very expensive to 

repair - if you could even get the 

parts. We thought some more and 

up with the basic RSA5AD1 with 

flow characteristics as the 

I except the controls all worked 

ba,:kv,ards. So , we called Don Sheets 

of Bendix; and he said, " let me work 

on it ". In three weeks we had a Servo 

from Bendix, The unit installs per the 

old STC except for fuel vent line. The 

only change required is moving the 

mixture cable to the right side of the 

engine (didn 't even have to change the 

throttle linkage - very smooth 

operation), We wanted to have a fuel 

flow gauge to go with the six-probe 

EGT from K&S Electronics, and that's 


Bendix fnjec for System 

where Sam Campbell, Capitol Insl. Co., 

came in , Sam rescued us with a combo 

fuel flow calibrated to the RSA5AD 1 

injector and manifold pressure gauge. 

As for performance. With the PS5C 

you could not get an even spread of 

readings at high power settings. In 

cruise I would get from a 50 - 100 

degree spread. With the RSA5AD1 in 

all power settings you get a 25 - 50 

degree spread. The climb performance 

is better, as is throltle response. The 

engine seems to run smoother. I should 

get beUer fuel consumption figures. I'll 

let you know as soon as I take a long 

flight (fuel management will be a little 

different with no return to the left tank). 

The Dukes pump 4140-00-95 also is 

very easy to install and probably 

advisable, in that you should have 20 

Ibs. going to the injector. The wobble 

pump will handle it, but may be tiring. 

The Dukes installs in line with the 

regular pump and requires no flight 

manual change. 

I believe all parts will be available 

through Jim Turner 415/ 562-2811 

and Sam Campbell 316/ 945-7719. 

As far as cost, I will have to get those 

fi gu res to you later. Probably will not be 

cheap, but may be a good, long-range 

decision if you want to keep your 


W. C. Carter 

ABS #6595 

Dukes Pump Installation (metal shield 

covers pump when in service 

WINSLOW FILTERS 

Dear ABS: 

For replacement filter elements for 

the Winslow Filters. contact: Mr. C. 

Rh odin, Worldwide Filter Corporation, 

PO Box 1758, San Leandro, CA 

94577,415/ 463-5122. The cost is 

about the same as the Winslow 

element. 

Yost Cunningham 

ABS #265 

page1167

35th ANNIVERSARY BONANZA 

On March 25th the Society President 

"Tex" Anderson was invited to 

participate in the roliout of the 35th 

Annivarsary Bonanza. In his remarks 

Tex said , " I know of only two kinds of 

Pilots - those that own Bonanzas and 

those Jhat want to! " The Bonanza was 

first certified on March 25, 1947. Since 

then , approximately 15,000 have been 

built, including 10,400 V-tails . 

.--,...,--- 

Tex and Betty Iry 35YR on for size. If 

Ihe hangar door had been open il 

would have been on its way to Kerrville, 

Texas. 

VEE TAIL BEEF UP 

Dear ABS: 

I have just left Slanlon Counly 

Airport in Johnson, KS . where I have 

just completed installation of a third 

spar in the tail section and gap seals 

on ailerons and flaps on N4609J, my 

1967 V-35 Serial Number 0-6321. 

For the two-and-a-half years I have 

owned 4809J I have been most anxious 

to have the tail section removed and 

Inspected. Recently, when I stopped in 

Stanton County to visit Mike Smith at 

Smith Speed Conversion, I was 

definitely convinced thaI the third spar 

tall section installation was a must for 

me; and after riding in his V-35, 

Nlll MS, I was also convinced that gap 

seals for the ailerons and flaps were a 

must. While I was in Johnson, KS I had 

the opportunity of looking at a very 

severely benl and broken V-35 which 

had completely lost its tail in flight. Had 

I not already decided to have the Ihird 

spar member installed, I certainly would 

Beech President, E. C. Burns, Tex and Betty Anderson and Beech Vice Chairman , 

Frank Hedrick af the Rolloul of Ihe 35th Ann;versary Bonanza. 

have after looking at that airplane. 

From looking at Ihe wrecked V-Iail , it 

Is obvious that th e tail was lost at an 

extremely high rate of speed when the 

entire ta il sec tion leading edge bent 

down to a 40° angle, thus causing the 

main spar section on both sides to 

break and the entire tail section to be 

torn from the airplane. Not only did 

viewing that airplane make me 

extremely pleased to have had the 

opportunity of having th e tail section 

removed from N4609J and inspected, 

but also having the third member spar 

attached - and it will be a constant 

reminder to me of the effects of 

exceeding red line. 

I have not had an opportunity of 

determining any speed difference by 

installation of gap seals : however, it is 

obvious that I have gained at least four 

miles an hour. But . more importantly. it 

is obvious that aileron control is 

substantially increased. From my first 

lakeoff al Mike Smith 's place, il is also 

obvious that the ail eron control is much 

TURNING BACK ________________ _ 

Dear ABS: 

I enjoyed Ihe article " Turning Back " 

In the March issue of the Newsletter. 

With reference, however, to Peter 

London's comment that " no more than 

a 30' bank should be used in a lurn 

back to the runway after engine 

failure" , I call to your attention Ihat 

Barry Shiff, in his book THE 

PROFICIENT PILOT, emphatically stales 

page 1188 

that a 45 ' bank angle will gel you 

back towards the runway quickest and 

with the least altitude loss. I undersland 

other writers have recommended that a 

45 ° bank angle be used. Perh aps 

other members have experimented with 

this. Some additional information for our 

con sideration would be appreciated. 

John F. Russo 

ABS #11755 

more responsive than ever before. 

On both of my visits to Smith Speed 

Conversions. it has been obvi ous that 

Mike 's shop is one of the most 

professional, courteous and friendly 

places I have been in a long time. I 

found that every person involved in th is 

installation knew and did thei r job to 

perfection. As Mike had promised me 

when the appointment was made for 

Ihese modification s, the job was 

fini shed by 6:30 p.m. - including a test 

flighl by Mike himself afler I had 

delivered 4609J to Stanton County at 

6:30 a.m. 

I commend Mike Smith and his entire 

staff to all V-tail pilots everywhere. Mike 

is certainly a person all should know. 

and his modification for third spars, gap 

seals and other speed mods are 

excellent. 

Charles Ming 

ABS #1 3210 

JIM GARDNER PASSES ON 

Jim Gardner, ABS #4 72, passed 

away April 22, 1982, at age 75. J;m 

was very active in the forma tion and 

early years of the ABS, serving on 

the Advisory Board and as a 

and Vice President. His V-35 

Bonanza won Best of Show at the 

Reading Air Sh ow an unprecedented 

three times. His contribution to the 

Society will be missed. 


the other transfer pumps wouldn 't work 

- once " he " had to land earlier than 

planned. The other time he gambled 

and made it in - about dry! So, this 

" guy" just pulled out th e float 

mechanism in the right main, by-passed 

" protective" measures, and has 

not had a problem since! There can 't 

be that much of an idiot factor if a pilot 

takes off on either main , runs sayan 

eighth of a tank out Of the right one, 

and then turns on both tip transfers! If 

you are up at high altitude, like in the 

Rockies, the right main CAN fill back 

up if you start too soon or can't pull 

enough HP. Sometimes this " pilot" 

then turns off the tips and gets more 

out of th e right main. 

Another reason this " pilot" made 

this alteration is: he gets a different (?) 

type of Siphoning than what's been 

described in the Dec / Jan issues of the 

Newsletter. Throughout th e histories of 

both tanks he 's gotten " leaks" through 

one or both caps whenever he 's fill ed 

them up to the brim. So, although 

" we 've " tri ed everything - new 

expanders and a-rings - one or both 

leaks (and sometimes badly) from time 

to time. No big thing , I guess; but it 

makes th e white tips pretty stained - 

plus one loses maybe two or more 

gallons of the high-priced stuff in the 

process I So, if this " guy" has a long 

way to go Into a headwind , he'll save 

the most/ lose the least gas if he takes 

and keeps hi-power for a bit but 

starts the transfer almost immediately. 

We've checked all of the vents along 

with whatever else, and it'll siphon no 

matter what you do. 

A semi-related incident . W've 

ordered sloshing compound and two 

new pump filters . Tell you why! A few 

months ago a (really) great line 

technician at Hedrick Beechcraft filled 

th e fuel order correctly , but the order 

- from the office - was meant for 

another Bonanza! We had only wanted 

the mains brought up to the bottom of 

th e pipe, as we couldn 't see anything 

much more than local hops in the near 

future. But , this technician followed 

orders; and he topped off the mains 

AND th e tipsl Maybe a week later I 

went out to see if she was still in good 

shape - and there, again, was raw 

gas in the light cavities! Apparently the 

tip fu el had expanded, ruptured some 

line (as our great mechanic, Verlin 

Schauer, shop foreman at West-Aire, 

Colorado Springs, CO , deducted) that I 

know nothing about, The tip tanks were 

badly stained from th e cavity down onto 

th e tip bottoms. 

Really, all I can suggest regarding 

I Extender tip tanks is DO NOT top 

the tips until takeoff time! I'd like to 

know any other corrections that ABS 

knows of, The quick drains on the tips 

leak from time to time, which is anoth er 


reason why ou rs are usually kept 

empty. 

We have NOT been able to get any 

legal weight increase with our tips on 

our S. We 've heard that most 

Bonanzas, both before and / or after our 

model have been gran ted the same, 

Any new news? 

See you all at the Service Clinic here 

in Junel 

Dear ABS: 

Dale S. May 

ABS #3560 

I had Beryl D'Shannon fli ght extender 

tip tanks installed on my A-36TC and 

have used them frequently. The 

installation was well done, and I am 

extremely pleased with the tanks. I 

prefer them over the Brittain tank s, 

primarily because my tanks pump into 

the mains and I have less fuel 

management problems. The addition of 

these tanks has allowed me to fly trips 

such as Denver to New Jersey non-stop 

above 20,000 feet. 

The only problem thus tar is that 

Allan Peterson still has not obtained an 

STC for the additional 200 pounds 

gross weight allowance. Thu s, lega lly 

we are still limited to the original gross 

weight; so th at certainly becomes a 

problem. He said he would have th em 

by last June; but so tar, still nothing , 

Otherwise, I am completely sati sfi ed 

with the installation and th e 

performance. 

John F. Russo 

ABS #1 1755 

Dear ABS : 

I have the Beryl 15 gallon tanks on 

my 1956 G-35. SI N 4509. I have had 

these tanks in use for approximately 

four years, I have had no problems and 

can report only positive results. 

My family and I fly from Concord , 

California to Michigan two to three 

tim es a year and to Mexico (Baja) two 

to three times a year, plus many oth er 

trips. The tip tanks increase flexability, 

make th e plane more stable, increase 

speed (??), but do not slow it down . I 

go over the Rockies in a single bound, 

summer or winter - and th at is nice. 

Fuel management is no problem. I run 

the left tank to 1/ 4 then switch to the 

right tank, running it to 1/ 2 and start 

pumping . Forty minutes later I have 

approximately full standard 60 gallons 

of fuel. We're a fami ly of four. With 

scuba gear, camping gear and fu el 

we 'll be at gross; but Baja fields are no 

problem. and 12 - 14,000' on hot 

days, 16 - 17 ,000' in the winter 

seems easy - just takes time. I 

believe the plate effect does help 

takeoff , climb, rough air and stall 

characteri stics . 

I use my tip tanks as the reserve ; 

and even though I have had no 

problem, the way I manage the fuel I 

will know about the problem early and 

make other arrangements for landing . I 

have had no problems with uneven feed 

or Siphoning. I do use varying amounts 

of fuel in th e tanks, depending on the 

trip. It doesn'l seem to matter if you 

have five or 15 gallons, the plane just 

fl ies nicely . Also, rime ice does not 

seem to build any different than on a 

propeller spinner, 

W. C, Carter 

AB S #6595 

Dear ABS: 

I have Flight Extender tip tanks on 

my F-Model Bonanza. They were 

installed May 26, 1964. 

Usually I keep about seven gallons in 

each tank and use thi s occasionally to 

keep th e gas fresh . This, I find , 

stabilizes the airplane and gives it a 

slightly heavy feel. The tip tanks were 

installed prior to my purchasing th e 

plane. so th is leaves me without 

comparison to th e loss or gain of 

speed . I cruise at about 165 mph plus 

or minus, with 2 ,300 rpm and 

economical cruise (depending on 

altitude,) 

We have found the tip of the tanks 

are a good indication of ice ; they seem 

to ice up first. 

With th e tip tanks and auxiliary tank I 

have a total of 90 ga llons. 

approximately , Consequently, I have 

never ran out of fuel - very comforting 

to have on a long trip. 

Word of Caution: Do not run tip 

tanks dry. This causes the gas line to 

fill with air after refill and causes panic 

among passengers when the engine 

stops about five minutes after switching 

tanks. 

Paul H. Eaton 

ABS # 4027 

Dear ABS: 

I acquired the first set of Flight 

Extender canted tip tanks when th ey 

were approved for sale, in April, 1965. 

I waited an extra month for the delivery 

to get th e canted tanks. The cost - 

$775,75. They were installed for me in 

Maltoon, IL for $ 196. These tanks were 

installed on my C Model, 6420 , and 

effectively doubled the range - 40 

gallons to 70 gallons, less reserves. 

(See Bonanza of the Month - 

October, 1976.) 

I fl ew with these tanks from 1 965 

until 1978. Th e tanks came with an 

approval of a 200 pound gross weight 

increase, provided the weight was in 

the tips. AI Peterson of Beryl 

D'Shannon years later supplied me with 

the approval , th at he secured after his 

acquisition of Flight Extender; th at lets 

you have th e weight in the cabi n if it's 

page 1191

not In the tips. Very worth while; if you 

have the older tips, maybe you should 

talk to AI. 

During this period I had two 

problems with the tips. First, my tips 

were constructed with solid wires 

through the bottom of the tank, under a 

clear coating, to th e position lights. One 

of th ese wires broke. The break could 

be spotted by shining a light through 

the filler opening . The tank was 

salvaged by running bare-stranded 

wires about an inch apart along the 

outside bottom of the tank and covering 

with fiberg las. These wires were 

channeled into th e clearance light 

cavity at the rear of the cavity. Wh en 

the job was fini shed, the repair was 

almost impossi ble to see and never 

gave any furth er trouble. 

My second problem was one I have 

read that others have had, and that is 

the malfunctioning of check valves 

between th e tanks and the selector 

valve. After rather expensive attempts 

at correcting this problem over two or 

three years, I found a simple solution. 

These tanks feed to a selector valve 

with left , right and both positions. There 

was no off position on thi s selector. 

The feed then went to the AUX position 

of the main selector valve. By using a 

shut-down check of tip tank selector 

on either rig ht or left - never on both 

- I stopped all siphoning from one 

tank through th e other. 

In 1978 I traded th e " C" 6420 for a 

V-35B, which became 64200. In 

anticipation of an Atlantic fli ght - 

Gander to Shannon. as part of the fuel 

capacity I installed Britlain tanks. These 

tanks gave a 200 pound gross weight 

increase, which Flight Extenders did not 

have for a V-35B at that time. Also, I 

liked the direct feed without 

dependence on auxi liary pumps for that 

trip. These tanks have performed 

pertectly and have also supplied th e 

extra rese rve for a flight to Point 

Borrow. where there was no fuel 

available for transients. 

I hope my tank experi ences may be 

of benefit to someone. 

Dear AB S: 

Robert W. Sleeper 

ABS #871 

Here are some items in answer to 

your request for tip tank data: 

1) tnstalled 10/ 2/73 by Beryl 

Aviation when Allan Peterson was 

located in Van Nuys, Californi a; 

2) Beech 35, Serial Number 

0-380 ; 

3) Installation composed of: two 

fiberglas canted tanks (1 3 gallons each), 

two electric pumps, (one at each wing 

tip), two check valves (one at each 

wing tip), one electric fuel gauge with 

selecting switch; 

4) Both tanks feed into the left 

main wing tank, no control valve 

needed. Flow controlled by turning the 

page 1192 

pumps on and off (one at a tim e or 

both together). 

5) A three MPH reduction in dirty 

stall speed was noted after installation, 

also th e Al P seems to be more stable 

at crui se. 

6) One problem I have is that the 

fiberglas has a small crack where the 

tank and the wing sleeve join on both 

tanks - the result being a slight fuel 

leak and red stain. 

I find the addition of the tanks to be 

a worthwhile addition. The added range 

and stability are welcome. The fact that 

both tanks feed into th e left main tank 

makes for easier fu el management than 

the current system of feeding left tip to 

left main and right tip to right main then 

pumping ri ght main to engine and left 

main. 

Dear ABS: 

R. Andrus 

ABS # 1065 

I have a 0-35 with Brittain tanks 

installed by the previous owner in 

1970. I purchased th e plane in 1975. In 

t 976 I installed strobes in the nav. 

lites. Upon removing th e tip tanks, we 

immediately realized a real problem had 

existed for six years. The vent tube on 

each tank was into th e wing only . not 

outside. What a flying, si ngle-engine 

bomber! The proper 337 and entry in 

the log books were on file. 

To say the least, th e plane was 

grounded until a ve nt system was 

worked out, and actually it was quite 

easy and is effi cient. 

I like the simple system on th e fuel 

switching with Brittain tanks. I find that 

I must use one tank at a time, such as 

45 minutes - then cha nge. When 

using both at a time th e fuel goes down 

at an uneven rate. resulting in an 

un-balance situation. 

Dear ABS: 

Jack E. LeBaron 

AB S #8427 

In response to your request for 

information on Bonanza tip tanks - 

basically , they are like other things in 

life; there are cert ain benefits, but one 

pays a price for them. 

I own 15 gallon Flight Extender tanks 

which are fiberglas. I purchased them 

with a used K-35 aircraft , and they 

were unusable at that ti me. Twice in 

th e first year they were damaged by 

ground crews and required fiberglas 

repair. Once repaired, the fuel pumps 

needed replacement since corrosion 

had destroyed the screen area. With 

new pumps I found th at fuel would not 

transfer in- flight but would siphon over 

night into the right main tank and then 

onto the ground through the tank vent 

when the right tank was ful l. This left 

one tip tank full and one empty. 

Fortunately I did a good prefli ght. 

The non-flow problem was traced to 

the double checkvalve which had 

deteriorated wi th age. This was 

replaced with two solenoid valves on 

the new fuel pump outlets, and the 

system became operational. With 

careful fuel management I can now 

transfer tip fuel to the right main, but it 

takes over one hour of flight time to 

transfer one tip. 

The tanks are valuable on long trips, 

which I make about once every three 

months. During the remaining flights I 

get no advantage and suffer a t OO 

pound reduction in gross weight, which 

makes flight with four people and 

baggage impossible unless I drain th e 

au xiliary tanks. 

I will keep the tips on and will try to 

improve tra nsfer time but would not 

recommend th at anyone purchase new 

tanks unless th ey really needed six 

hours endurance. 

Richard G. Murray 

AB S # 13966 

Dear ABS: 

I have tip tanks on both my A-35 (1 5 

gallon Beryl O'Shannon) and J-35 (20 

gallon Bri ttain). Operationall y, I much 

prefer the 15 gallon Beryl O'Shannon 

Flight Extenders, since all the fuel is 

usa ble and there is no engine stoppage 

or hesitation wh en all the fuel is used 

from the tips. The Beryl O'Shannon tips 

also allow a higher gross th an th e 

Brittain ; additionally I believe the 

installed weight is less for the Beryl 

O'Shannon tanks. When park ed, th e 

Brittains will siphon fuel from the high 

tank out the low tank vent if th e fu el 

selector 1s not left in th e "off " position . 

A disadvantage of the Beryl O'Shannon 

tanks is the possibility of an electrical 

failure (or failure of a transfer pump); 

however. th is should not be a problem 

if fuel is transferred to the mains in a 

timely manner. The Beryl D'Shannon 

transfer pump will normally refill th e 

mains at a faster rate than fuel is used. 

so th ere is a possibility of ven ting fuel if 

the transfer pumps are not turned off 

prior to refilling the mains. 

Aesthetically, the Beryl O'Shannon 

tanks are much more pleasing than th e 

Brittains. I believe the frontal area of 

th e Britta1ns is greater than th e Beryl 

D'Shannons tanks, which would result 

in slightly more drag - thus the Beryl 

O'Shannon tanks would be more 

eHicient aerodynamically. Al so, the 

Beryl O'Shannon tanks seem to extend 

the wing a little more, which could help 

in cru ise. 

The tip tanks definitely do not 

reduce cruise speed , whether empty or 

full , based on my experience. I do 

notice. however. that climb performance 

is adversely affected; but th is is 

primarily due to th e extra weight when 

th e tanks are full. The tips show th eir 

greatest advantage at higher speeds, 

e.g., during cru ise power letdown , the 

tips increased airspeed by more th an 

five knots for th e same rate of descent. 


Tip tanks are not only for those who 

need range . There are several places 

where I can fill up for $1 to $1 .50 per 

gallon in Mexico, rather th an $ 2 + . Tips 

much superior to baggage tanks 

to th e higher allowable gross 

and, more importa ntly, due to 

i location near th e pitch CG . My 26 

gallon auxiliary can only be used with a 

limited baggage/ rear seat load. 

The only problem I have had with the 

Beryl D'Shannon tanks is a minor leak 

which I have not had th e time to have 

servi ced. 

The Brittain tanks are fin e. but one 

tank feeds faster Ihan the other, 

requiring aileron trim . If the line is 

evacuated, th e engine will experience 

fuel starvation during tank change on 

the next fli ght for 30 to 60 seconds. 

Normal operation is to leave three to 

five gallons in the Brittain tips. 

George A. Loegering 

ABS #6392 

Dear AB S: 

We flew an N Model with Brittain 20 

gallon tip tanks for about 2,000 hours 

and have put nearly 6,000 hours on our 

V-35TC Model with the same tanks. 

Our experi ence has been most 

sati sfactory. The onl y maintenance 

required has been replacement of the 

gauges on the current Bonanza after 

about 5,000 hours of use . Like all 

the tip tank gauges do not 

accurately and need to be 

. At 68% power (24 square) it 

about one hour and 40 minutes 

to drain th e tips into th e le ft main. 

If turbulence is forecast, we like to 

carry fu el in the tip tanks even though 

we don't need the range . It definitely 

dampens out much of Ihe " chop". 

It is very important to drain out every 

bit of water from th e tanks on pre-flight . 

as the eng ine will want to spit and 

spulter near the boltom of the tank 

otherwise. 

We highly recommend the Brittain 

tanks. They were installed in Ihe field 

by Beech FBO mechanics and have 

been most sati sfactory . 

R. N. Heintzelman 

ABS #3063 

Dear AB S: 

You must remember my inquiries to 

you years ago about tip tanks; and, 

believe it or not. all th at tim e I was on 

Beryl' s list - to get tips as soon as he 

could have a V-35 tested with them. 

Also, that was when you could have 

them installed complete for $1 ,500. 

Well, that went on until 1980 when, 

aft er my last leiter to him, he stated 

th ey could be put on th e V-35 - but, 

no additional weight was authorized. 

Therefore. I purchased Brittain tan ks. 

had th em installed by my local FBO and 

have felt it was probably th e best 

addition to 35MD th at I have made. By 

the way, being a member of the 

Bonanza Society gave me a 15% 

reduction on th e purchase price. 

I am happy with the new way 35MD 

flies - seems to glide farther. I have 

to cut manifold pressure to 1 2 from 15 

on landing , or I pass right over my 

estimated point of landing. I think I am 

flying a bit faster, but that may be 

wishful thinking. I flew non-stop 1,100 

nautical miles from Orl ando to Oshkosh 

last summer with a head wi nd all the 

way and averaged 146 nautical miles 

per hour over th e ground and had 20 

gallons of fuel left. Although airplanes 

are money chewers, I suppose you 

might consider th is as one way to 

economize on energy . 

On th e meth od for use of th e tanks, I 

fly one hour on the left main, then I fly 

on the right tip with th e cross feed on. I 

observe th e gauges for th e ri ght and 

left tip, switching back and forth 

occasionall y because the feed seems to 

be faster from the left. When the left 

reads just above zero I switch the cross 

feed off and th en observe the right tip 

gauge until it reads just above zero - 

th en, back on th e mains because of the 

feed-back arrangement on the Bonanza 

fu el system. I will now have nearly-full 

tanks for th e remainder of the trip. 

I learn ed one must observe th e left 

main fuel level because if th ere is 

insufficient room in th e tank due to feed 

back. the gas will spill out all over th e 

wing and stain the paint very badly. It 

happened to me. I switch back to the 

left mai n anytime it appears to be 

fNTO THE HOME STRETCH 

Th e Headquarters Building is nearing completion. Move-in is tentatively scheduled for June 12th . 

above 3 / 4 full , and run there for 1/ 2 

hour. 

Installing the tips allows th e gross 

weight to be figured as 3,600 Ibs. (an 

increase of 200 Ibs.). Th e tanks weigh 

24 Ibs. I am instructed to carry 2-1/ 2 

gallons in each tank, whi ch amounts to 

30 Ibs.; so, I have actu ally increased 

my carrying capacity by 146 Ibs. The 

only problem in a Vee-tail Bonanza is 

as soon as I have three average-sized 

men with me, any baggage in the 

baggage compartm ent throws me out of 

the envelope for balance; and then I 

taxi tail low. I have noted th is wi th 

others. Because of this I am able to 

carry more weight than my passengers 

can manage in front of th eir legs, on 

the fl oor or on their ·Iaps. I guess the 

A- 36 with tips is the answer. My friend 

has an A-36TC with Beryl tanks, and 

th e appearance is very nice; however, 

the stubby Brittain tanks seem to fit th e 

Vee-tail Bona nza - makes me think I 

am flying like a jet, and I am very 

happy with them. 

Hope you can get something out of 

thi s and advise accord ingly. 

O . H. Bricker, MD 

ABS #6999 

CONCLUSIONS 

1) Everyone wh o has installed tip 

tanks are glad th ey did . 

2) Tip tanks do not cause any 

speed loss and tend to stabilize the 

" fish tailing". 

3) That, of the two systems 

presently available . nei ther is clearly 

superior to the oth er. They both have 

ad vantages and disadvantages; and 

which to install is a matter of individual 

preference. 

The Editor would like to thank all th e 

members who wrote or ca lled with 

comments and information (over 50 

responses!) - plus, Hunter Bennett , 

for the research on th e old Flight 

Extender tanks. 

Please let us know if you like these 

in-depth arti cles and wh at subjects you 

would like to see covered in th e future. 

american bonanza society page 1193

INTERMITENT AVIONICS ___ _ _ 

To many, Avionics can be defined as 

expensive necessity. To more still , 

bill for an avionics repair can be 

as intelligible as an obscure 

i dialect. How can you be sure 

you are getting your money's worth? 

Certainly the most difficult task in 

repairing avionics equipment concerns 

finding the cause of "the intermittent 

problem " . A significant percentage of 

the problems reported to me fall into 

thi s category. A classic is the "comm " 

that " started working about the time I 

started the approach". To compound 

the problem, the unit works perfectly on 

the test bench. The technician 's best 

efforts to duplicate the problem fail , and 

you are presented with a bill 

representing the time expended on 

troubleshooting . 

What has been accomplished here? 

You have scheduled an appointment 

with the avionics shop, and all you have 

to show for it is a fuel slip, a bill, a 

comm that must still have the problem 

and less hours until your next 1 DO-hour 

inspection . 

Believe it or not, if the avionics shop 

did its job, you 've made progress. Key 

parts to the puzzle have been identified 

and eliminated as possible causes of 

problem. It is sometimes a matter 

determining what is NOT causing an 

. problem that leads to its 

Steps you can take to insure that 

you get your money's worth in avionics 

service begin by asking th e avionics 

service manager to describe a plan of 

attack BEFORE the work begins. 

Take time to explain when and under 

what conditions the problem occurs, 

Good communication before the job will 

help the technician solve the problem in 

the shortest amount of time and at th e 

lowest cost to you . After the job, if the 

troubleshooting has not been able to 

pinpoint the cause, find out where you 

go from here. One good method is to 

substitute a suspect unit with a 

" loaner" to see if the problem 

reoccurs . Where two identical units are 

already in the aircraft, swapping "comm 

1 & comm 2" helps to determine if the 

problem travels with the unit to another 

location . 

There are many reasons for 

intermittent operation of avionics 

equipment, and most can be checked 

by your avionics shop; but, when no 

problem is found, progress can sti ll be 

made. Antannae can be checked and 

to meet specifications. Wiring 

cnnn.,ct,M< can be cleaned and 

hA.,k.,rl. Microphones and speakers 

can be verified to be operating 

properly. All this takes time, but it 

should not be considered wasted time. 


In many cases the procedures I've 

described result in no reoccurrence of 

the problem. The reason for this can be 

as subtle as removing virtua ll y invisible 

corrosion from a connector by cleaning 

during the troubleshooting . Customers 

have called later to say, " I don 't know 

what you did, but it seems to be all 

right now" . A sma ll percentage later 

report that th e problem did reoccur; 

and , based upon the steps taken during 

troubleshooting, the obvious culprit is 

the unit itself. When we are unable to 

duplicate these problems on the bench, 

the next step is to send it to the 

manufacturer. All good avionics 

equipment manufacturers have a 

service department that supports its 

dealer network and is specially 

equipped to address intermittent 

problems. Through the use of 

environmentally controlled test 

chambers, a manufacturer can - in 

most cases - duplicate and repair the 

problem. Keep in mind, however, that 

most of these problems can be solved 

• 

by your avionics shop if you follow the 

steps I've outlined : 

1) Fully explain lhe problem. 

2) Delermine the plan of attack. 

3) After the job, ask , " What has 

been accomplished , and where do we 

go from here?" 

4) And , find out what you can do 

to help the avionics shop further 

eliminate the possible causes of the 

problem. 

I plan to discuss many situations 

encountered by Bonanza owners with 

avionics in future issues and welcome 

your comments, suggestions and 

Questions. 

Brad Carder 

Avionic Manager 

Flightcraft, Inc . 

Portland , Oregon 

SMAU THIRD WINDOW 

Does any member have copies of the 

installation instructions for the small 

third window? 

SOUTH BY SOUTHEAST 

1982 ANNUAL CONVENTION 

ORLANDO, FLORIDA 

AUGUST 18th thru 22nd 

A truly outstanding program is being 

put together for the 14th Annual ABS 

Convention. It' s almost going to be like 

a wedding. 

Something old - Some of the best 

seminars from past Conventions 

Something new - Several new 

programs fike the Copilot Course and 

Seaplane Course 

Something borrowed - A bunch of 

our members in the area who are going 

to help make this the best Convention 

ever 

Something blue - The Florida skys 

The whole family will be able to 

enjoy this outing. Trips will be available 

to Disney World, Sea World and 

Cypress Gardens. Escorts will be 

provided so that th e kids can still go, 

even if mom and dad want to stay at 

th e Convention. 

Some of the new thing s on this 

year's program include: 

S-TEC Autopilot Seminar - The 

S-TEC Autopilot system has received 

tremendous attention in the general 

aviation market, and the folks from the 

factory will be there to tell us all about 

it. Society President, " Tex " Anderson, 

is having one installed in his airplane , 

so members will be able to demand a 

report from him . (Yes, he's paying for 

it. No freebies allowed in this 

org anization .) 

Bonanza Copilot Course - Th e 

spouses opportunity to really learn 

what's going on in the cockpit. This 

program is specifically tailored to th e 


Seaplane Rating Course - 

Perhaps a once-in-a-lifetime chance to 

add Single Engine - Sea to the old 

ticket. Space is limited, so sign up right 

away. 

The social life isn 't being neglected, 

either. There will be several cocktail 

parties, a buffet, a dinner/ dance and a 

dinner with a special guest speaker. 

The Chapters will also be able to gather 

together for their tin e fellowship. 

Space only permits a description of a 

small portion of the great program . So, 

plan to spend four days in Orlando, 

Florida, August 18th thru the 22nd - 

involved in nothing but Bonanzas, Flying 

and Fun! 

page 1 195

extra gallons at your fi'nger (and wing) - American Bonanza Society

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