Beech 35
Bonanza
ZS-BNY
(c/n D-100)
The
prototype Beech 35 Bonanza first flew on 22 December 1945. Since
then more than 10,000
examples have been built.
The above Beech Aircraft photograph was obtained in 1948 and shows
a typical Model 35 Bonanza on the field
at Wichita in 1948 along with several other brand new aircraft.
. ZS-BNY, in the aluminum overall and red trim
with black registration scheme of the day was delivered
to the Aviation Corporation of
Africa of Germiston, Johannesburg's 'second' airport. Each year
Beech
made improvements to this basic
four-seater giving an alphabetic prefix letter staring at A35 in 1949
and reaching V35 by 1966 (some letters,
I, L,O,Q,R,T) were not used. These improvements included
lengthening the fuselage to
accommodate six seats (with additional windows aft of the square one),
and
optional turbo-charging with the
V35TC. At one time I owned a quarter
share in an A35 Bonanza
similar to this one. ZS-BNY
lasted until 1976 when it was destroyed in a crash at Graskop.