Aircraft Quiz No. 103

[Doug Robertson]

Some years ago a major light aircraft manufacturer somewhere in the world decided to modify a production aircraft for exploring the feasability of pressurization of the fuselage. The mod involved changing to a T tail configuration and adding 12 inches of fuselage length forward of the windshield to accommodate a turbocharger aft of the single engine.

1. Manufacturer?

2a. Production aircraft make and model nomenclature that was chosen to modify? 2b. Model nomenclature of the then modified experimental aircraft?

3a. First flight date?, 3b. Total test hours flown?

4a. Bonus-Registration nomenclature of the test aircraft? and 4b. Odd quirk about the test aircraft?

[Timothy Aanerud]

How come there aren't any pressurized Beech Bonanzas?

1. Beechcraft
2a. Model 36A
2b. Model T36TC
3a. First flight: 16-Feb-1979, Last flight: 25-Jan-1980
3b. 82 hours 45 minutes
4a. N2065T
4b. ?

Beechcraft Staggerwing to Starship, Edwards H. Phillips. 1987 is my source.

[Doug Robertson]

Congrats to Minnesota friend Timothy! You may have set a record for correct responses here. My source was also by Phillips, but a different book-Beechcraft Pursuit of Perfection, A History of Beechcraft Airplanes, Copyright 1992.

The only Quirk missing was that for an Experimental classed one-off that was supposed to investigate feasibility of a pressurized single engine Bonanza; the sole prototype T36TC was NOT pressurized! Strange.

But, the Beech production model 76 Duchess twin engine of 1977 had a T tail and resulted from the Beech PD 289 in 1977. And, the production Beech model 77 SKIPPER two-place trainer of 1979 had a T tail. So, the Experimental T36TC was not Beech's first T tail aircraft.

Why the current quiz aircraft was NOT pressurized, when that was the design goal, is unknown/unstated. Thanks for your correct answers.