Beechcraft Twin Bonanza

The Beechcraft Model 50 Twin Bonanza is a small twin-engined aircraft designed by Beechcraft as an executive transport for the business market. It was developed to fill the gap in the product line between the single-engined Model 35 Bonanza and the larger Model 18, and it is much larger and heavier than the Bonanza, with more powerful engines. It first flew on 15 November 1949 after rapid development begun only that April; the intended supercharged Franklin engines were dropped when the engine company owner diverted its aviation resources to another project, and the aircraft was hastily modified to take the Lycoming GO-435. The type certificate was awarded in 1951 and production began that year. The United States Army took almost the entire production of 1952 and 1953, and the Queen Air and King Air are both direct descendants.