Updated 5.6.15
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UPDATED 5.6.15 1 Built 1945 Type 35 Airframe used for fatigue testing and not flown, presumed unregistered 2 Built 1945 Type 35 Airframe used for fatigue testing and not flown, presumed unregistered 3 Built 1945 Type 35 Regd. NX80150 Beech Aircraft Corporation, Wichita, Kansas Registered between mid-November 1945 & mid-January 1946 Made the first flight on 22 December 1945 with Vern L Carston in control. Used a 125hp Lycoming G-0290A engine and was fitted with a laminar flow wing Current in the 1947 edition (correct to September 1946) of the ‘Official U.S. Directory of Aircraft Owners’ as owned by Beech Aircraft Corp., Wichita, Kansas and being built 12.45 with a Lycoming O-290-A engine of 125hp. Crashed & written-off during spinning trials cc by 1.7.64 3 NX80150 (Aeroplane via Jack Meaden) 4 Built 1945 Type 35 Regd. NX80040 Beech Aircraft Corporation, Wichita, Kansas As per aircraft record card Was fitted with a Continental engine and a NACA23000 wing Regd. NC80040 Regd. N80040 cc by 1.7.64 On display as N80040 in the National Air & Space Museum, Garber Facility, Silver Hill, Maryland. Often referred to as D-4, which is incorrect. Will move to Steven Udvar-Hazy Center, Chantilly, Virginia in 2007 4 NX80040 In test colours (Flying 1947) Flying Magazine cover December 1947 (Bill Larkins) (Bill Larkins) 4 N80040 4 September 1949 4 N80040 On display in the Smithsonian Institute (W Steeneck via John Wegg) 5 Built 1945 Type 35 Airframe used for fatigue testing and not flown, presumed unregistered Other versions of the story have that two of these aircraft are NX80300 (which made the first flight on 22.12.45 (incorrect) and is D-1 and NX80301 which is possibly D-2. One other was a structural fatigue test aircraft, which was probably not registered. The other three were test aircraft, at least one of which crashed. The five prototypes are confirmed from their record cards as above but D-1 & D-2 are still unconfirmed. (Example of this error is on Larry Westin’s website. He quotes “Five prototypes were built (D-1 to D-5). D-1, D-2 & D-5 were not flown & were fatigue test aircraft. D-3 first flew on 22 December 1945 with the laminar flow wing, a 4 cylinder Lycoming engine. D-4 (NX80040) was the second to fly with the NACA 23000 wing Continental engine & fabric covered ruddervators. It was used for certification & dive tests to 286mph. As N80040 it was used by Capt. Bill Odom to set a light plane record of 4957 miles non-stop from Honolulu to Teterboro, New Jersey in March 1949. It was named ‘Waikiki Beech’. Later named ‘Friendship Flame’ it was used for a round-the-world flight by Representative Peter F Mack Jnr. It is now in the Smithsonian Museum” Basically what is written is correct except that the c/ns quoted should be 1 to 5 and not D-1 to D-5 which were production aircraft. Walter Beech is photographed in an edition of the ‘Beechcrafter’ magazine standing in front of a ‘prototype Bonanza’ with ‘52’ as the last two of the registration visible – which one? D-1 Built 1946 Type 35 Regd. NC80300 (probably NX80300) As per aircraft record card cc by 1.7.64 D-2 Built 1946 Type 35 Regd. NC80402 {possibly - but see D-68} cc by 1.7.64 D-3 Built 1946 Type 35 Regd. NC80403 Officially registered N80403 on 1.1.49 but probably carried later Regd.1.1.49 N80403 Rebuilt to C35 standard . and given new type designation 35R and new construction number. D-3/R2 Built Type 35R Regd. .51 N80403 cc by 1.7.64 D-4 Built September 1946 (FAA quotes 1947) Type 35 AfR 1.10.46 NX80404 Beech Aircraft Corporation, Wichita, Kansas Regd.1.10.46 NX80404 Beech Aircraft Corporation, Wichita, Kansas Registration Certificate number 80404 CofA Application 1.10.46, issued the same day for 6 months with operational limitations. Effective 1.10.46 to 31.3.47 CofA Application 27.10.47 by Beech, issued 29.10.47 with same limitations as above. Effective 29.10.47 to 29.10.48 CofA Application 23.3.48 by Beech as NC80404, issued 29.3.48 Completely dismantled and repaired by Beech, completed 25.3.48 BoS 30.3.48 NC80404 A S Swanson, Topeka, Kansas {no prefix quoted} AfR 30.3.48 NC80404 A S Swanson, Topeka, Kansas Regd.5.4.48 NC80404 A S Swanson, Topeka, Kansas Officially registered N80403 on 1.1.49 but probably carried later BoS 15.1.49 NC80404 Mildred M Case, Wichita, Kansas BoS 14.2.49 NC80404 Apex Petroleum Corp. Ltd., Long Beach, California AfR 14.2.49 NC80404 Apex Petroleum Corp. Ltd., Long Beach, California Left leading inboard section replacement completed 19.2.49 by C & H Air Service Regd.21.2.49 NC80404 Apex Petroleum Corp. Ltd., Long Beach, California BoS 17.5.51 N80404 Dean A Case, Wichita, Kansas AfR 17.5.51 N80404 Dean A Case, Wichita, Kansas Regd.5.6.51 N80404 Dean A Case, Wichita, Kansas BoS 5.6.52 N80404 Hugh A Cover, San Bernardino, California Regd.25.6.52 N80404 Dean A Case, Wichita, Kansas {address change} {Catching up exercise, certificate annotated’ SOLD’} AfR 3.3.53 N80404 Hugh A Cover, San Bernardino, California {Delay probably caused by address change problem above} Kilgore Flare kit installed aft of baggage compartment consisting of 3 x one-and-a-half minute flares with master switch and three selector switches. Master switch installed and safetied on pilots’ side. Weight and balance sheet gives weight as 15lbs. Fit completed on 7.3.53 Regd.16.3.53 N80404 Hugh A Cover, San Bernardino, California Damaged in belly-landing in 1953, repair completed February 1954. BoS 25.2.55 N80404 Jack Coyle Chevrolet Company, San Bernardino, California AfR 25.2.55 N80404 Jack Coyle Chevrolet Company, San Bernardino, California Regd.28.3.55 N80404 Jack Coyle Chevrolet Company, San Bernardino, California Damaged wing repaired BoS 21.1.56 N80404 The Air-Oasis Co., Long Beach, California BoS 23.11.56 N80404 Lear Incorporated, Long Beach, California AfR 23.11.56 N80404 Lear Incorporated, Long Beach, California Regd.4.1.57 N80404 Lear Incorporated, Long Beach, California BoS 7.1.57 N80404 John F Dolan, Los Angeles, California AfR undated N80404 John F Dolan, Los Angeles, California {Recorded at the CAA on 25.1.57} BoS 20.3.58 N80404 Graubart Aviation Inc., Chicago, Illinois BoS 13.6.58 N80404 Lance Call, Falls Church, Virginia AfR 14.6.58 N80404 Lance Call, Falls Church, Virginia Letter dated same day (14.6.58) from Lance Call requesting that N18Q be assigned to him. N18Q currently assigned to Harriet Call {wife?} and currently in use on Ryan Navion c/n 41132. The Navion was traded-in to Graubart Aviation for the Bonanza. Graubart currently requesting another number to replace N18Q on the Navion. Regd.16.9.58 N80404 Lance Call, Falls Church, Virginia Regd.24.9.58 N18Q Lance Call, Falls Church, Virginia Registration Certificate dated 16.9.58 as N80404 corrected to N18Q on 24.9.58 {Hand-written amendment says “now 80404”, obviously re-registered} BoS 9.6.59 N80404 Burch Construction Co. Inc., Coraopolis, Pennsylvania AfR undated N80404 Burch Construction Co. Inc., Coraopolis, Pennsylvania (Recorded at the CAA on 18.6.59) Regd.1.7.59 N80404 Burch Construction Co. Inc., Coraopolis, Pennsylvania BoS 25.4.60 N80404 The Lance Call Company Inc., Connellsville, Pennsylvania AfR undated N80404 The Lance Call Company Inc., Connellsville, Pennsylvania (Recorded at the CAA on 27.5.60) Regd.27.5.60 N80404 The Lance Call Company Inc., Connellsville, Pennsylvania BoS 20.5.60 N80404 Aubrey D Stokes, San Angelo, Texas AfR 26.5.60 N80404 Aubrey D Stokes, San Angelo, Texas What appears to be a ski rack fit completed 1.11.62 BoS 4.3.63 N80404 Billy O Wesson, Lubbock, Texas AfR 4.3.63 N80404 Billy O Wesson, Lubbock, Texas Regd.15.3.63 N80404 Billy O Wesson, Lubbock, Texas BoS 2.12.65 N80404 Lubbock Beechcraft Inc., Lubbock, Texas {Date possibly an error- check fiche} Finance deal noted 2.12.63 between Lubbock Beechcraft Inc. & Bronson Deon Branscum AfR 2.12.63 N80404 Lubbock Beechcraft Inc., Lubbock, Texas AfR 2.12.63 N80404 Bronson Deon Branscum, Lubbock, Texas Regd. N80404 B D Branscum, Lubbock, Texas (US64B,A,B) Large 3rd window fitted using Beech Kit 35-683-1, completed 30.3.64 Finance deal dated 11.7.64 between Lubbock Beechcraft Inc. and Troy D Randolph, Lubbock, Texas but Sale seems to have been delayed by following problem. Affidavit dated 20.10.67 on file signed by Theda Watkins (sister), Thelma Jean Quarrels (sister), Janet Bass (sister) and Eva Branscum, (mother) stating that they were the heirs to the late Bronson Deon Branscum and were entitled to dispose of the aircraft. (The original affidavit was not accepted by the CAA due to an attorney’s error in that the sisters’ husbands were mistakenly included.) Branscum was killed in an aircraft crash on the 9.6.64 aged 27 (not believed to have been this Bonanza) BoS 23.1.67 N80404 Lubbock Beechcraft Inc., Lubbock, Texas Not accepted by CAA until 20.10.67 AfR 30.7.64 N80404 Troy D Randolph, Lubbock, Texas Regd. N80404 Troy D Randolph, Lubbock, Texas (C,D,dh) WO on 26 January 1974 at Canyon, Texas Notified to CAA on Aircraft Accident Notice dated 26.1.74 as totally destroyed in accident cc 24.4.74 as de-registered but form annotated ‘reinstated 9.4.81’ BoS 31.7.74 N80404 Aircraft & Engine Enterprises Inc., Moore, Oklahoma AfR 15.5.80 N80404 Aircraft & Engine Enterprises Inc., Moore, Oklahoma Regd.9.4.81 N80404 Aircraft & Engine Enterprises Inc., Moore, Oklahoma {Length of time probably due to outstanding lien problems} Regd.