flying the Beechcraft Bonanza

I had not done a flight sim in years and in January bought MSFS 2020 to run on a new-built PC. I have been learning to fly with the new system. I worked thru the Flight Training series for the light planes. Which was a very nice way to get started. I had the most trouble with landing and flying the traffic pattern. So I have got to where I am comfortable on the Cessna 152 and 172 and wanted to step up to next challenge. So I chose the Bonanza as a faster plane. Also I had seen on Youtube the story of the young pilot who did solo around the world in the Bonanza. The first flights were not good, but I am getting a better feel for it now. I have an observation and a question on this plane as modeled in MSFS. I make a landing approach and get lined up on a reasonable height and distance. And I have gear down and flaps going to full. As the speed drops below 80 kts, it seems to sink rapidly. And unless I am very quick on the throttle back up to 50 -60 % throttle, I am fighting stall warnings and sinking to the ground short of the runway. It seems like it does not glide down to a landing well at all.

And the question. The Bonanza has an extra control for the engine power. It has a throttle like usual, then a second lever for 'RPM'. The checklist says to set it to max rpm. Is this or prop pitch or what? I did not see any explanation. I don't understand the relationship, and I don't know the keys for changing it in flight without having to zoom down to the lever to click on it. Any advice would be most helpful.

And I have gear down and flaps going to full. As the speed drops below 80 kts, it seems to sink rapidly. And unless I am very quick on the throttle back up to 50 -60 % throttle, I am fighting stall warnings and sinking to the ground short of the runway. It seems like it does not glide down to a landing well at all.

 

A good observation. The real life Bonanza is a very clean airplane until you drop the gear, then the drag from the gear will slow you quickly. Add full flaps and you MUST carry quite a bit of power to maintain altitude, and even with a normal landing descent you need to carry power unless you want a very steep descent (nose way down, of course). Even the C-152 and C-172 with full flaps are fairly draggy, especially the earlier C-172 with a full 40º of flaps, but you can now appreciate why retractable landing gear is a big advantage for many aircraft.

 

And the question. The Bonanza has an extra control for the engine power. It has a throttle like usual, then a second lever for 'RPM'. The checklist says to set it to max rpm. Is this or prop pitch or what?

 

That extra control is, indeed, a propeller control. The throttle and prop controls together control the power setting. And as you have read, that prop control should be set full forward (max RPM) for takeoff and for landing. And normally when you are reducing power for climb you'll bring the throttle back to, say, 25" of manifold pressure and THEN bring the prop back to perhaps 2500 RPM for the climb.

 

Once you've gotten near your destination and are ready to descend, you'll reduce power again for the descent, usually just reducing the throttle here (depending on the settings chosen for cruise), and as you level off you'll bring the throttle back up somewhat. However, during the before landing checklist you'll want to bring the prop back up to max RPM and just use the throttle from that point.

 

The controllable pitch propeller (the Bonanza and most current aircraft use a constant speed propeller -- there are other types, though) has a governor that tries to keep a constant RPM regardless of the throttle setting, so you set the prop by the tachometer to whatever RPM is appropriate at the moment.

 

As a kind of reference point for you, my F-33A Bonanza Pilot's Operating Manual shows a chart of power settings for cruise. This table is for standard conditions, that is, temp at sea level == 59º F, altimeter setting == 29.92, humidity 0%, temp decrease 3.5º F for every 1000 feet increase in altitude:

 

[TABLE=class: outer_border, width: 500, align: center]

[TR]

[TD]ALT

[/TD]

[TD]OAT*[/TD]

[TD]Engine[/TD]

[TD]Man.[/TD]

[TD]Fuel Flow[/TD]

[TD]TAS[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD]Feet

[/TD]

[TD]Deg. F

[/TD]

[TD]RPM

[/TD]

[TD]Pressure

[/TD]

[TD]GPH

[/TD]

[TD]MPH

[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD]SL[/TD]

[TD]59[/TD]

[TD]2500[/TD]

[TD]24.4[/TD]

[TD]15.4[/TD]

[TD]188[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD]1000[/TD]

[TD]55[/TD]

[TD]2500[/TD]

[TD]24.2[/TD]

[TD]15.4[/TD]

[TD]190[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD]2000[/TD]

[TD]52[/TD]

[TD]2500[/TD]

[TD]23.8[/TD]

[TD]15.4[/TD]

[TD]192[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD]3000[/TD]

[TD]48[/TD]

[TD]2500[/TD]

[TD]23.7[/TD]

[TD]15.4[/TD]

[TD]194[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD]4000[/TD]

[TD]45[/TD]

[TD]2500[/TD]

[TD]23.5[/TD]

[TD]15.4[/TD]

[TD]195[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD]5000[/TD]

[TD]41[/TD]

[TD]2500[/TD]

[TD]23.3[/TD]

[TD]15.4[/TD]

[TD]198[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD]6000[/TD]

[TD]38[/TD]

[TD]2500[/TD]

[TD]23.0[/TD]

[TD]15.4[/TD]

[TD]199[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD]7000[/TD]

[TD]34[/TD]

[TD]2500[/TD]

[TD]22.5[/TD]

[TD]15.2[/TD]

[TD]200[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD]8000[/TD]

[TD]31[/TD]

[TD]2500[/TD]

[TD]21.7[/TD]

[TD]14.5[/TD]

[TD]199[/TD]

[/TR]

[/TABLE]

 

 

The above table is a portion of the table in the manual for 75% power (that's maximum continuous power for the F-33A), showing values for standard conditions through 8000 feet. Note the changes in temperature, manifold pressure (MP), and TAS as altitude increases. You can see the results of less drag at higher altitude. with the changes in TAS and, at 8000 feet a very noticeable drop in fuel flow, which also means it's no longer able to maintain 75% power. The chart also has entries for ISA (the sea level standard) plus and minus 38º F (20º C). There are also charts for 65%, 55% and 45% power settings, and they all go up through 15,000 feet.

 

Hope this helps.

Excellent choice for further development. I did most of my RL flying on fixed-pitch singles but did have some experience on VP and multi-engined aircraft.

I gave up RW flying years ago (became too expensive at the time) and have only recently come back to it via the excellent MSFS. I started, as the OP, with the basic simple stuff to get my wings back but then decided I was going to work my way up to more sophisticated aircraft, gradually whilst I "mastered" each one and chose the Bonanza as a first step.

A lovely aircraft to operate, even better with the third-party update, and currently my "go to" choice, although I have started to experiment with the CJ4 (now that's a learning curve!). Have done a lot of "hours" mainly on sightseeing tours in parts of the world I'm never going to visit in real life!

 

PS There's a turbo version now too, awesome performance!

Thanks for the response. Very good info on flying the Bonanza. So the final approach is better with power on a fair amount, like 30% or so. I have to learn the markings on the control, I'm not on the same PC as the Fight sim right now. When trying to fly at lower cruise settings does the RPM setting get changed to less than 2500?

Also does the behavior on the simulation match the real plane fairly well? I have seen posting to suggest some planes seem to be modeled better and others not so well. Which is why mods happen i assume.

reply to Terry. Thanks for the info and the encouragement. I am still getting the feel of it and holding a good straight approach to the runway is still a challenge. The feel for the controls and the response takes a good touch. I am flying from an XBOX controller at this point so not quite ideal. You mention third-party update. I think I read a comment on an older post talking about that, but I don't know where one would install such an update. It said they were in .zip download form.

 

And a turboprop version too! Something to look forward to.

...When trying to fly at lower cruise settings does the RPM setting get changed to less than 2500?

Also does the behavior on the simulation match the real plane fairly well? I have seen posting to suggest some planes seem to be modeled better and others not so well. Which is why mods happen i assume.

 

At 65% power on a standard day the RPM is listed as 2300 until reaching 10,000 feet when it goes to 2500. At 55% power the RPM is listed as 2100 until reaching 10,000 feet when it goes to 2300. And at 45% it is 2100 all the way through the chart. Of course the MP varies as altitude and power percent change. So basically you can choose the RPM (normally not above 2500 for cruise) and MP (not to exceed the RPM, that is, no more than 23" for 2300 RPM or 21" for 2100 RPM, but there are exceptions to that too).

 

I don't have the new sim so I don't know how well the MSFS Bonanza matches the real ones, but I have a Carenado model in FSX and in P3D V2 that, with a friend's mods, does very well indeed, but wasn't great before his mods.

 

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You might think of the propeller as a transmission, with low pitch (high RPM) being a low gear for efficiency in getting started and working hard (climbs) and the higher pitch (lower RPMs) being higher gears, making for more efficiency (and quieter) at higher speeds such as cruise, including reduced fuel burn. The analogy doesn't hold up more than superficially, of course, but it might help a bit.

Edited February 12, 2021 by lnuss

And a turboprop version too! Something to look forward to.

 

Ermm - no. A turbo-prop is a different animal entirely, basically a jet engine with a prop.

It's turbo-charged, which has the same effect as on a car engine - more power which translates to climbing higher and faster. Suggest you leave this alone until you've mastered the normally aspirated version - quite fast enough to learn on!

 

The improvement is here - https://flightsim.to/file/1056/g36-improvement-project Once you've downloaded the.zip file extract it to a new folder, say on your desktop called Bonanza Improvements, then copy that folder into your Community Folder. Much more realistic performance.

 

Whilst your at it, another good addition is this - https://github.com/Working-Title-MSFS-Mods/fspackages/releases/download/g1000-v0.3.4/workingtitle-g1000-v0.3.4.zip - which is a (vast) improvement on the Garmin G1000 system fitted to the Bonanza. After downloading again unzip (I'd put it in the same folder as above) and it goes into your C/F as well. Learning that system is quite a steep learning curve too but well worth it - I "tour" with the Bonanza and use it all the time so I can spend more time looking out of the window! (Incidentally it's the same system as fitted to the C172S, the upgrade will sort that out too).

 

Take your time and enjoy it!

Ermm - no. A turbo-prop is a different animal entirely, basically a jet engine with a prop.

It's turbo-charged, which has the same effect as on a car engine - more power which translates to climbing higher and faster. Suggest you leave this alone until you've mastered the normally aspirated version - quite fast enough to learn on!

 

The improvement is here - https://flightsim.to/file/1056/g36-improvement-project Once you've downloaded the.zip file extract it to a new folder, say on your desktop called Bonanza Improvements, then copy that folder into your Community Folder. Much more realistic performance.

Thanks for the info. I think I have located where the Community Folder goes. My software is installed under the Steam folders. I bought and downloaded there when I got started. I'm familiar with Steam for some other items.

No turbo-prop? Well a turbo-charged engine is good too. Should be especially for performance at altitude. I can get there eventually.

 

Pat

No turbo-prop? Well a turbo-charged engine is good too. Should be especially for performance at altitude. I can get there eventually.

 

Pat

 

In real life there are turboprop conversions available for the Bonanza, do a search for TurbineAir Bonanza, Propjet Bonanza and Allison Turbine Bonanza and depending on the engine fitted increases the cruising speeds to between 215 and 250 knots.

In addition to conversions, a factory turbo-charged version of the A-36 was available from '79-'81 (A36TC) and from 1982 to 2002 (B36TC), but never a turboprop. There are at least 3 companies that have done turboprop conversions and at least a couple that have done turbo-normalizing conversions (maintain sea-level MP up to critical altitude).

I have done a couple more sessions on the Bonanza. Flying is getting smoother. Landing is getting more predictable and routine. When in the pattern for the landing I don't drop below 35-40% power (stated as percentage in the external view), unless I am above the desired slope. I don't go to full flaps until maybe a mile from the end of the runway. And I don't cut back power until just about the end of the runway.

I have done a couple of cross-country flights. One was Phoenix, AZ to Wickenburg, around 60 miles. That gave me time to get up to 7 or 8K feet and settle into a cruise. So the flying is looking good!

I'm glad things are going well for you. Perhaps some of the notes below can help you polish things up a bit.

 

I don't go to full flaps until maybe a mile from the end of the runway.

 

That's a big pattern. The Bonanza probably doesn't need more than ½ to ¾ mile on final, so the base leg shouldn't be more than about ¾ mile from the runway. Of course on an instrument approach it'll be whatever is depicted in the charts, but learning to fly it is VFR. I'd do the first notch of flaps* late on downwind or just after turning base, then full flaps after turning final.

 

For power settings for landing, I'd go through my landing checklist early on downwind, then my mental checklist (GUMPFS) on late downwind, checking Gas, Undercarriage, Mixture (full rich at sea level, less at high fields), Prop (max RPM, all the way forward), Flaps (to what you need at that point), Safety (seats and seat belts, doors and windows, etc.), then again on final, then a quick "three green" check on short final.

 

Never think about MOVEMENT of the controls, rather think of changing PRESSURE on the controls, keeping the pressure changes smooth and not hurried.

 

When in the pattern for the landing I don't drop below 35-40% power (stated as percentage in the external view), unless I am above the desired slope.

 

On downwind I'd carry whatever power is needed to maintain altitude (obviously more once you extend the gear), then abeam the runway on downwind (prop is max now) I'd reduce the throttle to maybe 18" or 19" MP initially, adjusting if needed so as to slow to about 90-95 kts, perhaps adding initial flaps and adjusting throttle as needed, then turn base no more than ¾ mile out (traffic permitting). Turning final I'd add full flaps and slow to about 80 kts (90 mph was the perfect approach speed 'til over the fence, but today it's in knots). When "over the fence" I'd normally bring the power to idle, starting the flare, adding back pressure as needed to make the nose come up gently to a slightly nose high attitude just as I was a couple of feet off of the ground, holding that attitude while looking towards the far end of the runway (don't look too close, it'll throw you off).

 

Of course the above is for no wind at an uncontrolled field. You need to make adjustments for any winds, and with a tower they'll usually dictate what you do for a pattern.

 

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* The flaps on a real Bonanza are not set out in notches, rather the flap switch is a momentary on, so they're moving while you're holding the switch and stop when you release it, either up or down. In real ones for approach (1st notch) flaps I'd extend them to a marking on the flap gauge, which was roughly the amount the left aileron (left because I could see it) deflected down at full rotation of the yoke, which I could find out on the ground, and that's what I used for a short field takeoff, too.