Joe Garner's N-35 Bonanza

With an IO-550 conversion!

This photo was taken by Norm Rose, a member of the pilots club (Aircraft Pilots of the Bay Area ) I belong to. We where returning from a trip to Death Valley in November 1994. We where enroute over the Owens Valley which is east of the Sierra Nevada Mountains. Somewhere between Bishop and Mono Lake, CA. I think. I was trying to catch another Bonanza, and went past Norm in his Cessna 182 about 50 kt faster than he was going. If I had known how well the pictures would have turned out I would have been a little slower! This was before the Chevron disaster and the IO-550 engine upgrade.

12/5/1997 - I am currently upgrading my panel, replacing it with a newer one I obtained from a salvage yard. Here are some pictures of this work in progress.

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The IO-550 conversion was done in 1994, after the Chevron fuel disaster. It took about 6 months to get the engine installed and all the mods done so the plane could fly. We started in May of 1994, and flew in January of 1995 with the new engine

The plane, a N-35 Bonanza built in 1961 has about 4000 hours on the airframe, and about 130 hours on the engine.

• It has the TCM IO-550 engine, rated at 300hp, ( at 26 gallons an hour! ) done with the Beryl D'Shannon STC
• Hartzell 3 blade propeller.
• Dual Nav-Coms - a Narco NCS-812 with DME, and a King KX-155 - both with glide slope
• King KR-86 ADF
• Century 1 autopilot -- just a wing leveler, with VOR tracking
• Shadin Fuel totilizer
• JPI scanner
• IIMorrow Loran

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As well as the IO-550 the following mods have been done

• Beryl D'Shannon air oil separator
• Beryl D'Shannon gap seals
• FliteCraft cooling vents
• Ruddervator Cuffs
• Cleveland Brakes

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I normally cruse about 165 ktas, and plan for 15 gal/hr. sometimes I get a little better fuel flow on log trips. The plane performs well at altitude, I've had it up to 19,000ft and could maintain a 500 fpm climb at that altitude. Takeoff climb at Vx is over 2000 fpm at sea level. I have noticed cooling problems if I climb at less than 120kias though.

Wish List!

• A panel like Howard's J-35, with HSI and center stack radios -- the old Bonanza panel is cluttered with all the add-on's one can install these days.
• Tip Tanks would be nice, an extra 30-40 gal would extend my range and add options on trips.
• Speed Sloped windshield -- really adds to the looks of the plane, and provides access to the rear of the panel. Besides my windshields need replacing!

Chevron Fuel Disaster - 1994

The Chevron Fuel Disaster: When Chevron Oil Co. accidently mixed jet fuel with avgas - they replaced every engine that was run on the bad fuel at their expense! Chevron paid the cost of a factory reman IO-470N, the original engine in my bonanza, I paid the difference for the engine upgrade and the cost of a new Hartzell 3 blade propeller.

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