The Beechcraft Bonanza is a general aviation aircraft introduced in 1947 by The Beech Aircraft Corporation. As of 2007 it is still being produced by the Beechcraft Division of Raytheon Aircraft. More than 17,000 Bonanzas have been built.

Development
Designed by a team led by Ralph Harmon, the original model 35 Bonanza was the first truly modern high-performance personal aircraft: a very fast, all-metal, low-wing monoplane at a time when most light aircraft were still made of wood and fabric. The model 35 featured retractable landing gear and its signature V-tail, which made it both highly efficient and the most distinctive private aircraft in the sky. The prototype 35 Bonanza made its first flight on December 22, 1945, with the first production aircraft debuting as 1947 models.

At the end of World War II two all-metal aircraft emerged, the 35 Bonanza and the Cessna 195, that represented very different approaches to the premium-end of the postwar civil aviation market. With its high wing, seven cylinder radial engine and fixed undercarriage, the Cessna 195 was little more than a continuation of prewar technology; the 35 Bonanza, however, was more like the great fighters developed during the war. Featuring a more powerful and easier to manage horizontally-opposed six cylinder engine, a rakishly streamlined shape, retractable undercarriage and low-wing configuration, the Bonanza captured the public's imagination, as well as the premium light plane market. The Cessna was unable to compete with the more advanced Bonanza (although it was the progenitor of the highly successful Cessna 172 and its variants, which dominated the lower end of the light plane market for decades).

A series of fatal accidents caused many to suspect flaws in the V-tail structural design. An exhaustive study by Beech concluded that the cause was primarily the prevalent use of the Bonanza for long-distance travel in all types of weather, and that the inflight breakups were mainly the result of excursions into extreme turbulence (as might be found in thunderstorms), not any inherent flaw in the design. Other types, such as the Cessna 210, that were similarly employed did not have the same breakup rate as the Bonanza, and a more likely explanation was that the leading edges of the stabilizers were cantilevered too far ahead of the main spars. FAA issued two Airworthiness Directives covering the V-tail. The first (AD 2002-21-13) applied only to the earliest 35, A35, and B35 models built in 1947 to 1950, and mandated a detailed inspection and repair procedure. The second (AD 94-20-04 R2) required a one-time inspection of the empennage structure, reinforced the need for correct balancing of the control surfaces and tensioning of the cables, and included the installation of a cuff securing the leading edge of the stabilizers to the fuselage skins.

Partially as a result of the negative publicity accompanying the investigation, in 1982 the V-tail Bonanza was dropped from production, though more than 6,000 V-tail models are still flying today. In general aviation circles, the epithet "fork-tailed doctor killer" became a familiar denigration of the V-tail model. The phrase plays on Luftwaffe references to the Lockheed P-38 Lightning as the "fork-tailed devil," but it mainly derides physicians' perceived lack of piloting experience (due to little spare time available) and a tendency to buy expensive high-performance planes that are a poor fit for inexperienced pilots. Many model 35 Bonanzas are still flying, and they command a premium price on the used aircraft market. A V-tail Bonanza that is in compliance with all of the pertinent Airworthiness Directives is a safe aircraft which is coveted by pilots worldwide for its performance, handling, speed and comfort.

The straight-tail model 33 continued in production until 1995. Still built today is the model 36 Bonanza, a longer-bodied, straight-tail variant of the original design, introduced in 1968. As of 2007, a new 36 Bonanza costs nearly $670,000, considerably more than newer competitors such as the Cirrus SR22. For some 70 purchasers per year, the additional cost is warranted by the extra space in the Model 36 Bonanza (it has six seats as opposed to the four in the Cirrus), while others appreciate the rich history and undeniable cachet of flying one of aviation's classic designs.

All Bonanzas share an unusual feature: the yoke and rudder pedals are interconnected by a system of flexible bungees which assist in keeping the airplane in coordinated flight during turns. The bungee system allows the pilot to make coordinated turns using the yoke alone, or with minimal rudder input, during cruise flight. On takeoff increased right-rudder pressure is still required to overcome torque and P-factor. In the landing phase the bungee system must be over-ridden by the pilot when making crosswind landings and cross-controlled inputs are required to keep the nose of the airplane aligned with the runway centerline without drifting left or right. This feature started with the V-tail and persists on the current production model.

Most pilots find the handling of the Bonanza, especially the short-bodied models 33 and 35, to be delightfully responsive and balanced. This does make the plane less stable in turbulence.

The twin-engine variant of the Bonanza is called the Baron, whereas the Twin Bonanza is a different design and not based on the original single-engine Bonanza fuselage.