14 April 2021
A special colour – ‘Mrs Beech Blue’ – defines a special edition of the Beechcraft Bonanza G36 as the long-running aircraft enters its 75th year of continuous production.
The blue is a custom shade that Olive Ann Beech, who ran Beechcraft after her husband Walter died in 1950, adopted on the advice of fashion designer Oleg Cassini.
The colour became her brand and could be found on everything from her dress suits and office furnishings to her car’s paint and personal aircraft interiors.
The commemorative Bonanza G36 uses ‘Mrs Beech Blue’ on the exterior paint scheme and the interior’s window panels, carpet and accents. Other details include a 1954 ‘Bubble B’ logo on the carpet entry and Olive Beech’s signature above the cabin table and as an exterior graphic.
Cabin of the special edition Beechcraft Bonanza. Top: ‘Mrs Beech Blue’ is the colour for the 75th edition. Images: Textron Aviation
Textron Aviation which now owns the brand is taking orders for the limited-edition model for delivery in 2022, the 75th year.
Lannie O’Bannion, VO of Beech Sales & Flight Operations, said, “We know Walter and Olive Ann Beech would be proud of where we’ve taken their stylish and powerful piston with today’s Bonanza G36.”
More than 18,000 Bonanza aircraft have entered the market since deliveries began, 15 years after Walter and Olive Ann started Beech Aircraft Company in Wichita, Kansas.
Olive Ann became president in 1950 making her the first woman to head a major aircraft company. career spanned 50 years and by the time she retired in 1982, she had grown the company from 10 to 10,000 employees.
The six-seat Beechcraft Bonanza G36 is powered by a 300hp Continental IO-550-B engine and a three-blade constant-speed propeller. Max cruise speed is 176kt, max range 920nm+, max payload of 1,060 lb, and the service ceiling is 18,500ft. Among recent upgrades is Garmin’s G1000 NXI flight deck.
