Beechcraft Bonanza A36 (late, IO-550-B)

Beechcraft introduced the Bonanza 36 in 1968 as a stretched six-seat derivative of the four-seat 33 Debonair / F33A. The original 36 carried the 285 hp IO-520-BB. The A36 designation arrived in 1970 with various refinements, and the airplane continued in active production through the 1970s and 1980s under multiple engine variants.

The IO-550-B (300 hp) replaced the IO-520-BB in the A36 in 1984. The new engine added 15 hp, improved cruise speed, and extended TBO from 1,700 to 1,900 hours. The IO-550 also reduced cylinder wear concerns that had affected some IO-520-BB installations. The 1984 to 2005 A36 with IO-550-B is therefore the preferred late-model A36 variant for buyers wanting maximum performance and modern engine economics.

The G36 replaced the A36 in 2006 with the Garmin G1000 glass panel as standard equipment and various interior refinements. The IO-550-B engine carried forward. As of mid-2026, both A36 and G36 airplanes remain in active service with strong support through the American Bonanza Society and various Bonanza-specialty shops. Several thousand A36s remain on the FAA registry.

The late A36 with IO-550-B cruises at 170 to 180 KTAS at 75% power and 8,000 feet, burning 13 to 15 gph. Long-range cruise at 65% power drops fuel burn to 12 to 13 gph at 160 to 170 KTAS. Lean-of-peak operation with a six-cylinder engine monitor can pull cruise burn down to 11 to 12 gph at moderate power settings. The IO-550-B installation runs cooler and cleaner than the IO-520-BB it replaced.

Useful load is the A36's defining strength among singles. A typical late A36 has 1,150 to 1,250 pounds of useful load. Full fuel is 74 gallons usable (444 pounds), leaving 700 to 800 pounds for six people and bags. The airplane handles four adults plus 200 pounds of bags on long cross-country legs. Six adults work for shorter legs, with the club seating in the rear making three-row use comfortable.

The aft double cargo door is a defining A36 feature. The right rear of the cabin has a club-seating arrangement with two seats facing rearward and two seats facing forward in the third row. The double-wide cargo door makes the airplane practical for stretchers, bulky cargo, and easy passenger loading. This combination of speed, useful load, and cabin flexibility has kept the A36 the dominant six-seat piston single in general aviation.

The Continental IO-550-B (300 hp, six-cylinder, fuel injected) is the engine in all 1984 to 2005 A36 airplanes. Continental's published TBO for the IO-550-B is 1,900 hours per Continental Service Information Letter SIL 98-9E, 200 hours longer than the IO-520-BB it replaced. The IO-550-B runs cooler, makes more power, and has better cylinder durability than the earlier IO-520-BB.

Field overhaul of an IO-550-B runs $45,000 to $65,000 in 2026 at a name-brand shop (Western Skyways, RAM Aircraft, or Air Power are common choices). Factory rebuild runs about $90,000 at current Continental pricing. Owner-assisted overhauls are uncommon on certified IO-550 installations because the work is specialized.

Propeller is a Hartzell three-blade aluminum constant-speed with a 2,400-hour or six-year overhaul cycle per Hartzell Service Letter HC-SL-61-61Y Rev 12. Overhaul runs $3,500 to $5,500 in 2026. McCauley three-blade props are an alternate on some A36 configurations.

The late A36 is expensive to operate per hour but delivers six-seat cross-country capability that no certified piston single matches at lower cost.

Fuel runs $75 to $105 per hour at $5.50 to $7 per gallon and 13 to 15 gph. Engine reserve is $24 to $34 per hour ($45,000 to $65,000 overhaul amortized across 1,900 hours). Prop reserve is $1 to $2 per hour. Airframe maintenance reserve is $25 to $50 per hour, the high end of the certified single range because of retract gear, complex airframe, and Bonanza-specific items. All-in at 100 hours a year runs $130 to $190 per hour, plus $6,000 to $11,000 in annual fixed costs.

Beechcraft-specific calendar items are real. The magnesium ruddervators (on V-tail Bonanzas only, not the A36 straight-tail) are not an A36 concern, but the A36 has its own items including landing gear actuator inspection cycles, fuel bladder replacement schedules, and the well-known prop AD compliance history.

Acquisition cost in mid-2026 runs $180,000 to $260,000 for a clean late A36 with steam gauges and original paint, $260,000 to $375,000 for an A36 with glass panel retrofit and recent paint, $375,000 to $475,000 for a low-time example with current avionics. G36 acquisition cost is meaningfully higher and covered on the G36 page separately.