When it comes to piston engine and you want to go fast and in style and carrying large loads, nothing in the market comes close to a Bonanza. It is, as they say, the Cadillac of the skies. I teach a lot on the Bonanza’s and of all the planes I’ve flown in my life, there is just a joy to fly the Bonanza’s.
The G36 in MSFS is a Normally Aspirated engine model. Meaning it will lose performance at higher altitudes compared to a Turbocharged or Turbo normalized Bonanza.
Let’s start with the Basics. Speeds you should know by memory for this plane
| Vx – Best Angle of Climb | 84kts |
|---|---|
| Vy – Best Rate of Climb | 100kts |
| Va – Maneuvering Speed | 140kts |
| Vfe – Max Flap Extended Speed | Approach Flap – 145kts, Full – 124kts |
| Vle - Max Landing Gear Extended Speed | 154kts |
| Vs – Stall Speed | 68kts |
| Vso – Stall Speed in Landing Configuration | 61kts |
| Glide Speed | 110kts |
| Rotation Speed | 73kts |
| Cruise Climb Speed | 110kts |
| Approach to Land Speed | 80kts |
Lets go through the Power Settings and Mixture Settings for Each Phase of the Flight. The PAC (Power, Altitude, Configuration) chart below is a good way to fly the airplane. This allows you to know and have a set of numbers that will give you the performance you can expect from the airplane. It’s a very handy tool IRL flying.
I’ve modified the chart a bit to include all the items in one Table so its easier to consume and read hopefully.
| Condition | MP (Throttle) | RPM (Prop) | LEAN (Mixture) | ATTITUDE | KIAS | GEAR | FLAPS | TRIM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Initial Climb (1000 ft) | FULL | Max RPM | RICH | +10 | 85 | UP on positive rate | UP | +3 – Takeoff |
Cruise Climb
| Condition | MP (Throttle) | RPM (Prop) | LEAN (Mixture) | ATTITUDE | GEAR | FLAPS | KIAS | TRIM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| > 1000ft | 25” | 2500 | RICH | +7 | UP | UP | 110 | As needed |
| 1000ft → 5000ft | 25” | 2500 | 20-22 gph | +7 | UP | UP | 110 | As needed |
| 5000ft → 8000ft | FULL | 2500 | 18-20 gph | +7 | UP | UP | 110 | As needed |
| Above 8000ft | FULL | 2500 | 16-18 gph | +7 | UP | UP | 110 | As needed |
Cruise
| Condition | MP (Throttle) | RPM (Prop) | LEAN (Mixture) | ATTITUDE | GEAR | FLAPS | KIAS | TRIM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| < 6000ft | FULL | 2500 | 15gph | Level | UP | UP | 155 | 0 or -2 |
| 8000ft | FULL | 2500 | 13gph | Level | UP | UP | 150 | 0 or -2 |
| 10,000ft | FULL | 2500 | 12gph | Level | UP | UP | 145 | 0 or -2 |
| 12,000ft | FULL | 2500 | 11gph | Level | UP | UP | 137 | 0 or -2 |
Descent, Approach and Land
| Condition | MP (Throttle) | RPM (Prop) | LEAN (Mixture) | ATTITUDE | GEAR | FLAPS | KIAS | TRIM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Enroute Descent | 15” – 18” As needed | 2500 | Enrich below 3000ft | -2 | UP | UP | Green Arc | As Needed |
| Approach (Level flight) | 17” | 2500 | As is | 0 to +2 | UP | UP | 105-110 | +3 to +5 |
| Precision Descent (ILS) | 15” - 17” | 2500 | RICH | 0 to +2 | DOWN | APPROACH | 105-110 | +3 to +5 |
| Non Precision Descent | 13” – 15” | 2500 | RICH | 0 to +2 | DOWN | APPROACH | 105-110 | +3 to +5 |
| Level MDA | 20”-22” | 2500 | RICH | 0 to +2 | DOWN | APPROACH | 105-110 | +3 to +5 |
| Land | 15” As Needed | 2500 | RICH | 0 to +2 | DOWN | DOWN | 80 | +3 to +5 |
| Missed Approach | FULL | 2500 | RICH | +7 | UP | UP | 105-110 | +3 to +5 |
Notes
Takeoff
Short Field / Soft Field Takeoff – You can use Approach flaps if needed.
High Altitude Airport – Just before Takeoff,
- Full Throttle, Full RPM, Lean the mixture till you get the Max RPM.
- Use that configuration and then Takeoff.
- Cowl Flaps – Open
- Flaps – Up. Almost all Bonanza’s you would take off with Flaps Up.
W&B – In the Real Bonanza you should always do a W&B for Departure and Landing. Depending on the Weight after a long flight the CG will be aft and you have to be careful not to get too aft as that will make the plane pretty unstable on landing. i.e. it will be very sensitive to pitch up motions. Based on what is modeled in MSFS, I think it looks relatively safe.
Instrument Approaches
Precision Approach – Descent is typically 500 – 600 fpm
Non Precision Approaches – Descent is typically 800 – 1000 fpm.
Typically reducing 1" of manifold gives you around 100fpm descent..
Pattern Work
So what we covered so far is all the key phases of the flight and power settings on average. How would we fly a standard pattern? This is a fast airplane. As soon as you pitch for level flight – watch that airspeed increase. So here’s what I do if you want to do some pattern work for say X-wind landing practice etc.
| Phase of Pattern | Throttle | RPM | Mixture | Flaps | Gear |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Upwind (500ft AGL) | Full | Full | Rich | Up | Up |
| Crosswind ( climb to 1000ft AGL) | 25” | 2500 | Rich | Up | Up |
| Downwind (level 1000ft AGL) | 20” | 2500 | Rich | Approach (midfield) | Down (midfield) |
| Base | 15” | 2500 | Rich | Approach | Down |
| Final | 15” – 18” | 2500 | Rich | Down | Down |
There’s probably more I can add here, but this will give you pretty good starting point to really enjoy the Bonanza. If you see anything that is glaringly wrong or looking for other things to add, let me know…