Bay Super V

Bay Super V
A 1962 Bay Super V
Role utility aircraft
National origin United States of America
Manufacturer Bay Aviation
Designer David G. Peterson
First flight 1956
Introduction 1960
Number built 14
Developed from Beechcraft Bonanza

Beginning in the late 1950s the United States aircraft company Bay Aviation (formerly Oakland Airmotive) produced nine twin-engine conversions of the Beechcraft Bonanza called the Super "V" Bonanza. After production was shifted to Canada in 1962, five more aircraft were built for a total production run of fourteen. The basis of the conversion was the early Model 35 Bonanza with the original small V-tail surfaces. The Super-V competed with Beechcraft's own Travel Air twin-engine Bonanza derivative.

History

Development

The Super-V is an extensive conversion of the Beechcraft Model 35 Bonanza. Serial number records indicate the aircraft chosen for conversion range in production dates from 1947-1950.[1] The original conversion was developed by David Peterson as the "Skyline Super-V" in 1955-56, assisted by W.D. Johnson, and the rights to the conversion were acquired by Oakland Airmotive on July 2, 1958. Oakland Airmotive became Bay Aviation Services on July 8, 1960.[2] The main wing spar was strengthened considerably in the process.[3] The airframe is so different from the original Bonanza that, rather than supplementing the original type certificate, the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued a completely new certificate for the Super-V.[4]

Rear view of the Super V used in a 1960 global circumnavigation by Chuck Banfe.

Oakland Airmotive intended to produce converted planes starting in 1960, but never progressed beyond manufacturing and installing Super-V conversion kits on customer-supplied Bonanzas.[2] Ed Gough was the President.[3] FAA type certification was granted in June 1960.[2][4] Production drawings, bills of material, etc. were prepared and there were several conversions in the pipeline. Flying Magazine published a story on the Super V in October 1960[3] and the marketing efforts were reaching a peak, with a Super-V (Registration N617B) completing a successful circumnavigation of the globe.[5]

This Super-V was flown by Chuck Banfe around the world in 1960.

The cost of a standard conversion was initially priced at US$22,500 in 1960, not including the cost of the donor aircraft.[3]

The Super-V was initially certificated with the carburetor-equipped Lycoming O-360-A1A engines.[4] Although the engines were intended to be fuel-injected, as on David Peterson's developmental prototype, the engines on the prototype did not meet FAA approval.[2] As a preliminary first step towards true fuel injection, the O-360-A1C engine was adopted in August 1960, which eliminated the possibility of carburetor icing.[2] The type certificate was later revised to include the A1C engine variant, and flight testing with O-360-A1C engines was not completed until early 1961 at SFO.[4][6]

Early Accidents

The sales manager, Kenneth Bellamy, was killed in a crash fifteen miles southeast of Brighton, Colorado, while demonstrating the Super V to a potential buyer, Don Vest, founder of Vest Aircraft Company on September 14, 1960. A crop-duster pilot, John Curry, was also killed in the crash. It was believed that Vest was at the controls of the Super-V at the time of the crash.[7][8]

The Super-V belonging to Southland Corporation, a distributor for Bay Aviation Services, crashed on August 12, 1961, near Ardmore, Oklahoma, with at least one survivor.[2]

Shifting Production

It is likely the relatively high cost of the Super-V conversion and competition the Beechcraft Travel Air, a factory-built twin-engine aircraft of comparable role and size, resulted in low demand for the Super-V. This, coupled with workmanship issues and early crashes,[2] led to the rapid dissolution of Bay Aviation. Bay Aviation became Lawrence Properties in 1962.[2]

Production was transferred to Fleet Aircraft in 1962 with some detail improvements to fulfill existing orders.[9] A separate type certificate was issued for planes manufactured by Fleet in Canada, this time with O-360-A1D engines.[10] The production rights were sold again to Mitchell Aircraft in 1963.[11] The current type certificate holder is KWAD Company.[4][10]

Specific Aircraft

The Super-V serial number consists of the Super-V serial number (in the format SV###) accompanied by the donor plane serial number (D####).[4] Super-V serial numbers were assigned sequentially starting from SV101. Serial numbers as high as SV117 are known to exist; SV101 was later rebuilt into SV116, and SV110 and SV111 were skipped, hence known production is fourteen aircraft.[11] Of the fourteen, nine were built by Bay Aviation (of which five have been destroyed, two still hold current registration, and two have unknown disposition) and five were built by Fleet Aircraft (of which two have been destroyed, one still holds current registration, and two have unknown disposition).

Pine Air Super V N3124V (SV109) at the Beechcraft Heritage Museum in Tullahoma, Tennessee

Specifications

Data from Jane's All The World's Aircraft 1961–62[39]

General characteristics

Performance

See also

Related development
Aircraft of comparable role, configuration and era
Related lists

References

  1. "Beechcraft Serialization List, 1945-2014" (PDF). beechcraft.com. Beechcraft. August 2014. Retrieved October 9, 2014.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Bay Aviation Services Co. v Southland Aviation, Inc., 211 F.Supp. 125, 130 (United States District Court, W.D. Arkansas, Texarkana Division December 4, 1962).
  3. 1 2 3 4 Banfe, Chuck (October 1960). "Check Pilot Report: New Super-V". Flying (New York, New York: Ziff-Davis): 54–55, 124. Retrieved October 8, 2014.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Type Certificate Data Sheet No. 4A29" (PDF). faa.gov. Federal Aviation Administration. October 23, 1978. Retrieved October 15, 2014.
  5. 1 2 Banfe, Chuck (October 1961). "Around the World in 8½ Days". Flying (New York, New York: Ziff-Davis): 50–51, 109–112. Retrieved October 8, 2014.
  6. "Briefings . . .". Flying (New York, New York: Ziff-Davis): 114. June 1961. Retrieved October 8, 2014.
  7. Bay Aviation Services Co. v. District Court in and for the City and County of Denver, and Katherine L. Curry, 370 P.2d 752 (Supreme Court of Colorado March 19, 1962).
  8. "76 Persons Escape Injury as Another Plane Flips Over". Marshall Evening Chronicle (Marshall, Michigan). September 15, 1960. Retrieved October 9, 2014.
  9. "Fixed-Wing Aircraft". Flying (New York, New York: Ziff-Davis): 106. November 1962. Retrieved October 8, 2014.
  10. 1 2 3 "Type Certificate Data Sheet No. A5IN" (PDF). faa.gov. Federal Aviation Administration. October 13, 1978. Retrieved October 15, 2014.
  11. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 McTavish, Ken; McTavish, Trevor (2013). "Oddballs". twinnavion.com. Ken & Trevor McTavish. Retrieved October 9, 2014.
  12. "NTSB Incident Report OAK68D0351". ntsb.gov. National Transportation Safety Board. April 28, 1968. Retrieved October 9, 2014.
  13. "FAA Registry Inquiry (N104SV)". registry.faa.gov. Federal Aviation Administration. 9 October 2014. Retrieved 9 October 2014.
  14. "NTSB Incident Report". ntsb.gov. National Transportation Safety Board. April 11, 1964. Retrieved October 9, 2014.
  15. "Beech 35 Bonanza (V-Tail) Production List, D-1000 to D-1999" (PDF). Air Britain. 22 August 2015. Retrieved 29 February 2016.
  16. "FAA Registry Inquiry (N549B)". registry.faa.gov. Federal Aviation Administration. 29 February 2016. Retrieved 29 February 2016.
  17. "FAA Registry Inquiry (N4530V)". registry.faa.gov. Federal Aviation Administration. 9 October 2014. Retrieved October 9, 2014.
  18. "NTSB Incident Report IAD73FLQ31". ntsb.gov. National Transportation Safety Board. May 22, 1973. Retrieved October 9, 2014.
  19. "Incident 3302". aviation-safety.net. Aviation Safety Network. April 11, 1973. Retrieved October 9, 2014.
  20. "NTSB Incident Report FTW73AF060". ntsb.gov. National Transportation Safety Board. April 11, 1973. Retrieved October 9, 2014.
  21. "Incident 3301". aviation-safety.net. Aviation Safety Network. November 16, 1971. Retrieved October 9, 2014.
  22. "NTSB Incident Report NYC72AN067". ntsb.gov. National Transportation Safety Board. November 16, 1971. Retrieved October 9, 2014.
  23. "FAA Registry Inquiry (N430MD)". registry.faa.gov. Federal Aviation Administration. 9 October 2014. Retrieved 9 October 2014.
  24. "Beechcraft Heritage Museum - Super V Bonanza, c/n SV-109D-549, N3124V". beechcraftheritagemuseum.org. Beechcraft Heritage Museum. October 9, 2014. Retrieved October 9, 2014.
  25. "FAA Registry Inquiry (N3124V)". registry.faa.gov. Federal Aviation Administration. October 9, 2014. Retrieved October 9, 2014.
  26. "NTSB Incident Report IAD73FLQ31". ntsb.gov. National Transportation Safety Board. August 27, 1964. Retrieved October 9, 2014.
  27. Gove, Claron (February 23, 2004). "CLARON GOVE COLLECTION No. 3315. Pine Air Super V (N3124V c/n SV-109-D549)". 1000aircraftphotos.com. Ron Dupas & Johan Visschedijk. Retrieved October 9, 2014.
  28. "Incident 10727". aviation-safety.net. Aviation Safety Network. February 19, 1976. Retrieved October 9, 2014.
  29. "NTSB Incident Report MIA76AM063". ntsb.gov. National Transportation Safety Board. February 19, 1976. Retrieved October 9, 2014.
  30. "FAA Registry Inquiry (N551B)". registry.faa.gov. Federal Aviation Administration. October 9, 2014. Retrieved October 9, 2014.
  31. Davisson, Budd (February 1999). "The Other Twin Bonanza: Bay Aviation Super "V"". EAA Sport Aviation (Milwaukee, Wisconsin: Experimental Aircraft Association). Retrieved October 9, 2014.
  32. "FAA Registry Inquiry (N4559V)". registry.faa.gov. Federal Aviation Administration. 9 October 2014. Retrieved October 9, 2014.
  33. "NTSB Incident Report". ntsb.gov. National Transportation Safety Board. February 26, 1964. Retrieved October 9, 2014.
  34. "NTSB Incident Report SEA75FYE37". ntsb.gov. National Transportation Safety Board. March 29, 1975. Retrieved October 9, 2014.
  35. "NTSB Incident Report SEA7KAS043". ntsb.gov. National Transportation Safety Board. May 30, 1975. Retrieved October 9, 2014.
  36. "NTSB Incident Report NYC67A0004". ntsb.gov. National Transportation Safety Board. July 5, 1966. Retrieved October 9, 2014.
  37. "FAA Registry Inquiry (N174SV)". registry.faa.gov. Federal Aviation Administration. 9 October 2014. Retrieved October 9, 2014.
  38. "FAA Registry Inquiry (N457B)". registry.faa.gov. Federal Aviation Administration. 9 October 2014. Retrieved October 9, 2014.
  39. Taylor, John W.R., ed. (1961). Jane's All the World's Aircraft 1961-62. London, England: Sampson Low, Marston & Co. p. 205.

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