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This 1973 Beechcraft V35B Bonanza Is a Fresh-Engine ‘AircraftForSale’ Top Pick

Dual Garmin GPS/coms, GFC 500 autopilot, and ADS-B weather make this classic V-tail a serious instrument platform.

1973 Beechcraft V35B Bonanza [Credit: Carolina Aircraft]
1973 Beechcraft V35B Bonanza [Credit: Carolina Aircraft]
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Key Takeaways:

  • The article features a 1973 Beechcraft V35B Bonanza as "Today's Top Pick" for its compelling modernization despite its classic airframe.
  • The aircraft boasts a legitimately modern IFR setup, including a full Garmin G3X glass panel, GTN-650Xi, and a Garmin GFC 500 autopilot with yaw damper.
  • It is powered by a freshly overhauled Continental IO-520 engine, showing only 260 hours since major overhaul, ensuring reliable performance.
  • Listed at $289,000 (including Bonanza school), it offers a well-equipped, cross-country machine with a modern panel and strong powerplant.
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Every day, the team at Aircraft For Sale chooses an airplane that catches our attention because it is unique, a good deal, or has other qualities we find interesting. You can read Aircraft For Sale: Today’s Top Pick at FLYINGMag.com daily.

Today’s Top Pick is a 1973 Beechcraft V35B Bonanza.

After more than 75 years in continuous production, the V-tail model remains one of general aviation’s most recognizable silhouettes, and this 1973 V35B out of North Carolina makes a compelling case that the classic airframe has plenty of life left in it.

What makes this particular airplane worth a closer look isn’t just its lineage. It’s the fact that someone spent serious money turning a 50-year-old airframe into a legitimately modern IFR machine, backed by a freshly overhauled engine.

At the heart of the panel is a full Garmin G3X installation, complete with a 10.6-inch landscape primary flight display paired with a 7-inch portrait multifunction display. For pilots accustomed to steam gauges, that kind of screen real estate on a vintage Bonanza is nothing short of remarkable. The G3X is supported by a Garmin GTN-650Xi handling GPS, nav, and com duties with ADS-B traffic and weather, plus a GNC-355A serving as a capable backup. The transponder is a Garmin GTX-345 with ADS-B In/Out, rounding out a surveillance suite that meets every current mandate.

The autopilot is where this V35B really gets to work. The Garmin GFC 500 comes with altitude preselect and yaw damper. That last item matters enormously on the V-tail, which earned its reputation for snaking in cruise. With a yaw damper in the loop, the butterfly tail becomes a non-event and the airplane settles into the kind of hands-off, mile-eating cruise it was always meant to fly.

On the powerplant side, the news is equally good. The Continental IO-520 producing 285 hp shows only 260 hours since major overhaul. That’s essentially a fresh engine on a proven airframe. GAMI fuel injectors promote balanced cylinder operation and efficient leaning, and D’Shannon engine baffles help keep temperatures in check on long legs. The three-blade scimitar propeller has 955 hours since overhaul — still well within a normal TBO window.

With 5,370 hours on the airframe and complete logs, the history here is traceable and intact. The useful load of 1,119 pounds is competitive for the class.

1973 Beechcraft V35B Bonanza [Credit: Carolina Aircraft]
1973 Beechcraft V35B Bonanza [Credit: Carolina Aircraft]

Practical touches throughout suggest this was set up by someone who actually flies it. Panel-mounted USB charging ports, a co-pilot push-to-talk, an external power receptacle, front LEMO plugs for Bose headsets, LED taxi and landing lights, and an alternate static air source are the kinds of additions that accumulate over the life of a well-loved working airplane.

Listed at $289,000, with Bonanza school included with the purchase, this aircraft presents a IFR-equipped cross-country machine with a modern glass panel and a fresh engine ready for its next adventure.

If you’re exploring ownership options, FLYING Finance can help get you airborne. Use our airplane loan calculator to estimate your monthly payments, or connect with an aviation finance expert at flyingfinance.com.

FLYING Staff

FLYING Magazine is a one-stop resource for everything aviation, including news, training, aircraft, gear, careers, photos, videos, and more.

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