Osborne for over 50 years and are now available for virtually all models of the Bonanza, most models of the Navion and the Piper Comanche line, single and twin. It will include flush antennas and lights.Īluminum tip tanks have been built by J. The gross weight increase applies to all models except the straight 35.ĭ’Shannon told us it is about to release a carbon fiber combination wing tip extension and 15-gallon tip tank that will increase the wing area and span of a Bonanza to that of a B36TC Bonanza. They can be installed on all models of the Bonanza except the B36TC. Installation usually runs something over $3000 but less than $4000. Price is about $12,000-it varies slightly with the specialized needs of the airplane. The tanks are shipped primed, ready for paint. The weight increase can be carried in the tanks themselves or in the cabin. ![]() ![]() It can go up by as much as 400 pounds for some IO-550-equipped Bonanzas. One of the other benefits is an increased gross weight from 150 to 300 pounds for most installations. There is a lifetime warranty on the tanks.Īs with any tip tank, installation provides an “end plate” effect that provides aerodynamic benefits, although no performance improvement numbers are provided. The tanks include LED navigation lights and are wired for LED strobes. If the airplane has a magnetometer in the wing tip, it can be placed in a pocket in the tip tank, avoiding the need to relocate the magnetometer. Quantity is monitored by either a gauge on the panel or a sight strip in the side of the tank that allows the pilot to see the fuel in the tank. Fuel is transferred to the main tank on the same side as the tip. It currently offers a 20-gallon tip tank-all usable-made of composite material. The mod is approved for virtually all Barons and is priced at $29,900 for a pair, installed.įor years D’Shannon has specialized in mods for Beech Bonanzas, notably tip tanks. Besides adding a total of 30 extra gallons, the airplane gets the performance benefits of winglets, although no numbers are provided for the claimed increased rate of climb, faster cruise speed and improved single-engine capability. The tank/winglet carries 15 gallons of fuel a side, has a separate filler cap and uses a transfer pump to move the fuel into the main tank. Fortunately, Mike Jones, in Murfreesboro, TN, purchased the STCs and what was left of the jigs and tooling and is carrying on with the mods, including a combination tip tank and winglet for most of the Beech Baron series. ![]() The venerable mod shop, Colemill, which hot-rodded a lot of GA airplanes over the years, went under, pun intended, following a tradition established by Aeronca and the Piper Comanche-the shop was devastated by a flood. While every mod involves tradeoffs, the penalties in terms of drag and weight seem to be minor and the benefits-including, in some cases, gross weight increases-can be quite nice. ![]() We surveyed the six major companies that provide aux fuel tanks and found that they weren’t as expensive as we expected, and there are some that can tack on at least two hours of fuel for a large proportion of the general aviation fleet. For many owners, that means that some sort of auxiliary fuel tanks can give their airplanes more range and potentially increase safety. The reality is that most flights of four- and six-place airplanes are conducted with only one or two of the seats occupied and at something below gross weight. Being able to make a trip nonstop is more than just convenience-it can be a safety of flight issue as the risk of an accident is highest during takeoff and landing.
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