PAGE FOUR

Model 33: Debonair/Straight Tailed Bonanzas
For nearly 15 years after it’s introduction, the Bonanza had the high-speed, four-place market to itself. Then Piper and Cessna did something unpardonable: they designed competing airplanes. The Commache may not have been as fast or as luxurious as a Bonanza and the same thing could be said for the new Cessna 210, but both airplanes came close and they were much, much cheaper. Beechcraft responded by designing an airplane that was supposed to be a bargain basement Bonanza that could beat those upstarts on their own ground. The new airplane was the Model 33 and was dubbed the Debonair. In this case, the name, in addition to having a bouncy, elegant sound, actually was a term that went back to French falconers and meant “...to be of good air,” which was term for a really oustanding Falcon.

When designing the airplane they wanted to make it very un-Bonanza-like, so it recieved a straight tail, which was actually nothing but the same “V” tail, flattened out with a rudder and fin added. The interior would be Spartan, by Beechcraft standards, and so much equipment would be optional, that you even had to pay extra for a second hand on the altimeter.

The best laid plans of mice and marketeers sometimes go down the tubes and, when the Debonair debuted in November of 1959, buyers weren’t exactly pounding on Beechcraft’s door. It was still more expensive than the competition, and it lacked that Beechcraft look and feel that the Beech audience had come to expect. The result was that beginning almost immediately, the company began putting more and more frills on the airplane in an attempt to attract customers until they realized they had closed most of the gap on the Bonanza and dropped the Debonair name altogether in 1968. Well, it seemed like a good idea at the time.

Model 33 Debonair -1960
Beechcraft had Continental produce a special version of the venerable I0-470 that put out 225 horsepower but burned 80/87 octane fuel and turned a Hartzell constant speed, two-blade prop. The airframe was simplified in a lot of minor areas such as eliminating the cowl flaps and using normal push-pull controls in place of the vernier throttle and mixture. They even went so far as to replacing the 6.50 x 6” tires of the Bonanza with 6.00 x 6”.

Debonair A33 - 1961
Beechcraft must have been asking themselves “What can we add to the airplane that will make it more attractive?,” as the cosmetic changes began before the Debonair was a year old. Among other things, the A33 introduced a fancier paint job, a hat shelf and a cute little fold down armrest for the front seats. Realizing they’d gone too far in simplifying the airplane, they put a complete ventilation and exhaust air system in it.

Debonair B33 - 1962
Parroting similar changes happening on the Bonanza at the time, the Debonair received the leading edge fuel tanks which, along with the optional aux tanks, reduced the number of tanks from four to two. The airplane also received the new P35 Bonanza instrument panel which included full-time fuel gauges for each tank, rather than a selector switch.

Debonair C33 - 1965
Yet another step towards Bonanzaizing the Debonair came when they began offering the long rear window. At the same time they increased the size of the dorsal fin which made the longitudinal stability of an already stable airplane even better. Among other interior changes, the bench seat in the rear was replaced by individually adjustable bucket seats.

Debonair C33A - 1966
The sczhetsophrenia (SPELLING??) reach all time highs when Beech offered the 285 hp IO-520 of the Bonanza as an option in the Debonair. Now they had a 200 mph airplane that was equipped like a Bonanza, went like a Bonanza and smelled like a Bonanza. So, what the hell, they decided, next year we’ll call it a Bonanza, which made the 1966/67 Debonair, the last to carry that name.

Bonanza E33 - 1968
Although they dropped the name “Debonair”, they held on to the 225 hp engine and continued to make the 285 hp version an option designated by the suffix “A.” At the same time they extended the windshield, giving it a greater slope and made the longer third window standard equipment, rather than an option.

Bonanza E33C Aerobatic Bonanza-1968
Talk about daring moves! Beechcraft decided to certify the 285 hp E33A in the aerobatic category and call it the E33C. Further, when designing the airplane for akro, they didn’t play around as the airplane was certified for just about all inside aerobatic maneuvers including snap rolls and momentary inverted flight which allowed true slow rolls. What a kick! A total of 25 were produced.

GO TO NEXT PAGE