Hello all:
I have a question for those of you who know the Beechcraft Bonanza line and its descendants quite well:
How similar were the wings of the Beech N35 Bonanza to those of the T-34C Turbo Mentor?
The reason I ask is that I have two models, one of the N35 Bonanza and one of a T-34C and I’d like to bash the Mentor’s wings onto the bonanza as the Bonanza’s wings aren’t grand (especially around the landing gear) and the Mentor’s wings are about the only good thing in the kit.
I know the Mentor line was derived from the Bonanza but I don’t know exactly how close they really are. Looking at pictures on the net, the wing looks very similar between the two types.
So really what were the differences between the V-tail Bonanza’s wing and the Turbo Mentor’s? Could the Turbo Mentor’s wing be retailored at all to represent the Bonanza’s?
Thanks in advance for any help.
Externally there will be no difference between the N Bonanza and the T-34C except for the wing tips and the position light arrangement. As to the N, if you are doing any particular one you will want to look at the wingtips, aft cabin window, and windshield because these are all areas that frequently are brought up to V-35A or V-35B standards, which are different from what the N would have looked like when it left the factory. The landing gear on a T-34C differs in detail but not in dimensions.
Obviously you are talking about the Sword T-34C. Did they ever mess up the canopy on that kit! A new one is definitely in order, it just doesn’t look like a T-34 with the mess they put out.
I remember reading somewhere that unlike the A & B models of the T-34, the wing design was based upon the Baron wing rather than the Bonanza. Same basic outline, but the interior structure is beefed up.
Actually, The T-34C I have is a limited run kit from a Russian outfit called Sky-High. beyond this kit I know nothing else that they do. Its very much like an Amodel kit in the way its made. most of the detail is heavy and crude, but the wings are decent and the main landing gear are a whole lot better than what comes in the old Arii Bonanza that I want to bash them onto.
Thanks for your input.