Beechcraft Travel Air

Beechcraft · United States · first flew 1956 · light aircraft

The Beechcraft Travel Air was an entry-level twin-engine light aircraft developed by Beechcraft in 1956, intended to give pilots a less expensive step into multi-engine flying than the Twin Bonanza. It features a conventional low-wing layout with twin Lycoming engines.

Recognition (WEFT)

W — Wings	Low-mounted, tapered
E — Engines	2 × piston, wing-mounted
F — Fuselage	7.85 m fuselage
T — Tail	Conventional

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Spot it by:

Light twin with Beechcraft's characteristic tapered low wing
Entry-level Beechcraft twin, simplified from the Twin Bonanza
Four/five-seat general aviation twin for private and charter use

Closely resembles a scaled-down Twin Bonanza or an early Baron; the narrow fuselage, twin nacelled engines, and tapered low wing without the V-tail of some Bonanza models are characteristic.

Specifications

The Beechcraft Travel Air has a length of 7.85 m (26 ft).
It has a wingspan of 11.07 m (36 ft).
Its maximum speed is 298 km/h (185 mph).
Typical crew: 1 pilot + up to 4 passengers.

Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.

History

Introduced in 1957, the Travel Air used components and tooling from the Bonanza single to minimise costs. It sold reasonably well as an economical twin trainer and personal transport, though it was eventually overshadowed by the more capable Beechcraft Baron.

Variants

The Model 95 Travel Air had minor engine and equipment updates across its production run; the 95-A55 Baron was a more powerful development that effectively replaced it.

Where you'll see it

Widely sold to private owners and flight training academies in the US and abroad; many remain active in private hands as affordable twin-engine trainers.

Related aircraft

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