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Line up of the two Beechcrafts at the Hindustan Institute of Engineering Technology in Padur. Pic Courtesy : B Harry |
Present for instructional purposes along with the Queen Air, another Beech aircraft on display at the HIET at Padur is the ex-Hindustan Steel Limited’s Twin Bonanza, with registration VT-DOR. The Aircraft is a forty year old airframe, being taken on rolls on 7 December 1962, and serving for thirty two years before being deregistered on 16 November 1994.
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| The Twin Bonanza sports the same livery as the Queen Air 65, as can be seen in these two photos showing either side of the aircraft. Pic Courtesy : B Harry | |
It is believed to have been based out of Ranchi in Bihar. The aircraft supposedly met with an accident towards the end of its career at Bhubaneshwar in Orissa. Though marked as such in our Civil Register Database, we are unable to locate the actual details of the mishap.
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| Two views of the Twin Bonanza from the rear quarters at the HIET. Unlike the Queen Air, this aircraft does not carry any previous owner’s name on the airframe. Pic Courtesy : B Harry | |
As with the Queen Air, this aircraft turned up at the HIET in mid 2005. How it was procured and where it was procured from etc is still unknown. The aircraft looks essentially complete, none the worse for its forty two year existance. It had protective covers over the spinners when seen at the HIET.
| This view shows the Twin Bonanza from the front. The Engines, props, spinners etc all seem to be in fine nick. Pic Courtesy : B Harry |  |
