The Flying Doodles, a YouTube channel where they fly a different airplane every week and interview the owners that fly them, recently posted this video about the Beechcraft Sundowner, a “mini Bonanza,” which includes a flight with the owner to get some barbecue.
Did a flight review in one of these many years ago. Sure was a big step up from the Cessna 150’s/152’s I was used to. The control feel and harmony is what I remember most, very responsive and silky smooth. And with 180 horses pulling up front it did fine even at Albuquerque’s hot/high density altitude with the two of us aboard. And of course, it was as solid as a rock thanks to those wonderful Beechcrafters. Big, roomy, and with doors on both sides easy to enter/egress. At a very reasonable price point, the question becomes, “Do you want to go a little faster, or go with great comfort and confidence?”
No doubt the Sundowner has that wonderful Beech quality.
However and as mentioned, it is a slow airplane and has a relatively anemic rate of climb when flown in areas such as the Arizona mountains in summer.(aka-density altitude) In comparison, PA 28 Pipers (Cherokee 180/Archer) will outperform the Sundowner. So as with any airplane, it is a tradeoff, but if you can live with the performance issues, the panel layout is wonderful, it has 2 doors, and it is a nice looking, extremely well built comfortable machine—-not a mini Bonanza, but a good old Beech.