Interesting discussion but probably a moot debate. After running the numbers on my aircraft with an empty weight of 2370#, full fuel of 110 gallons (660#) and four 200# adults; 60# of luggage I get a gross weight of 3790# (my limit is 3400#). The CG is 94.6 or .10 aft of the aft limit. Any more weight is going to have to be airframe related and I don't know how you could stuff anything more into this airframe than I have. Now the person asking the question has probably never flown a IVP with four adults but you probably wouldn't want to do it for very long. Its not that comfortable IMHO with more than two for a long trip or three for a short one. If you fill up your baggage area with 100# of luggage and have 145 gallons of fuel you could get this scenario up to 4127# and be over 1/2 inch aft of aft CG.

 

My typical load is two adults, full fuel, 50 pounds of luggage and a gross of 3300# with a CG right in the middle. I have carried four adults but only with half fuel and no baggage.

 

Bonanza gross weights have increased over the years from 2950# on the 1959 K35 to 3850# on the B36TC model with a TSIO 520 engine. OF course, structural changes were made to handle this as well as airframe changes to accommodate a larger CG range and higher horsepower engines. All this happened with approved engineering data and many flight tests.

 

Hamid says it best.

 

Fly smart-- fly safe

 

Jeff Edwards

LIVP N619SJ