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Colemill's Starfire Bonanza
"A Better Airplane All The Way Around"
"It's just a better airplane all the way around." That's how William Dover, an industrial insulation contractor, described his A36 Bonanza after flying it for more than 400 hours following the Colemill Starfire modification.
Dover's company, Dover Insulation, Inc., in Marion, North Carolina, does work all over the eastern half of the country and beyond. Dover uses his Dover said he was especially impressed by the "I used to use headsets. But, now I don't wear headsets very often because the noise level is so much lower," Dover said.
But, Dover added that the quieter cabin was only one of several improvements he noticed in his Bonanza following the Colemill conversion.
"The rate of climb is improved. It's faster. Everything about it I'm pleased with. I would highly recommend it," Dover said.
"I've got nothing but positive things to say about it - nothing negative.
When asked about his experience in dealing with the people at Colemill, Dover responded. "The workmanship was superb. There were no callbacks. The airplane never went back over to Nashville to have anything touched up - everything worked just fine. That's kind of unusual."
Colemill has offered the Starfire Bonanza conversion for several years. During that time many Bonanza owners have had the modification performed and have reported the same improvements in performance and cabin comfort that William Dover talked about.
The Starfire's extra speed and climb performance comes from the installation of a Continental I0-550 300 h.p. engine. This is the engine that is built extremely strong with a heavy duty case and additional cylinder hold-downs to eliminate case cracking problems. But the I0-550 - which Colemill uses in several of its modifications - also has many other advantages.
It is the first Continental engine that the manufacturer says is okay to run on the lean side of peak EGT. This engine was also built under what has become known as the "minimum horsepower concept." This means, although the engine is called a 300 h.p. engine, it normally produces more than 300 h.p. - and never less. As all pilots know, a few extra horses can come in handy during short field or high density altitude conditions.
The I0-550 also has an altitude compensating fuel system that leans during climbs and enrichens during descents thereby reducing pilot work load.
The quiet, smooth ride William Dover mentioned comes from another component in each Colemill Starfire Bonanza conversion - the four blade "Q" tip prop. This prop reduces both noise and vibration and provides more ground clearance than a three blade prop.
Each Colemill's Starfire Bonanza conversion is available for Bonanza models 1964 and later.
For just a bit more than the cost of a quality engine and prop overhaul, Bonanza pilots can enjoy all the advantages of flying with the complete Colemill Starfire Bonanza package. Perhaps William Dover put it best when he said, "I would recommend this conversion to any Bonanza owner - and especially if they are approaching run out."
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