Story ID: 
Raytheon Renames Garmin-equipped Piston Aircraft
By: Stephen Pope
Caption: Perhaps an indication of the sway Garmin has come to hold in the aviation industry, Raytheon last month announced a name change for the venerable Beech Bon
Word Count: 164
Perhaps an indication of the sway Garmin has come to hold in the aviation industry, Raytheon last month announced a name change for the venerable Beech Bonanza A36 and Baron 58 piston airplanes to indicate their inclusion of Garmin avionics systems.

After undergoing a switch to Garmin G1000 cockpits, the airplanes are now known officially as the Bonanza G36 and Baron G58, according to Raytheon, which reported a spike in orders after it announced the avionics upgrades. Besides their large glass displays, WAAS GPS receivers and a host of navigation and communication gear, the G36 and G58 also feature Garmin’s new GFC700 autopilot and GWX68 weather radar, both of which are firsts for the Olathe, Kan. company.

More than 17,000 Bonanzas have rolled off the production line since the model’s 1947 introduction, making the Bonanza the longest continually selling single-engine, retractable-gear airplane, Raytheon noted. Since the Baron’s introduction in 1961, more than 7,000 have been produced