I concur with all who have written favorably about the Bonanza. Funnily enough the S35 was always my favourite too, and I was gob-smacked to come face to face with CFK at Caboolture recently, an aeroplane I've haven't seen for over 40 years.
Jim Davis writes well but spreads tosh - yet another journalist?
Frank Arouet:
The aircraft itself was a derivative of the Mentor...
Err no, the first 35 flew in 1945 while the Mentor (Beech 45) flew in 1948.