Here are the drawings and photos of my Bonanza Hoist. I built it lift my J35 but I believe it will work for any Bonanza or Baron. Feel free to copy and distribute as much as you’d like. First, however, I have to include my disclaimer. The hydraulic hoist that I am using specifically states “Not to be used for airplane purposes”. As a result, I do not recommend you use this hoist, although my experience with it has been positive. I bought the hoist from Harbor Freight Tools and it is model number 91315. The regular price is $1,299.00, but I bought mine on sale for $1,199.00. The hoist has a capacity of 6,000 lbs., so it will easily lift a Bonanza or Baron as well as your car or truck.

The front mount in the photo below is the main part of the system, since it holds virtually the entire weight of the airplane. The drawing on page 2 has the dimensions that you will need to fabricate yours.

The top bar is made from a solid steel 1” X 2” bar.

I have the center distances listed here at 45.50”, but you should measure your airplane just to be sure they didn’t change from year to year.

The 2” channel iron shown on the bottom goes under the flanges on the hoist. See the arrow in the photo on page 6. Make certain that the attaching bolts are tightened securely before lifting your airplane.

The important part of this system is the lifting points. They were made from ¾” bolts. The heads were cut off and they were chucked up in a lathe with a 1/8” offset. They were faced off and then drilled with a center drill (if you have access to a lathe, you know what a center drill is). By drilling the hole with a center drill, the hole is tapered so it will properly fit the lifting points on your airplane. The bolts were drilled off-center to allow for exact center to center positioning of the lifting points. As each lifting point makes a 360 degree turn the center drill hole will move by a total distance of ¼”, and between the two of them, you will have ½” of fine adjustment. The first time you lift your airplane, lift the hoist until it contacts the lifting points and turn them until they fit exactly, and then lock them in place with the hex jam nuts on each one. If you use the hoist on more than one airplane, you will need to fit it to each one.

Next is the rear support and it will have a hole in it to allow you to put a 3/8”-16 bolt through it that will thread into the threaded hole in the center of your rear spar. I made mine out of 2” steel channel iron, but you can use any suitable material. There are two “slots” in the lift platform (see photo on page 8) that the two bolts seen here go through. The short pieces seen here at the bottom go below the slots and clamp the rear support to the hoist. Make sure the main and rear supports are securely tightened before lifting you airplane!

The bolts seen here with the 21.75 center to center distances are the bolts that clamp the rear support to the hoist. The blocks on the bottom of them will be below the hoist. It is up to you to determine the proper materials and method of gussetting to be certain that it will hold your airplane securely.

Here is my airplane lifted on the hoist. You can easily walk under the wings when it is raised all the way up. The airplane is very stable when on the lift, but you may want to fabricate some sort of outriggers to use with yours. I would suggest something that would attach at the wing tie-down points.

Notice that the end of the lift at the bottom of this photo simply pivots on the floor as the hoist raises. The other end has rollers that roll along the floor as it raises. I chose to use the pivoting end as the back and the rolling end as the front. If you choose to reverse it, you will need to fabricate different mounts.

The front mount clamps here, with the 2” channel iron as seen in the drawing on page two below the flange at the tip of the arrow.

Pivoting end of the hoist is at the top of this photo.

The rolling end of the hoist is at the bottom of this photo.

After you raise the airplane, you need to lower it until the safety latch supports the weight. That way, the load is being supported by a mechanical stop and not the hydraulic system. Never work onder any load supported by the hydraulic system! Also, notice where the hydraulic cylinders are in reference to the rear mount connecting point. The cylinders are higher than the deck when the deck is fully lowered. That is the reason the rear support is shaped like an “A”.

A couple of final notes about the use of the system. If at all possible, wire it to operate on 240 volts, and do not use a power cord any longer than absolutely necessary. With 120 volts and or long cords motor performance will be degraded.

Also, when you attempt to start the lift with a load on it, the motor may refuse to start, especially if it is cold. The solution is to hold down the release lever on the hydraulic pump and then start the motor. After the motor has come up to full speed and is running well, let go of the release lever and the hoist will raise nicely.

I store my hoist under my airplane in the hangar and sometimes leave the lifting mounts connected to it. If you choose to do this please use extreme caution as you move your airplane in and out of the hangar as it is easy to catch an antenna and break it off.

Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions or suggestions for improving the system.

Have fun and work safely. See you on the Beech list.

Murf