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How much could the armed Bonanza PD 249 carry?
Short answer
Six hardpoints, on which the YAU-22A (PD.249) could carry 7.62 mm machine gun pods, rocket launchers and parachute-retarded bombs. Even so, it could not safely carry weapons and fuel at the same time and proved underpowered for close support.
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The "Armed Bonanza" of the Pave COIN program
In the late 1960s, the service launched the Pave COIN program to meet its needs. The program sought to develop a light, low-cost close air support aircraft. The Beech YAU-22A prototype, designated PD.249 by its manufacturer, was built using the fuselage of a Beech A36 Bonanza and the wings of a Beech B55 Baron. It was commonly called the "Armed Bonanza."
Six hardpoints
The YAU-22A had six hardpoints, which allowed it to carry 7.62 mm machine gun pods, rocket launchers and parachute-retarded bombs. It was powered by a 350-horsepower Continental GTSIO-520 piston engine.
A single prototype
The Bonanza airframe was designed mainly for civilian use, not for carrying military weapons. The US Air Force tested the modified aircraft in June and July 1971 at Eglin Air Force Base, in Florida. The YAU-22A proved underpowered for close combat support and could not safely carry weapons and fuel together. The program was cancelled in 1972, after a single prototype had been built.
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