Cessna’s 206 piston-powered single is a great airplane, but replacing the original Continental Motors or Lycoming engine with a smooth-running Rolls-Royce 250 makes the 206 a powerful performer that is quieter and easier to fly. Soloy Aviation Solutions has been stuffing the RR250 (formerly Allison) into the 206 since the mid-1980s, and demand for the extensive modification along with other 206 upgrades continues to grow.
Turboprop
January 31, 2012 - 3:15pm
Quest Aircraft Company received type certification for its Kodiak turboprop single from Brazil’s National Civil Aviation Authority (ANAC). The airplane is now certified in seven countries around the world, and the company continues to work on additional approvals. The Kodiak completed a three-week demonstration tour in Latin America last fall, and Quest is preparing to embark on another tour of the region next month.
January 25, 2012 - 2:00pm
Air-Tec Aviation Maintenance signed an agreement to be a GE-authorized service center for the M601 and H80 turboprop engines. Air-Tec will offer comprehensive line maintenance, removals and re-installations of engines and LRUs and engine spares for both engines. In addition, Air-Tec will provide some on-wing heavy repairs and manage a pool of spare/rental engines for the African region.
January 19, 2012 - 11:08am
Toulouse, France-based regional turboprop manufacturer ATR is pressing ahead with plans to increase its production rate progressively over the next three years while preparing to add a larger, 90-seat model to its product line, which now consists of the 50-seat ATR 42-600 and 74-seat ATR 72-600.
January 5, 2012 - 1:40am
After a year-long flight test program powering the Thrush 510G agricultural airplane, GE Aviation received type certification from the EASA last month for its M601H-80 turboprop powerplant, an upgrade of the M601 engine the company inherited in 2008 when it purchased Czech-Republic-based Walter Engines. This marks the first occasion where a GE engine received its initial certification from the European agency.
January 4, 2012 - 2:30pm
The FAA has adopted a new Airworthiness Directive for the Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-15AG, -27, -28, -34, -34AG, -34B and -36 turboprop engines. It requires the removal of certain affected PMA replacement Timken Alcor Aerospace Technologies first-stage reduction sun gears and/or the interacting planetary gear sets from the propeller reduction gearbox assembly.
January 1, 2012 - 1:30am
Lao Airlines, the national airline of Laos, expects to take delivery of its first Avic “Modern Ark” MA600 turboprop “sometime after February,” marking the 56-seat turboprop’s entry into revenue service outside China. The only other two existing MA600s, delivered in December 2010 and September 2011, respectively, operate in China with the Civil Aviation Flight University of China (Cafuc) for training purposes.
December 20, 2011 - 4:15pm
After a year-long flight-test program powering the Thrush 510G agricultural airplane, GE Aviation received type certification from the EASA last week for its M601H-80 turboprop, a more powerful and fuel-efficient upgrade of the M601 engine the company inherited in 2008 when it purchased Czech Republic-based Walter Engines. This marks the first occasion of a GE engine receiving its initial certification from the European agency.
December 14, 2011 - 1:15pm
Soloy Aviation Solutions has developed a repair and overhaul procedure for the composite turbine air inlet assembly installed on several Rolls-Royce 250-B17 turbine conversions. The system prevents ice build-up on the popular Soloy 206H turbine conversion as well as the O&N C210 and Tradewind Turbines A36 Bonanza turboprop conversions. According to Dave Stauffer, Soloy’s CEO, the inlet was originally built by Lucas Aerospace in Great Britain, but the company has changed hands several times over the years.
December 1, 2011 - 4:23pm
Pre-owned business aircraft inventories continued to decline in October, but asking prices–especially for jets–have yet to find a bottom, according to data released this week by industry research firm JetNet. Business jet inventory in October stood at 13.9 percent of the in-service fleet, down 1.3 percentage points from a year ago.
