New Zealand’s Pacific Aerospace has launched a new variant of its P-750 XSTOL single-engined turboprop, featuring more power, range, and a faster rate of climb.
Continue reading Pacific Aerospace launches PT6A-140A Powered Super-Pac XL Single-Engined Turboprop
From short grass strips to high-altitude cruise, the Pilatus PC-12 is one of the best performing (and awesome) turboprops out there. Here are 10 reasons why.
Continue reading 10 Reasons Why The Pilatus PC-12 Is One Of The Best Turboprops On The Planet
The development and early years of a legendary aircraft.
The Cessna Caravan business turboprop aircraft seems like it’s been around forever- but surprisingly- it’s only 33 years since the first aircraft rolled off Wichita’s production line in August 1984. Now this multi-role aircraft- which operates in 68 countries around the world- has become indispensable. It was conceived at just the right time and has never looked back since that first Federal Express order. In fact, as of this writing- aircraft number 1-522 had just rolled off the Wichita production line.
Continue reading A Brief History of the Cessna Caravan
On January 15, 1937, the Beechcraft Model 18 made its first demonstration flight at the factory in Wichita, Kansas, and it continued in production for thirty-two years. This low-wing, all-metal, twin-engine monoplane was originally intended as a six-to-eight-passenger executive or feeder airline transport. As the years passed, however, the Model 18 was adapted to many uses and, in all, thirty-two different versions were produced.
This post is from the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum.
Continue reading A Look at the Pratt & Whitney R-985 Wasp Junior Beechcraft D18S Twin Beech
Join us as we welcome Charlie Bravo Aviation’s look into the history of two King Airs: 100 & 200.
If you’re looking for a reliable partner to provide maintenance, overhaul, and repair for your King Air’s PT6A, turn to Covington Aircraft!
Continue reading History of the King Air: 100-200
This article originally appeared on the P&WC Airtime Blog.
Certain equipment is essential for keeping a PT6A engine running smoothly. Here are four tools and parts that either the aircraft owner or the operator needs to have when doing routine maintenance work.
Typically, ultrasonic fuel nozzle cleaning should be carried out every 200 to 400 hours(1) of flying time, to make sure the nozzle is performing properly and there are no problems such as blockages. “Whenever you clean your fuel nozzle, you should also check it for leaks and flow irregularities like drooling, spitting, streaking or other patterns that could damage the hot section,” explains Yves Houde, PT6A Customer Manager at Pratt & Whitney Canada.
Checking for irregularities of the fuel nozzle requires the use of both a flow check fixture and a pressure check fixture. These are fitted over the nozzle to help identify tips that need to be cleaned or replaced and verify the presence of any leaks before the aircraft is returned to service. Learn more about what to check for in our article on fuel nozzle maintenance.
Whenever undertaking fuel nozzle maintenance, make sure to perform a borescope inspection at the same time. To do this, you will need a borescope kit, including a guide tube for accessing hard-to-reach areas of the engine. Using a borescope is much easier than the old-fashioned method, which involves opening up the engine.
A borescope allows for assessment of hot section components for wear or damage that may not be evident from a regular ground power check or flight data collection. For instance, on a single power turbine engine, inserting a borescope through the exhaust duct port and power turbine stage may reveal trailing edge cracks on compressor turbine blades.
“It’s the number-one equipment you need to have for line maintenance,” says Yves. “The time when fuel nozzle cleaning is performed is an ideal moment for operators to assess the hot section’s condition with a borescope. We also advise using it to check the first-stage compressor for foreign object damage every year.”
Borescope kits are made by a number of companies. PT6A owners can check their engine’s maintenance manual for the recommended product’s part number and order it from a designated supplier.
It’s hard to generalize about PT6A engines, but there’s some equipment you can’t do without. It’s the core of the line maintenance you need to perform.
Oil filter maintenance is recommended every 100 hours or so. When doing this procedure, use a puller/pusher to open and close the filter’s check valve. While the oil filter can be popped out by hand, it’s not a good idea to do so, since it could damage the oil filter check valve seal, which in turn could lead to static oil leak when the engine is not running.
PT6A engines may need to be washed periodically to remove salt and other impurities; how often depends on the operating environment. Whenever it’s time to clean the engine, a compressor wash rig and turbine rinse tube are essential.
Unlike other engines, most PT6A engines already have a wash ring installed around the air intake, so all you need to do is connect the compressor wash rig and insert the water. After the compressor wash, use the turbine rinse tube to clean the turbine as well.
You don’t need any special cleaning solution for a desalination wash—pure, ionized water will do. “But it’s always a good idea to test the water quality first to make sure it’s suitable for cleaning,” adds Yves. “If you use the wrong water, washing may end up causing more problems than it solves.” Have a look at our article on desalination washes for more tips on keeping your engine free of contaminants.
(1) Refer to your Engine Maintenance Manual (EMM), Periodic Inspection Fuel Nozzle Cleaning interval for the interval that applies to your engine model.
Epic Aircraft in Bend, Oregon, has flown the second and final production conforming prototype E1000, putting the company on short final for FAA certification of the all-composite single-engine turboprop, which is now anticipated to enter the market by this year’s third quarter.
Continue reading Epic Flies Second PT6A-67A Powered E1000 Prototype
Beechcraft King Air 250 is a highly advanced turboprop business aircraft developed by Textron Aviation.
The aircraft secured type certification from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in June 2011. It also received similar certification from the National Civil Aviation Agency of Brazil (ANAC) in the same year. The European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) certified the aircraft in April 2012.
Continue reading The PT6A Powered Beechcraft King Air 250
This article originally appeared on the P&WC Airtime Blog.
No one appreciates the PT6A’s reliability more than customers flying in inhospitable environments, who stake their lives on its performance – like Quest Kodiak aircraft pilot Mark Brown.
Mark Brown still vividly recalls the nerves he felt before embarking on his first flight across the open ocean a few years ago.
Marketing director and factory demo pilot for Quest Aircraft, Mark has aviation in his blood. He was born into a family of pilots and flew for the first time at the age of 13 – but even he could not help wonder about flying solo across the Atlantic on a Kodiak powered by a single PT6A-34 engine.
Continue reading The PT6A Engine Proves Its Worth Time And Time Again
This article originally appeared on the P&WC Airtime Blog.
Jim Celentano, Director of Maintenance at Columbia Air Services with 39 years of experience with PT6As tells Airtime what he appreciates most about the engines.
Continue reading Top 3 Reasons Mechanics Love The Pt6a Turboprop Engine