GRAHAM WARWICK / WASHINGTON DC
Canadian company wants to redesign powerplant to improve maintanability
Orenda Recip has postponed to next year certification of the Raytheon King Air C90 twin-turboprop, re-engined with its OE-600 375kW (500hp) V8 piston powerplants to allow redesign of the installation to improve maintainability. Meanwhile, two programmes to re-engine the King Air with different turboprops are gaining ground.
The Canadian company is to start flight testing the revised installation by early next year. After 110h flight testing of the original OE-600 installation, the oil coolers have been repositioned to the rear of the engine nacelle and accessories repackaged to make the engine more maintenance-friendly, Orenda says.
The re-engining kit is expected to become available in 2003. The original agreement with Stevens Aviation to market the re-engined King Air has expired, but Orenda still expects the US fixed-base operator to sell the aircraft.
Competing to re-engine the Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6-powered King Air is Kilo Alpha 290, offering the Honeywell TPE331, and Performance Conversions, with the Czech Walter M601E turboprop. Both are targeting the re-engining of 1,700 King Air C90/E90s worldwide.
Kilo Alpha 290 is a joint venture by National Flight Services and modification specialist Murray Aviation. The $1.06 million conversion involves replacing the 410kW PT6s with the 745kW TPE331-10, derated to 535kW for take-off and driving McCauley five-blade propellers. The company says re-engining increases gross weight, climb rate, cruise speed and altitude, and reduces field length, fuel consumption, noise and maintenance.
US supplemental type certification (STC) of the TPE331 re-engining was obtained in September last year and two aircraft have been converted. Performance Conversions obtained an STC for its Walter re-engining in May in the USA and July in Brazil. Approval is close in Australia and New Zealand, says the Nevada-based company. Two aircraft have been converted so far.
Re-engining with the 560kW M601E-11, derated to 410kW for take-off and driving a Czech Avia V.510 five-blade propeller, reduces engine overhaul costs, maintenance downtime, field length and noise, and increases take-off weight, climb rate, cruise speed and altitude, the company says.
National Flight Services is modifying aircraft at its Lakeland, Florida, and Toledo, Ohio, centres, and Performance Conversions is setting up modification centres. The first is Seagull Aviation in Clintonville, Wisconsin. Talks are under way with two companies in Brazil, while Air New Zealand will re-engine aircraft in the Australasian market.
Source: Flight International
