US aircraft conversion and re-engining specialist Soloy has been acquired by an investor group comprising helicopter industry executives and led by Papillon Airways chairman Elling Halvorson. The deal follows the death of company founder Joe Soloy in February.
The Olympia, Washington-based company is to refocus on its core aircraft re-engining business and develop a product line that can restore profitability, says David Stauffer, chief executive of the new Soloy.
Re-engining of the Eurocopter AS350 with the Honeywell LTS101-700D2 and enhancements for its Cessna 206 turbine conversion are first on the list, says Stauffer, formerly president of Soloy.
The company began looking for investors when its Pathfinder 21 programme to re-engine the Cessna Caravan with the twin-turbine Soloy Dual Pac - two Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6D-114As driving one propeller - became less marketable with approval of single-engine commercial operations. The company is now trying to find other applications for the Dual Pac, says Stauffer.
As well as re-engining AS350s, Soloy is working on improvements to its PT6-powered Cessna 206 aimed at the US law-enforcement market, including increased payload, better hot-and-high performance and a wing-mounted forward-looking infrared sensor.
Source: Flight International
