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Aviation History
1969
1969 - 2983.PDF
RIGHT International, 16 October 1969 595 Although the Jetstream is down to about a 270 m.p.h. cruising speed because of drag problems, the Astazou has proved to have a lower s.f.c. than predicted, and uses only 4001b/hr at normal cruise and 19,000ft. One of the great advantages of the Jetstream over its com petitors is its sturdy construction and guaranteed fatigue life of at least 30,000hr, plus the same number of landings. Target price for the Mk 2 will be about $700,000, equipped, although the first 18 are selling for $466,192, bare, and then $501,192 basic thereafter. International Jetstream have no plans, at least for the moment, to transfer production from the UK to the US, and are hoping to take delivery of all 65 aircraft they have on order. Of the remaining corporate turboprop types, NAR have delivered 39 Model 680T Turbo Commanders and 50 680V/W Turbo Commander Us, and have currently completed about 20 out of 72 680W Hawk Commanders on the Bethany, Okla, line. Suggested list price of the Hawk Commander, less avionics, is $369,500. Swearingen built 36 Merlin IIAs with UAC PT6 turboprops for corporate use. before switching to the Garrett TPE 331 in the Merlin IIB when AiResearch became their distributors. Since then 58 Merlin IIBs have come off the line, which is up to aircraft No 76 or 77. Basic price of the pressurised Merlin IIB is $442,000, and production is con tinuing at the rate of five per month. For sophisticated commuter operations, Swearingen is now producing the 20-passenger pressurised Metro, powered by two 904 e.s.h.p. TPE 33,1-303 turboprops and with a gross weight of 12,5001b for FAR 23. The long-fuselage Metro prototype made its first flight on August 26, although a similar aircraft with a shorter fuselage flew earlier. Metro marketing is being handled by Fairchild Hiller, which up to mid- September reported 58 firm orders for this $508,000 (basic) airliner, plus a similar number of options. First deliveries are promised for early 1970, but a corporate version is not pro posed for a year or more. Swearingen is also continuing the design of the SA-28T eight-seat delta-wing transonic business jet, with first deliveries due in March 1972. Having started as a Beech conversion specialist, Swearingen is now producing entirely original designs, but Volpar is still offering turboprop adaptations to the well tried Beech 18. These vary from straightforward installations of TPE 331s and a nosewheel undercarriage in standard Beech 18s (the Turbo 18), to the extensively stretched 15-passenger Turbo- liner version. About 30 Turbo 18s have been converted to date, plus a dozen or so Turboliners. Turboprop conversions are also being undertaken by Cali fornia Airmotive, which has a programme for the prototype installation of the 317 s.h.p. Allison 250-B15, first in a Beech Baron and then a Cessna 401, to develop a quick-change package adaptable to most light twins. A Beech Bonanza is Volpar is continuing its well-tried turboprop conversions of the Beech 18 with the Turbo 18 and (seen here) the stretched Turboliner Below, shown in production form at Dulles, the ultra-STOL Helio Stallion is powered by a 680 s.h.p UACL PT6A-27 turboprop and carries up to II passengers also being converted at the same time. Many other lightplanes are being examined by Allison, in conjunction with the Rolls- Royce Small Engine Division, for possible turboprop conver sion, including the Beagle 206, the Helio Twin Courier, the Helio Twin Stallion and the Cessna 421 (with the Series 2 engine). One of the main conversion problems is the cost, which totals about $90,000 for even a small twin, since the bare Allison 250 costs in the region of $35,000. In Italy, SIAI-Marchetti has installed a 335 e.s.h.p. Allison 250 turboprop in a Cessna O-l (L-19), in a project to modernise the Italian Army's fleet of these liaison aircraft. Two prototypes of the resultant SIAI-Marchetti/Cessna L1019 have been flying since May, and aTe being evaluated against the other main contender for the liaison aircraft order, which is the Aerfer/Aermacchi AM.3. Apart from its elongated nose contours, the L1019 is distinguished principally by an extended and square-topped fin and rudder. JETSTREAM FOR GERMANY The first Jetstream for Bavaria Flug-Gesellshaft was handed over on October 3 at Oxford airport by CSE, who had installed the avionics. The aircraft—the 21st Jetstream to be delivered—will be used on Ger man internal services, which are flown by the airline under contract from Lufthansa. The company's second Jetstream will be delivered in December. Overseas despatch rate of Jetstreams is now one every ten days
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