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#2
09-21-04, 08:37 AM
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They (riversaeronautical.com) make motor mounts based on the airframe and application. This kind of turbine, through flow, is ideal for a skymaster, since it places the exhaust forward for the rear engine. PT6's (reverse flow) would be a bad thing, since the exhaust would then dump out next to the rear prop.
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#3
09-22-04, 01:08 AM
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We may be straying off onto a new thread, but what the heck... I spent quite a bit of time looking at the Innodyne - both on the RV, and the Cub while at Oshkosh... It was very tempting to think about having a pair of those mounted on the Skymaster. I actually talked to the people at RiversAero, and they are only doing production mounts for RV's .... but it sounded like they would build a custom for someone if you had the time and money to do it.. If my memory is correct - the engine was going to price around $35k the firewall forward kit/mount etc. for an RV was like $10-12k - so you can bet it would be $50/end...
Slightly less horsepower, but I think that would be more than offset by the reduced weight. In my mind, the tough part is redoing all the 'other' systems that were originally setup to hang off the Continental... Pressurization, Vac, Aux Heater, etc etc etc... I would love one, but I don't know if it would ever pay... Any other thoughts??? I have more pictures of the conversion if anybody wants them...
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#4
09-22-04, 01:11 AM
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Another pic..
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#5
09-22-04, 05:57 AM
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I talked with them as well. Seems like a neat idea. As they point out, however, the engines are not certified, so you would have to make the skymaster an experimental airplane, for engine development, which I would imagine would impose restrictions that most of us would not want.
Granted, systems and accessories would have to be changed. I don't know how you run a deice system from a turbine, but they do it on King Air's. Panel would have to be all electric, no vacuum pump (not a bad idea). Lighter weight, readily available fuel, how can you go wrong? 
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#6
09-24-04, 10:57 PM
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Ok Larry -
I vote we convert yours first!! I'll donate my time to come help!! I would love to do it to mine, but I am a little scared to be the first one.... But if you jump first (and make it..) I'll do it too!!! Truth is.... if anyone was really serious about doing it, it probably makes a lot more sense to skip one engine, and just do a single conversion using a Walter Conversion - make the back (or front) engine compartment into baggage... Why do two engines, re-engineer (no pun intended) two motors, two cowls, two control systems, etc... By the way.. I saw in an Innodyne marketing piece yesterday that they do plan to offer a 285hp version... Still think a single 600-700hp Walter conversion de-rated to 500hp is a better bet..
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#7
09-25-04, 10:04 AM
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Single engine is still single engine. You needed to watch Brian Von Herzon's speech on crossing the Atlantic.
In it, Brian talked about the inherent safety of 2 engines, and the incidences where reliable turbine engines have quit mid-flight. One was a PC-12, crossing the pacific. They got to check out their life raft, and watched their ELT float away and sink. The single engine conversion of the skymaster has been done a couple of times. Never went beyond prototype. One, interestingly enough, was done by Basler, the people who provide fuel at OSH. Two small turbines would be cool, but as I said, until, and unless, they become certified engines, the functionality of the aircraft would disappear. I mean, as a non-certified engine, you have to stay over non-populated areas for the first 40 hours. After that, you would be restricted to demonstration or proficiency flights. Not to mention the whole TSA thing about allowing people in an experimental turbine airplane. It just gets real difficult to operate a certified airplane as an experimental, and actually use it to go cross country when ever you wanted to. BTW, does anyone know, does the new TSA rule about background checks, etc, apply to BFR's and IPC's? This thing is getting out of hand. Last edited by WebMaster : 09-25-04 at 10:08 AM.
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#8
10-16-04, 04:10 PM
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Larry,
A seasoned ferry pilot told me he hates to ferry twins across the water. He sums it up as "You have twice the chance of getting wet in a twin." Twins configured for ferrying won't fly on one engine. These ferry pilots take off so far over gross (due to the extra fuel tanks) that the single engine service ceiling is *below* sea level. And this is the case the majority of the over water legs. Until the weight gets down to the certified gross ballpark, you won't have a postive rate of climb. Anyway you slice it, overseas ferrying is not for the timid.
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#9
10-16-04, 07:56 PM
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Quote:
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#10
10-16-04, 11:37 PM
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These comments make sense if you are ferrying the aircraft directly across the Pacific where lots of extra fuel is needed. But across the Atlantic, I would much prefer to be in a 337 over a single, because you could make that trip with stock tanks, and even with Flints added, you could have a single engine service ceiling way above sea level. Your friends comments make a lot of sense for many light twins that have ridiculously low single engine service ceilings, but not Skymasters. You don't need to load a Skymaster very heavily to take the northern route across the Atlantic.
I still agree that making such a trip is higher risk - all the other emergencies that can happen are much worse when you are two hours flying time from land. But a properly loaded Skymaster would be safer in my view than any single for crossing the Atlantic, and many other overwater routes. Kevin
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#12
10-18-04, 05:50 AM
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Have you seen the TV segment on the Discovery Wings Channel (Aviatrix) where they show the lady from Miami Florida?
She is a full-time corporate charter pilot for a Jet service. In her spare time, she flies Cessna Skymasters as a volunteer for Brothers To The Rescue on routine, scheduled Search/Rescue missions. They fly just up to, but (hopefully) not into the Cuban airspace system, then backtrack in 6 mile increments in search of Cuban Refugee Rafters who may be attempting escape from Cuba. In that segment - they show tons of air-to-air Skymaster footage - but one of the most interesting segments shows a skymaster that accidently got too close to the water on one raft drop, and actually bounced off the surface of the water. In doing so, it bent the blades of the front prop, and took on water through the front firwall, cabin area.. They were able to regain altitude on the rear engine only - and continued to fly back to the Florida mainland. They then realized that the gear were inoperative, and were forced to make a gear up landing... If you want a testimonial on the Cessna Skymaster for overwater flight... This is one of the best I've seen... They now fly exclusively Skymaster aircraft. FMI: http://www.hermanos.org/Background%2...nformation.htm Ok, you've convinced me - but then, I already owned one! I would still love to have those Turbines front/rear...
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