Baron with Allison Turboprops?

[3GreenNoRed]

This may be farfetched and impractical but give me your feed back

The Beech Bonanza and C210 have a kit to retrofit them with an Allison Turboprop.

Anyways, not like i would have this done with a baron, but could you get an STC do do this to a baron. Slap 2 allisons on? Just curious. That would be fun to fly.

 

[cessna_driver2]

I don't see why you couldn't. Just have to prove to the FAA that it is safe and functional.

I don't know all the details, but just assuming from the PT-6 conversions on the malibu's out there. Someone at some time will have to try it and get the Fed's to bless it.

Funny thing is I had a guy call that was working on a malibu with pt6 conversion. He was thinking it was one of the new meridans.

You got the money anything is possible.

 

[A Squared]

I saw an Aerostar (the airplane, not the helicopter) with Allison engines once. It belonged to (and I swear I'm not making this up) Bobby Allison.

I don't know of an existing SCT for a Baron. There's STC's for all of the 200 series cessnas, the Bonanza (Both pt-6 and allison 250) and the Cessna 402

regards

 

[crash-proof]

Dude I swear I've seen this Baron with alison's before, probably in some old Jane's encyclopedia. Might have been Conroy? (that company that did turbo dc-3s).

I tried a search but no luck, it must have been prototype only.

I know i've seen somewhere a 402 with alison's too.

 

[A Squared]

>>>Dude I swear I've seen this Baron with alison's before

could be that you have. I did a search recently for STCs involving allison installations. That's where I came up with the info in my previous post. It could be that there is an STC out there for a Baron, but it just didn't show up on my search. (Faa search engines are primitive and not particularly effective) or it could have been a one time STC which probably wouldn't have shown up in the STC database, or it might have even been a field approval (unlikely) or as you suggest a uncertificated prototype. I'm sure that it would be a fun airplane

 

[Kaman]

Hello,
I cannot recall the name of the company, but in the 90's when I was stationed in San Diego an outfit in Palomar specialized in turboprop conversions. I recall seeing an A-36 with the Allison and a B-58 with a PT-6 conversion. I also frequently saw a Cessna 206 with not only an Allision turboprop engine, but also a Robertson STOL kit!

regards,

ex-Navy Rotorhead

 

[bobbysamd]

Turbine Baron

Anyways, not like i would have this done with a baron, but could you get an STC do do this to a baron. Slap 2 allisons on? Just curious. That would be fun to fly.

It's been tried. They grew the airplane bigger. First, it was the Twin Bonanza. It became bigger still, and they attached two PT-6s, and, voila, you had the King Air!!!

Sorry, just kidding.

Seriously, I agree that a twin-Allison Baron would be a gas to fly (apologies for the bad mixed metaphor). Bet the rate-of-climb would be out of this world.

The company to which Kaman refers may well be the Soloy Corporation. Steve Soloy was known for converting recip-powered aircraft to turbine-power. He may have been one of the first to convert T-34s to Allison power.

 

[NJA Capt]

An Allison engined Baron appeared in Flying Mag (I think it was), back in the '80s. The company was thinking about an STC but it was cost prohibitive. When you think about the price of two turbines and a B58 to hang them on, it's cheaper to just by a C90. Heck, you can buy an old Be200 cheaper than a new B58!

 

[njcapt]

I would imagine that a turbine Baron would have a pretty limited range. You still are limited by the certified airspeeds, but are sucking down Jet-A like a fiend. You'd probably empty the tanks in a couple of hours. Only at the flight levels would you get any kind of fuel economy, and then you'd be tethered to an O2 mask.

I just missed a chance to go for a demo flight on a Allison engined B-36 when I was working on my CFI. The school I was doing some prep at (DPA outside of Chicago) had a dealer for the Bonanza on steroids. Not sure if they sold any, but they sure did look pretty climbing out at 30° of pitch.

 

[LongBoarder]

Turbine B58

Go to Palomar... there is a shop right next door to Jet Source... I think that is their name.... the shop is the place that works on Helio's... In the back is a B58 that once had Allison's on it... Just motor mounts right now... But it is there.

It failed miserably as a conversion due to the high fuel burn.

So there you go.

LB

Props aren't just for boats.......

 

[sabreliner]

I'd like to see the props that they would hang on a Baron T-prop installation. Those motors are so close to the ground as it is...

 

[Skaz]

there is a Bonanza in South Africa that has a turbine fitte. Tink its a PT6, not sure, but have seen it at Nelspruit in Mpumalanga Province and in Maun,Botswana.

SOunds like a vacuumcleaner taxiing past

 

[FearlessFreep]

I have seen a 421 with what I believe were Allisons. If you were to put turboprop power on an aircraft it would be most advantageous to install it on aircraft that are pressurized or have large fuel capacities.

It has to be a good match in what performance it gives you verses the penalty of possibly higher fuel flows.

Remember though there are numerous very successful turbine powered aircraft that are not pressurized (Cessna Caravan, it has typical fuel flows of 42 - 52 GPH for those not used to pounds per hour).