Photograph:
Soloy Cessna 206 VH-CZR (c/n UI20606531), used for skydiving, at Albion Park, NSW in January 2017 (David C Eyre)
Country of origin:
United States of America
Description:
Light sporting and touring aircraft
Power Plant:
[Mark II]
One 311 kw (417 shp) Rolls Royce / Allison 250-B17F turbine
Specifications:
- Wingspan: 10.97 m (36 ft)
- Length: 9.26 m (30 ft 4 in)
- Height: 2.83 m (9 ft 3½ in)
- Wing area: 16.2 m² (174 sq ft)
- Max operating speed: 278 km/h (173 mph)
- Cruising speed at 5,486 m (18,000 ft) for max range: 343 km/h (213 mph)
- Best rate of climb: 161 km/h (100 mph)
- Stalling speed clean: 102 km/h (63 mph)
- Stalling speed in landing configuration: 78 km/h (48 mph)
- Rate of climb at sea level: 498 m/min (1,635 ft/min)
- Take-off distance ground roll: 215 m (705 ft)
- Take off distance over 15 m (50 ft) obstacle: 363 m (1,190 ft)
- Range at 343 km/h (213 mph): 1,015 km (631 miles)
- Max operating altitude: 6,096 m (20,000 ft)
- Landing distance ground roll: 189 m (620 ft)
- Fuel capacity: 329 litres (72 Imp gals)
- Empty weight: 971 kg (2,140 lb)
- Useful load: 670 kg (1,477 lb)
- Payload with full fuel: 406 kg (894 lb)
- Loaded weight: 1,633 kg (3,600 lb)
History:
In 1985 Soloy Aviation Solutions converted a Cessna 206 to turbine power, replacing the Continental TIO-520 engine with a Rolls Royce / Allison 250 turboshaft, this engine providing in this installation 311 kw (417 shp) and giving better performance, safety and value. Since then other Cessna models including the 182 and 207 have been converted. The early conversions of the 206 were known as the Mk I but later the 206H and T206H were converted and fitted with the 336 kw (450 shp) 250-B17/F2 engine and gearbox, the engine being de-rated, the new model known as the Mk II receiving new avionics and other changes. Thus the new aircraft had 112 kw (150 hp) more power and was 77 kg (170 lb) lighter.
The conversion became popular, with more than 85 aircraft being converted. They have been used by law-enforcement bodies in the United States, this variant having a single fully articulated observer’s seat to the rear and a universal multi-sensor camera on the port wing which is capable of fitting Flir cameras and other devices. It has also been used by parachute jumping operators, and operators which require an aircraft to carry a load of passengers and more load. Conversions were carried out at the Company’s facility at Olympia in Washington.
Other changes included the option of fitting Wipaire 3450 amphibious floats, two extra fuel tanks on the wing tips with a capacity of 114 litres (25 Imp gals) each, or a 205 litre (45 Imp gal) Sierra internal tank. The wing-tip tanks permitted the max take-off weight to increase to 1,724 kg (3,800 lb) and thus add 68 kg (150 lb) to the payload.
The engine installation involved a complete firewall-forward replacement, a bleed-air heating system, hinged cowl, replacement of one of the dual vacuum pumps with a 25 amp standby alternator, electric inlet and propeller de-ice systems, Hartzell reversing propeller and a new Gill G247 battery. The engine-mount was new, as was the wiring harness and electrical junction box. The supplemental type certificate added redundancy with dual actuators on the elevator trim. The engine provided 311 kw (417 shp) for a maximum of five minutes and the maximum continuous power was 240 kw (322 shp). The turbine noise level was 72.4 dBA at 100% power (2,030 rpm) compared to 88 dBA for the Lycoming engine at full power. TBO for the engine was 3,500 hours.
An example of the Soloy Cessna 206 Mark II has been registered in Australia as VH-CZR³ (c/n UI20606531 – ex N9501Z) owned by Bill & Ben Investments Pty Ltd of Wollongong, NSW which, for a period, has been operated by Skydive the Beach Group Ltd at Albion Park on the New South Wales south coast, being first registered on 6 February 2003. This aircraft was a conversion by Soloy Aviation Solutions of a Cessna TU206G.
A further example visited a number of airfields in Australia in July 2016, this being a German registered Mk II amphibian D-EBIW which arrived in the port of Darwin, NT and stopped at Shute Harbour on the Great Barrier Reef, Archerfiel, QLD and other centres.