do a search for vikingair sidney bc ca They have just obtained the manufacturing rights for the Beaver and Twin Otter. Lots of Beavers with radial engines flying in Canada and Alaska.
Incidentally, this is the only non-radial Beaver I've seen (including the ones featured in movies and on TV) - it certainly makes a big difference to the look of the aeroplane. Does anyone know if they're a rarity?
Apparently, sixty were made, and I'm sure there have been a number of other aftermarket conversions. I think Wipaire offer one.
Apparently, sixty were made, and I'm sure there have been a number of other aftermarket conversions. I think Wipaire offer one.
The STC list at http://www.wipaire.com shows conversions from PT6A-20s to -27 or -28, but nothing for conversion from R-985 to turbine.
I do remember seeing their (experimental?) turbine Beaver conversion at their facility in South Saint Paul, Minnesota. The conversion involved just a straight engine swap from radial to turbine, no fuselage plug and just a little sheet metal work for a new cowling, resulting in much more aft CG. It is a gorgeous aircraft, painted in stars-and-stripes (U.S.) on one side, red/white maple leaf (Canadian) on the other side. The custom interior continued the theme: the left side of the cabin was stars-and-stripes, the right side maple leaf. U.S. N-number registration on both sides though.
Incidentally, this is the only non-radial Beaver I've seen (including the ones featured in movies and on TV) - it certainly makes a big difference to the look of the aeroplane. Does anyone know if they're a rarity? In Seattle there is definitely at least one turbo Beaver with pontoons flying off Lake Union, or at least there still was when we left Seattle four years ago (NWFlyer, what do you think Krisanne ?). These planes are for charter, usually to fly rich fuckers out to the San Juan Islands or up to Canada, but I know I've seen at least one turbo and a radial taking off or landing many times during the years we lived up there.
In Seattle there is definitely at least one turbo Beaver with pontoons flying off Lake Union, or at least there still was when we left Seattle four years ago (NWFlyer, what do you think Krisanne ?). These planes are for charter, usually to fly rich fuckers out to the San Juan Islands or up to Canada, but I know I've seen at least one turbo and a radial taking off or landing many times during the years we lived up there.
Check out Kenmore Air... they do a conversion to turbine.
DeHavilland of Canada built 40 Turbine Beavers. Unfortunately, they hit the market about the same time the US Army sold off its Korean War vintage (radial-engined) Beavers, so a bush operator could buy two or three Army-surplus Beavers for the cost of a new turbine Beaver. Nowadays, Viking often converts old Beavers to Turbo-Beavers.
I jumped the one your talking about back then .I still have the card from there with jump suits if the day on it. As the picture showed we went out the left front door.
None other. Wow it sure brings back memories. Had a great time there. I went east and jumped in Orange later that week end out of the flying garbage truck{ Norseman Noordun} at Oxygen starved altitude of 3500. Then of to Pepperel. Not bad for a week end from Detroit.I also hit Simcoe Ontario on the way acroos Canada.
Cool. I probably was at Pepperell (or possibly at Orange) when you came through. I guesstimate I put out more than 1,000 static line jumps out of a Norseman. Not much of an altitude machine, but very efficient for what it was principally used for. Didn't go to Simcoe, though. HW
I jumped the one your talking about back then .I still have the card from there with jump suits if the day on it. As the picture showed we went out the left front door.
This card?....
HW
I'm trying to recognize the people in the picture. Looks like Kinger closest to the door in the group on the right side.
Anybody else recognize anyone?
=======
My 1st freefall jump (I think around April '76), which was out of that plane, may have been done on the first day they started putting students out of it. For that jump, they had me stand on that bar-type step you see under the door, hold onto the strut facing forward, and do a poised exit. Then it occured to them that there was a risk that someone could put their foot through the space (i.e., between the vertical bars of the step) doing that, so they switched to having students sit in the door, with foot on the step, and push off toward the tail of the plane.
(This post was edited by Andy9o8 on Dec 19, 2006, 8:21 AM)
I'm trying to recognize the people in the picture. Looks like Kinger closest to the door in the group on the right side. Anybody else recognize anyone?
Agree, it's Kinger. Maybe I should mail him at Finger Lakes and see if he can ID the others. I assume the ladies on the left are just going along for a passenger ride. HW
The girls were intermediate level jumpers...Maybe Paulette,,? is one. the guys from left to right ARE Kinger, then Dick "Ski", then I dunno, but a buddy of Chip, who is in the suit with yellow on it, then Bart Biche' to the far right... pilot...???
The girls were intermediate level jumpers...Maybe Paulette,,? is one. the guys from left to right ARE Kinger, then Dick "Ski", then I dunno, but a buddy of Chip, who is in the suit with yellow on it, then Bart Biche' to the far right... pilot...???
jmy
Yeah I thought that might have been either Dick Szustakowski or his brother John, but the photo's fuzzy (and so's my memory ) so I wasn't sure. I don't recognize the girls on the left - looks to me like they've got bailout rigs (?) so I, too, thought they might have just been "observers". For a moment I thought the girl on the far left mighta been Cindy F., but she was a lot shorter and I think she had short hair back then. Do you suppose the blonde girl might be Anette, who was Mike C.'s GF and also occasionally piloted the Cessnas for Howie?
(This post was edited by Andy9o8 on Dec 21, 2006, 4:53 AM)
Attached is new scan, cropped, sharpened, about as good as I can make a 30-year-old crumpled business card. Kinger's IDs: Darlene, Paulette, Kinger,?, Chip (a local college student), ?, Bart. The pilot is Bruce McBeth, aka The Great Waldo Pepper.
OK, for what it's worth, here's a pic from '72, and Dick Ski is on the far right. Looks a little different from the guy next to Kinger in your pic, which was from '76.
... I don't recognize the girls on the left - looks to me like they've got bailout rigs (?) so I, too, thought they might have just been "observers".
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Hee! Hee! Those military-surplus, 4-pin containers were normal student rigs when I started jumping in 1977. Too bad no-one helped those girls tighten their harnesses.
OK, for what it's worth, here's a pic from '72, and Dick Ski is on the far right. Looks a little different from the guy next to Kinger in your pic, which was from '76.
Hey Andy9o8
I'm about 95% sure that it IS dick Ski. cause I recall when that business card came out... I was 100 % sure it was him.. now as to the '72 picture, that was from Akron NY and the guys standing are... from left to right Lester Kuhn, Tom Plonka, Paul Pogorzelski ( sp), John Courteau, John Benoit, Bob Beck Bill McDougal, Dick Ski.....Not sure of ANYone in the front row though, sorry,, they were a year or two 'before my time'
It seems that Ski is striking the same pose in that picture ,,, as he is, in the picture of the Seneca Falls beaver... The beech was not the normal jumpship for Akron and must have been a specialty plane for a few jumps.. I only jumped a 182 when visiting there... Tom Witherspoon (tspoon here) would likely know for Sure who all the jumpers are... he catalogued a bunch of old photos from that era,,, back a few years ago...
The blonde is Paulette, the brunette is Lucy (Coop's girlfriend). Pilot is Waldo, you can't really see him, but I remember this card and picture. The jumpers are Kinger, Dick Ski, Chip Port, and on the far right Bart Biche. I just can't remember who the guy with the gold flat pack reserve is. This pic had to be from '76, right after Howie got the Beaver, because by '77 Bart was jumping a piggyback rig with his 5 cell Foil. God, those were fun days !
In reply to:
anyone recognize anyone...........
The girls were intermediate level jumpers...Maybe Paulette,,? is one. the guys from left to right ARE Kinger, then Dick "Ski", then I dunno, but a buddy of Chip, who is in the suit with yellow on it, then Bart Biche' to the far right... pilot...???
The blonde is Paulette, the brunette is Lucy (Coop's girlfriend).
No less an authority than Kinger has already identified the women as Paulette and Darlene. Fun airplane. What was the most # of jumpers ever on board when you jumped it? HW
The blonde is Paulette, the brunette is Lucy (Coop's girlfriend).
No less an authority than Kinger has already identified the women as Paulette and Darlene. Fun airplane. What was the most # of jumpers ever on board when you jumped it? HW
Of course I will defer to Kinger, I had always THOUGHT it was Lucy, especially as Lucy and Paulette hung out a lot.
I seem to recall the Beaver flying with 10 jumpers pretty regularly. I do remember only 6 when they just got it, but by the summer of '76 it was up to 10 and stayed that way as long as I remember, which was through the summer of '77. I did stop by for a visit in '78 and it was taking 10 to 8500' all afternoon.
THANKS Howard for posting the pics. I used to have this business card, but it's long since gone to heaven. So nice to see it again and remember those days.
I seem to recall the Beaver flying with 10 jumpers pretty regularly.
The number 11 (or maybe 12) seems to stick in the back of my head; I remember legs sticking into the space behind where the rear firewall should have been. HW
I've always liked Beavers for their history as bush planes, but I never got the chance to jump the one at Eagle Creek, OR while I was in the NW. Here is a website with lots of Beaver photos, even a calendar:
I've always liked Beavers for their history as bush planes, but I never got the chance to jump the one at Eagle Creek, OR while I was in the NW. Here is a website with lots of Beaver photos, even a calendar:
I have about 600 odd hours in my log book flying 17393 over the years at Skydive Twincities in Baldwin WI, and have made hundreds of jumps out of it. It's still there flying when we can't fill the twin otter. It's a great old bird come and jump it this summer.
SFBeavers.jpg
) so I wasn't sure. I don't recognize the girls on the left - looks to me like they've got bailout rigs (?) so I, too, thought they might have just been "observers". For a moment I thought the girl on the far left mighta been Cindy F., but she was a lot shorter and I think she had short hair back then. Do you suppose the blonde girl might be Anette, who was Mike C.'s GF and also occasionally piloted the Cessnas for Howie? 
