PT6-20 Cessna U206

[david3 0]

vpjr

Well it has been a good season with my PT6A-20 U206. I have put on the plane a little over 200 revenue hours flying jumpers. The 2-3 Cessna Drop Zones love the plane. The DZOs have found this 1 plane will do more than trying to run 3 and way smoother. We consistently finish all the work before sunset and the fun jumpers get to jump between Tandem loads. Cool days we do almost 4 loads a clock hour with fueling, Hot and heavy days its 3 loads a clock hour with fueling. 6 jumpers 500msl - 13.5sml. Derated inexpensive engine, 6 jumpers, fast times, Great dispatch reliability and lower cost per seat for the 7000 seat per year 182 DZ. It took a while but Im so glad that its working out. The company that I was working with seems to be doing the right thing now. They delivered my kits to me complete but Not on time. Since then they have delivered to others 3 kits complete and early. Email me at [email protected] if you want some more info.

It really does sound perfect. I can't wait to jump one.

[angryelf 0]

Could you hang a PT6-20 on a 185? Obviously a different STC, but do you think it would be doable?

"Sometimes you eat the bar,
and well-sometimes the bar eats you..."

[vpjr 18]

Could be done. Not a straight bolt up. New fittings, mount, cowl, STC. Would be faster and cooler. 6 jumpers (3 Tan?) in a 185 even if its only 10 min? 6 with my benches in the 206 are more comfortabe than 4 in a 182. The price of a 185? Is it close to an old U206? More utility out of the U206 for the completed price in my opinion.

[skydived19006 4]

I don't want/need one, my 520 182 is more capacity than we need 80% of the time. But I do feel a tingle down deep considering it. It's a sexy-cool thing!!

Martin

Experience is what you get when you thought you were going to get something else.

AC DZ

[riggerrob 598]

angryelf

Could you hang a PT6-20 on a 185? Obviously a different STC, but do you think it would be doable?

...................................................................................................

Soloy turbine-converted only one Cessna 185, back during the 1980s. Since it was their first fixed wing conversion, Soloy used the Allison (now Rolls Royce) C250 engine to test a new reduction gearbox and do market surveys with bush pilots. The newer, more powerful engine burned more fuel, reducing range or cargo.

Soloy eventually perfected their turboprop conversion with Cessna 206 and 207 conversions, which proved popular with bush-pilots and dropzones.

[dzswoop717 5]

What isn't perfect about the Soloy conversion is the price tag and TBO of the Allison engine. If Van's conversion can be accomplished at a reasonable price, there isn't an airplane out there that is a more perfect first turbine for a Cessna DZ.

[riggerrob 598]

What is TBO on Allison/Rolls-Royce 250?
How often do they run till TBO?
How much does an overhaul cost?
How often do they bed hot section inspections?
How much does a hot-section inspection cost?

Same questions for PT6A-20?

[dzswoop717 5]

You can Google it and get all your answers about the engines. When I worked for a multi turbine dz owner, 9 King Airs, 6 Twin Otters and 4 Casa's,(he leased planes to many drop zones) I asked him about buying a Soloy 206 for week day tandems. We were flying loads of 8 or less on a King air on a regular basis on week days and occasionally flying the 182. I actually did a tandem out of a Casa as the only 2 people on the plane because it was the only plane available and he never wanted a tandem to leave his dz with out jumping unless it was weather related or a broken airplane issue. At the time he could buy 3 King Airs for the price of 1 Soloy 206 and he went into a long disortation about the Allison engine and it's pitfalls compared to the PT-6. I never brought up the Soloy idea again but shortly after that he hung an IO-550 on a wide body 182 that did a great job on those slow winter week days.

[riggerrob 598]

riggerrob

What is TBO on Allison/Rolls-Royce 250?
How often do they run till TBO?

Same questions for PT6A-20?

[angryelf 0]

What kind of prop clearance are you getting with your current setup? The first couple of Youtube videos you put up show seem to have a few inches of clearance. My question about using the 185 (although the U 206 door is nicer) was in regards to getting that prop away from the ground and enhancing short field grass strip operations.

"Sometimes you eat the bar,
and well-sometimes the bar eats you..."

[vpjr 18]

The -20 has a 3500 hour tbo. MORE program is 8000 tbo, Pilgrim airlines had the -20 extended to 10,000 hours TBO. Ive heard stories of them as Ground Power Units on oil rigs running genset burning diesel going 60,000 hours. So TBO realy isnt the questions Part 91 US skydiving unless your Part 135 or 121. The -20 is a 579 Eshp at 750 degrees C. If you push it hard it doesnt last long. The Alison C250B is 420 Shp? 370 continious. I dont have exp with the Alison. I do have experience with the -20. We pushed the -20s to 680c in the heavy airplanes to get some performance. The hots would just last the 1250 and you had to put money in them. Each engine in the otter carried 6000lbs, King airs 5000lbs. This 206 is only 3600lbs. so it doenst have to be pushed as hard At 325 hp and 650C max it doesnt consume the hot section. A 300 hour a year is only 2400 hours in 8 years. Interestingly U206s are going up in price faster than I want and PT6A-20 engines are available with good times in TBO are getting cheaper. I now have too many -20s that I paid a lot of money for and 206s are more expensive than I want.

[vpjr 18]

My grass strip is in no way smooth. Look at my nose gear going through complete compression.

Ground Idle is the worst for it on a rocky ramp.

Same prop all season.

https://youtu.be/1QYLyP71mIA

[riggerrob 598]

vpjr

My grass strip is in no way smooth. Look at my nose gear going through complete compression.

Ground Idle is the worst for it on a rocky ramp.

Same prop all season.

https://youtu.be/1QYLyP71mIA

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Would installing a large nose-wheel (Cessna factory option) help with propeller clearance?

[vpjr 18]

It is required to have the Cessna Large gear fork. That airplane has it.

[baronn 111]

Paul is da Man! That roll up door on the 192 was amazing

[baronn 111]

Paul is da Man! That roll up door on the 182 was amazing

[BASE-ick 0]

In case not seen, a second outfit is now working on a C206 conversion, using PT6A-21s: http://prattwhitney.mwnewsroom.com/press-releases/turbine-conversions-ltd-selects-pt6a-21-engines-for-cessna-206-conversion-201612091079618001

[RMURRAY 1]

it is the same STC is it not?

[vpjr 18]

This is the STC that is on my airplane. It is a Long thread but if you read it you will see. The -21 is an approved engine. I had 3 -20s so thats the engine I choose. Im running the -20 at only 54% power. This equals the FAA 325hp for 5 min and 300 continuous while using 650c max ITT. The -21 is 130 more hp thermal. That means 45% power. probably < 88% GG. Not an efficient place to operate. I feel that the power setting I am using with the -20 is at the bottom of the power band. I can do 35 loads of 6 to 13K with that engine and setting. Did 32 on a 95f day with daylight to spare. Now if your operating out of high alt airports or real hot the -21 would be the engine. Also more expensive.

[skydived19006 4]

The -21 is still supported by PWC? The -20 is not supported any longer? Can't really lose either way with the -20, buy em cheap with good time left, run em cool for a long time, rence/repeat. If the -20s dry up, can move to the -21.

Sound about right?

Is 325/300 hp the max you're rated to run on this airframe per the FAA STC?

Martin

Experience is what you get when you thought you were going to get something else.

AC DZ

[vpjr 18]

Yes, To increase the HP we were going to be required to spin test. Spinning isnt that big of a deal. The engineering for the drogue chute in the tail cone was an added expense and time that I / we didnt want to go through. I have found that this setting works great for the operational needs of a dz that this was to cover.

[skydived19006 4]

I would have to assume that it's not mechanically limited, or at minimum, nothing to keep a pilot from maintaining 325 hp in excess of five minutes.

Cessna would have had to have preformed spin testing in order to certify the airplane, and possibly again with the restart. Though, I'd guess that they don't operate on Kindergarten Rules when it comes to sharing.

Experience is what you get when you thought you were going to get something else.

AC DZ

[vpjr 18]

The answer from the feds is. After the limit of 5 min at 325hp pwr must be reduced =< 300hp. There is no time it must remain at 300 or Less. The power can be brought back up to 325hp and the 5 min clock starts again. I did almost all of the testing (nearly 100 hours) at 350 hp. The sportsman stol and with the power over the wing allowed me to demonstrate power on stalls with the aircraft IAS and CAS probe below a readable range. The Chicago ACO kicked back the report making me reduce the power to 325hp. " We cant publish unreadable" . At this power setting I demonstrated Power on Stalls GW aft CG 42kts. The -21 would make the plane 2-3 min faster turns. From 18 to 15min on the hottest day of the year. Nice but the engine cost is 60k+ more. On cooler days I make that power using 650C.

[vpjr 18]

The European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) has approved the Sportsman STOL kit STC and this is one of the hurdles out of the way to getting the PT6 U206 STC EASA approved.

[vpjr 18]

If your flying 5-7k seats per year. It is cheaper per seat then 3 182s or 1 caravan. I x-country cruise at 31gph and get 167-175ktas depending on OAT.