New Plane Developed just for skydiving?

[Kynan1 0]

A buddy of mine told me about a plane that has been developed just for skydiving and is fast than a KingAir to altitude. Apparently, this was built to climb very quick, with only skydiving in mind.
Does anyone know about this, if so any links to the stats, etc?

[angrypeppers 1]

This one?

PAC 750XL

Burn the land and boil the sea,
You can't take the sky from me.

[skybytch 259]

Probably the PAC (the link in the post above this one).

You can jump one at Skydance (Davis CA), Raeford, Deland, Skydive Tahoe and I think SkyKnights in Michigan (and probably some other dz's that I'm not remembering right now).

It's my favorite airplane - the climb rate of a King Air with a better door.

[lowhook 0]

Chicagoland Skydiving has one as well (PAC 750XL) in addition to their Twin Otter. Nice plane.

http://www.skydivecsc.com/dropzone/skydiving_aircraft.php

[quade 3]

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Apparently, this was built to climb very quick, with only skydiving in mind.

Just to be perfectly clear . . . no.

There is a VARIANT of the airplane that comes from the factory with skydiving mods (a door, floater bars and a camera step), but in no way shape or form was this aircraft EVER designed for the sole purpose of skydiving. It's also an air ambulance, a cargo carrier, personal aircraft . . . ect.

quade -
The World's Most Boring Skydiver

[ltdiver 3]

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Quote

Apparently, this was built to climb very quick, with only skydiving in mind.

Just to be perfectly clear . . . no.

There is a VARIANT of the airplane that comes from the factory with skydiving mods (a door, floater bars and a camera step), but in no way shape or form was this aircraft EVER designed for the sole purpose of skydiving. It's also an air ambulance, a cargo carrier, personal aircraft . . . ect.

Target marketing. What are we going to do.

ltdiver

Don't tell me the sky's the limit when there are footprints on the moon

[hjumper33 0]

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Probably the PAC (the link in the post above this one).

You can jump one at Skydance (Davis CA), Raeford, Deland, Skydive Tahoe and I think SkyKnights in Michigan (and probably some other dz's that I'm not remembering right now).

Skyknights is in East Troy WI. Very nice DZ, PAC is only there during the summer to my knowledge.

[Armour666 0]

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Apparently, this was built to climb very quick, with only skydiving in mind.

Just to be perfectly clear . . . no.

There is a VARIANT of the airplane that comes from the factory with skydiving mods (a door, floater bars and a camera step), but in no way shape or form was this aircraft EVER designed for the sole purpose of skydiving. It's also an air ambulance, a cargo carrier, personal aircraft . . . ect.

Target marketing. What are we going to do.

ltdiver

I thought it was the other way around ? the the 750 was designed and certified as the skydiving varient fist that came off the drawing board and the other varients came after?

SO this one time at band camp.....

"Of all the things I've lost I miss my mind the most."

[diablopilot 2]

That is the case.

----------------------------------------------
You're not as good as you think you are. Seriously.

[jakee 1,254]

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I thought it was the other way around ? the the 750 was designed and certified as the skydiving varient fist that came off the drawing board and the other varients came after?

The first variants of the 750XL were marketed to DZs, but the 750XL itself is very, very heavily derived from the Cresco. An aircraft designed from scratch with skydiving in mind would be quite different from a 750XL.

Do you want to have an ideagasm?

[Kynan1 0]

Thanks all.

[riggerrob 558]

If you want to be picky, the design originated in California during the 1950s, when John Thorp designed a crop duster for Fletcher Air Parts.
Fletcher only built a prototype, then sold the rights to New Zealand manufacturer. New Zealand farmers quickly put them to use spreading phosphate fertilizer on steel slopes. The NZ company went through several changes of ownership, most notably as CRESCO.
Kiwi and Australian skydivers have been jumping Crescos for decades.
Circa 2,000, a new fertilizer was developed, lighter, but more bulky. This required a major re-design to increase cabin volume. The end result was the PAC 750.
When you install a large, roll-up cargo door, PAC 750s become pretty good jump planes.
Given their lack of pressurization, de-icing boots, IFR panels, etc. PAC 750s are good for little else.

[JohnMitchell 14]

IMHO, a plane designed strictly for skydiving would have a bigger door as close to CG as possible, and a high horizontal stabilizer, preferably a T-tail. Big spoilers and/or speed brakes for a quick trip down would be a bonus. And you'd want all the horsepower the airframe could handle for the fastest possible turn times.

Also a window in the floor so the pilot could look straight down.

[virgin-burner 1]

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This one?

PAC 750XL

we have a pac too at our DZ. altough i dont know any others, i think its a great plane..

“Some may never live, but the crazy never die.”
-Hunter S. Thompson
"No. Try not. Do... or do not. There is no try."
-Yoda

[larrypen 0]

We have had one at Skydive Suffolk Inc. for 2 years now. Its the best airplane I have ever bought for skydiving.Its just a great little jumpship, with the price of fuel and insurance the way that it is.Its as fast as most anything out there. Carries 12-15 people and is not 40 years old.
JMO

Larry Pennington
Teach by the way you live
www.skydivesuffolk.com

[nael 0]

We have 3 of these in Australia too - Picton, Warnervale and Nagambie. Awesome planes all round.

www.TerminalSports.com.auAustralia's largest skydive gear store

[VideoFly 0]

We love our PAC 750 at Skydive Suffolk in Virginia. It's a great plane!

[Erroll 49]

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New Zealand farmers quickly put them to use spreading phosphate fertilizer on steel slopes.

One needs specially designed aircraft for that.

[Armour666 0]

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If you want to be picky, the design originated in California during the 1950s, when John Thorp designed a crop duster for Fletcher Air Parts.
Fletcher only built a prototype, then sold the rights to New Zealand manufacturer. New Zealand farmers quickly put them to use spreading phosphate fertilizer on steel slopes. The NZ company went through several changes of ownership, most notably as CRESCO.
Kiwi and Australian skydivers have been jumping Crescos for decades.
Circa 2,000, a new fertilizer was developed, lighter, but more bulky. This required a major re-design to increase cabin volume. The end result was the PAC 750.
When you install a large, roll-up cargo door, PAC 750s become pretty good jump planes.
Given their lack of pressurization, de-icing boots, IFR panels, etc. PAC 750s are good for little else.

Thanks for getting picky Intresting to know and hear the history and futher background on the plane and design. Thanks!

SO this one time at band camp.....

"Of all the things I've lost I miss my mind the most."

[riggerrob 558]

Off topic,

Mr. Armor, if you attend my CSPA Rigger A Course, (in Farnham, the first week of November), I will tell you a whole bunch of back stories about parachute rigging.
By the way, next Monday is the deadline for registration, $$$, etc.

[DZDANK 0]

Your ride was on loan here in IN for two weeks, I was on its last load before it headed back to your dz. I liked it; climbout is awesome, but general concensus was that it was cramped inside compared to a caravan. Oh, and it had problems both weekends, a fifty-cent o-ring kept it grounded... But it got me altitude yesterday, so i'm a fan! Ask the pilot if he liked his farewell from everybody out here

[Thunderbow 1]

Check out this article: http://www.avweb.com/eletter/archives/avflash/830-full.html#194736
The Quest Aircraft Kodiak looks like a good candidate for skydiving. I read an article awhile back about the possibility.

Also check out the article down on the same page about the skydiver that sent in a pic and won their contest.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Lord, let me be the person my dog thinks I am.