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kevin922

Would this be a good jump plane?

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When I first started to jump ten years ago or so, at Skydive Colorado in Loveland, we had two rusty old Beech-18s and a tattered turbo 206. I had, in less than 100 jumps, two emergency exits from the Beeches. I learned that they were not exactly the best planes, and had not been well maintained either. when I look back on those days of jumping the Beech-18s, I get a little bit scared. I much preferred the 206.

The picture of this one looks a *lot* better than what I jumped out of.

***
DJan

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There are a few of them at DZ's. I think Eloy has one and I know that Toledo in Washington has one. Mostly seen them with small doors and they are tricky to get out of with the small door with a Tandem strapped on, not bad just tricky. They also are not that friendly in regard to chunking off a group with the small door. That large door looks about like the size in the Westwind conversions. There use to be two (2) of them at Molalla in Oregon but were sold a few years back and are now mostly on the East coast, Orange might have one if I am remembering correctly. The Door is close to an Otter is size but slightly different in shape.

They can carry I think 11-12 in a standard Beech-18 and maybe 14 in a westwind. But they are cramped when full. It has been a long time since jumping from a westwind and I am fuzzy on the exact number so if somebody knows dont jump all over me if I am way off..

There is a pic somewhere with a Beech-18, "Coors" logo aft of the jump door (I think), and jumpers climbing all over the outside of the airplane. Kinda makes you feel sorry for the pilot of the King Air that got in trouble when Orly climbed on top of the horizontal. that has to be a late 70's early 80's photo. I am sure somebody will get a link to it somewhere and post it..

Scott C.
"He who Hesitates Shall Inherit the Earth!"

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Ah yes, now it all comes back: the door. We had a door that you had to place in just right, with two sticks on the inside the rounded door so that it wouldn't fly out. There was a message on the door: "if found, please return to Skydive Colorado." Not that there would have been much left of it.

And the rounded door made it impossible to have much of an exit. I remember once being inside watching a 4-way exit -- I think it was flyangel who had both of her feet standing right on top of everybody else's when she gave the count.

I much prefer an Otter or Caravan exit! Not to mention camera, which was pretty much impossible since there was no camera step. For a while we had a board hammered in underneath the door jamb, but it was unstable and didn't last long.

***
DJan

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The DZO at a place I jump sometimes just bought one. He's fixing it up over the winter, flying jumpers next season. It'll be the only bigger-than-a-cessna 206 in Alberta, which rocks, but that thing looks kinda spooky[:/]

I got nuthin

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Beech 18s used to be quite popular. As suggested, you could find "small door" and "cargo door" Beeches. There were some disadvantages which have mostly put them out of the skydiving market.

1. They're taildraggers, which added to the excitement of finding competent pilots.

2. They're piston radial engine powered, which seem to be more complicated (and expensive to repair) than turbines.

3. There is a spar running between each wing and under the fusilage. It has to be tested (magnafluxed) every x thousand hours (expensive enuf) and if it needs replacement, forget it.

There were as suggested some modifications dealing with these issues, including tricycle gear and turbines. Still pretty expensive for what you got.

But fun. See Skies Call by Andy Keech and early Carl Boenish movies for people crawling all over the outside. (Discussed recently on the History and Trivia forum.)

HW

HW

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Check out Skydive Greene County webpage. We still actively fly our Beech 18-d. Brand new radials puts it at about 16-17 minutes to 13k and it holds about 11-12 jumpers. We also have a Westwind III that's a Beech 18 with a nose mod and PT-20's on it. 14 jumpers to 13.5k in 11-13 minutes was about average times last summer on those few days we had it back at the DZ. Door is same size as a otter only about 3 inches lower in the rear then the front. Its got plenty of room for camera flyers as long as they fall away instead of jump as high as they can.

The Wasp Jr's have a sound that you can hear for miles away. I've heard the plane about 8 miles away before from the ground.

I've got probally about 75 jumps out of either the Westwind or the Beech in the last 2 years. Fun plane and I'd take it over a Caravan any day since its got 2 engines and has lots of room to dive from behind the door.

Finding a pilot that can fly a tail dragger is hard, finding one that can fly the Westwind thats under construction at the DZ right now will be even harder since there is talk of putting PT-27a's on it. With 27's we are projecting 8-9 minute loads to 13.5-14k when it gets flying. Its going to be a fast plane once its put back together. :)

Yesterday is history
And tomorrow is a mystery

Parachutemanuals.com

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And the rounded door made it impossible to have much of an exit. I remember once being inside watching a 4-way exit -- I think it was flyangel who had both of her feet standing right on top of everybody else's when she gave the count.

Mustard is right, the door is rounded and hard to get that many jumpers out. Not to mention how cold that plane is in the winter time.
I say stay with an Otter :)

May your trails be crooked, winding, lonesome, dangerous, leading to the most amazing view. May your mountains rise into and above the clouds. - Edward Abbey

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Check out Skydive Greene County webpage. We still actively fly our Beech 18-d. Brand new radials puts it at about 16-17 minutes to 13k and it holds about 11-12 jumpers. We also have a Westwind III that's a Beech 18 with a nose mod and PT-20's on it. 14 jumpers to 13.5k in 11-13 minutes



Well Ill be darned I did remember the correct number of jumpers for both!

Scott C
"He who Hesitates Shall Inherit the Earth!"

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The Commonwealth Air Training Plan Museum at Brandon MB has a nekked Beech 18 as an example of 'VIP carrier circa Korea and Vietnam'.

Really cool looking plane when I saw it 2 weeks ago (we were weathered out of winter jumps at Brandon so I went sightseeing). Funny, my first thought was whether it was ever used as a jump plane and where I'd have to go to get high in one B| and then jump out :P

Dave

PS anybody know?



Life is very short and there's no time for fussing and fighting my friend (Lennon/McCartney)

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When I was learning to jump I did my level 5-7 out of a radial beech 18. I prayed (to who I dont know) but pray I did the first time it started. If it wasnt spitting sputtering or coughing, everyone said they wouldnt get on it, so I did. Its a great plane, if maybe a little slow. We could put 14 jumpers on it if it was a cool or cold day, 12 if its warm, and it took 25-30min to get to 13k-14k.

Now they have a "westwind", tricycle gear, and 14 to 14 in 14. Add in the cargo size door and you can pull of at least a 7 way.

Both are terrible about being tail heavy though, got to be carful about skydivers getting toward the back or it would stall. The cargo door replaced with a plexi slide up worked great, unless you go over about 200kts, then you have to brace it.

I know a guy who has a couple frames and the "westwind", and owned a radial. I would be glad to put you in touch with him.
Goddam dirty hippies piss me off! ~GFD
"What do I get for closing your rig?" ~ me
"Anything you want." ~ female skydiver
Mohoso Rodriguez #865

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