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PA39
17th Mar 2009, 11:11
Could anyone recommend an experienced maintenance organisation who could handle the CoA on an old '65 Queenair we are bringing out from Europe? We need someone with a lot of experience on the type.

Thanks for all and any help

RENURPP
17th Mar 2009, 21:03
Air frontier in darwin

longrass
17th Mar 2009, 21:21
PM me your details and I will pass them on to the owner

Jamair
17th Mar 2009, 22:31
Approved Aircraft Maintenance in Toowoomba:ok:
07 4634 3333

chimbu warrior
17th Mar 2009, 23:11
Denis Beahan at Roma has lots of experience with the type.

Chief Erwin
18th Mar 2009, 03:10
I have plenty of experience on the queen-airs and love em.
Located in central Qld.
PM me if your are intersested.

morno
18th Mar 2009, 03:59
Chimbu, is Dennis at Roma? Last I knew he was in Charters Towers.

morno

RENURPP
18th Mar 2009, 04:17
He's at Charter Towers

longrass
18th Mar 2009, 04:32
Denis is great, just make sure your plane has still got the engines attached when you pick it up.... They might disappear, has happened many times and sent a few broke

sms777
18th Mar 2009, 04:43
Is he still around?
Last time i dropped in to Charters in my Queenair he tried to sell me another one :eek:

PCFlyer
18th Mar 2009, 06:54
Seriously ... I don't believe any of those stories about Denis Beahan! :E

the wizard of auz
18th Mar 2009, 08:24
he once tried to sell me a 402. It was actually three 402's but he reckoned it would be one in about a week..... bring ya spanners. I politely declined :rolleyes:

tail wheel
18th Mar 2009, 09:48
It is Denis Behan. He hasn't been in Roma for some years and I heard he wasn't in Charters Towers.

Poor Denis. You are all most unfair! :E

Could anyone recommend an experienced maintenance organisation who could handle the CoA on an old '65 Queenair we are bringing out from Europe? We need someone with a lot of experience on the type.

Well, a '65 Queenair will improve the average age of Australia's GA fleet! :}

Yes, from my experience with Queenairs, you will certainly need someone with a lot of experience. And patience. And an owner with very deep pockets..... :ok:

There is a fair chance the cost of the CofA and onto the Aussie Register will cost more than the aircraft's local market value.

the wizard of auz
18th Mar 2009, 11:19
We had one here that sent the guy broke............. Oh, hang on...... actually, he flew it into a hill and then it broke. Pretty sad to see as Craig had just spent a bomb on it and it looked good. broke her clean in half. :eek:

j3pipercub
19th Mar 2009, 01:44
wiz, thankyou for that enlightened discourse, laughed for 5 minutes, belly hurts! :ok:

j3

sms777
19th Mar 2009, 07:00
There is nothing funny about a serious accident that could have been avoided if if was not for the PIC' s stupidity....i mean error. He pancaked a perfectly safe and performing aircraft in to an embankment at the end of the runway simply because he forgot to latch the engine cowlings and they got ripped off during the take off roll.
wiz may have put it in a funny way but it was very fortunate that no one got killed that night.
I am sure there is a report covering this on the ATSB site. It happened in WA about 10 years ago. I think it was Alligator's Queenair.

:ok:

the wizard of auz
19th Mar 2009, 10:09
Agreed 777. It was extremely fortunate no one was seriously injured or even killed. It really should not have happened. the fool who was flying it was only just endorsed, (and a dodgy one at that) was not night or instrument current and the times that were reported in the ATSB report were wildly inaccurate.
Actually the whole report was inaccurate. (yes, I was there when it happened) I was in the aircraft a few hours earlier, while it was being worked on by the non qualified pilot of the other aircraft. (the gun runners ship...also known for dodgy charters).......... seems they got away with stuff that they should have been hung for.
What really happened was a cowl cover came off and the throttles were closed. the pilot saw he wasn't going to be able to stop on the remaining runway so he opened the taps again, got to the end of the runway and hauled her off at a couple of knots above the stall. Got way behind the drag curve and flopped onto the waste dump about 600 meters from the end of the runway. He simply couldn't out climb the 80 ft high dump. the deck angle of the aircraft when it hit was very close to the same angle of the dump, so it was a favorable outcome for the pax. It could have been a lot worse for all involved.
Back to the subject. there is an operator in Perth (Jandakot) that was running a couple of Queenairs. Last I heard he had just bought another one ex US because it was cheaper than replacing the wings on the old one. he may be able to walk you through the CoA process and what to look out for.

j3pipercub
19th Mar 2009, 11:37
I have no idea about the accident, but the way wiz worded it cracked me up, so yeah it's funny! I'll stand by that one

j3

MakeItHappenCaptain
19th Mar 2009, 12:37
AMS at Caloundra will have one in their hanger that will be in the air within the next few weeks. (Beautiful straight tail 65.) The facility owner and manager both have experience flying and maintaining this type.
Yes, Denis still is at Charters and probably has more spares than anyone else.

blackhand
20th Mar 2009, 02:47
Put 720's in it and call it EXCALIBER

Far better than messing with the original engines.

Blackhand

sms777
20th Mar 2009, 10:10
Your post indicates that you have absolutely no idea what you are talking about.
Put 720's in it...... yeah right. The original poster indicated importing a BE65 in to the country. The Excalibur( not EXCALIBER as you expertly indicated ) was only approved on the BE80 in the US only as a so called improvement on the ORIGINAL engines that have been faithful all over the years thanks to proper training of how to handle them.This is the key word: PROPER TRAINING.
Get it? :(

There was only two Queenairs brought in to Oz, VH-AEQ and VH-XAE and stc'd to operate with 720's but no one up to date had the approval to convert any Queenairs to Excalibur upgrade in this country. And it will never happen due to beurocratic bull**** upstairs. So do not give any advice to some poor bugger from Europe what he should do before getting proper background information of what it takes to undertake such an exersise. There is nothing wrong with the original engines as long as you know how to handle them correctly.

Chief Erwin
20th Mar 2009, 12:33
SMS777
Nail on the head you have hit :D
Excellent conversion though, we had the the 720's doin bout 2400 hrs tbo which aint to bad.
Also had the IGSO-480 go full life on a parachute operation using the right kind of lovin.

TBM-Legend
20th Mar 2009, 13:23
Vanair operated a straight tail 65 with IO-720 conversion...:bored:

Peter Fanelli
21st Mar 2009, 01:47
The Excalibur( not EXCALIBER as you expertly indicated ) was only approved on the BE80 in the US only as a so called improvement


And the 70 it seems.

http://www.airdisaster.com/reports/ntsb/AAR79-16.pdf

prospector
21st Mar 2009, 07:41
" There was only two Queenairs brought in to Oz, VH-AEQ and VH-XAE"

And I had the very pleasant task of taking VH-AEQ out of Oz.

YMMB-YPMQ 3:20 26 Oct
YPMQ-YHLI 1:50 27 Oct
YLHI--NZPM 5:15, this leg was done at FL170, 28 Oct 01.

From memory recall 17" 2200RPM running on the smell of an oily rag atFL170, 30 kts up the chuff, VMC all the way until 30 miles out from NZPM, and had an IF approach at PM just to round the day off. And I got paid for it.

sms777
21st Mar 2009, 12:38
I beleive AEQ was shipped to NZ so it does not have to comply the spar life limitation imposed in Oz which it has expired. I used to fly both aircrafts for Air Eastern (AEQ short for Air Eastern Queenair) in the 90's.
I remember XAE was an exellent craft but AEQ always needed rudder trim to make it fly straight.
Have you had that problem on your ferry flight?

LeadSled
21st Mar 2009, 14:49
PA39,
As SMS777 has alluded, do your homework very carefully re. the SPAR LIFE AD. and the time accumulated on the aircraft to date.
Given the cost of putting the aircraft on an Australian C.of A, the remaining life of the airframe may well not be worth it.
Tootle pip!!

prospector
21st Mar 2009, 19:48
" Have you had that problem on your ferry flight?"

Cannot recall that being a problem, and yes it was purchased because the spar life problem imposed in Oz did not apply in NZ. Had a lot work done on it over here to set it up for a pure freight role, and the run it was on, 2:30 each way, had a very good TBO on the IO720's.

Stationair8
23rd Mar 2009, 08:47
Does the spar life only apply to the Excabilur Queenair or to all Queenairs?

The Excabilur one is pretty impressive machine based on those figures.

sms777
23rd Mar 2009, 09:18
The sparlife applies to all Queenairs in Oz, and in Oz only.
The B65 model which have a max take off weight of up to 8200 lbs have a sparlife of 13 000 hrs. The B80 came with bigger engines and incrased max take off weight of 8800 lbs, therefore more stress on airframe, had reduced spar life of 11 000 hrs. That includes the Excalibur.
If i recall correctly it can only be extended once which means at 26 000 hrs the whole airframe is srapmetal :(

Stationair8
23rd Mar 2009, 09:34
When did the last Queenair roll of the production line in Witchita?

sms777
23rd Mar 2009, 09:41
1978. After pretty much evolved in to the King Air B90's.

AussieO2
16th Jun 2009, 05:23
Does any one know where VH-TGA is now ?

flog
16th Jun 2009, 06:18
There's one on the ground at YTND. Not sure of the reg though - I'll look next time I'm taxing past.

Ex FSO GRIFFO
16th Jun 2009, 09:31
'Wiz',

Was Supervisor on duty PH FSC that evening. Console operator on intercom leans over and says -you wanna listen to this - 'overflying' aircraft, (don't really know whether he was or not) called up to say that an aircraft 'had run off the strip' at LEO, that he was overflying, no further details avbl as it was getting dark out there....when 'pressed' for more details, he did not want to elaborate, or so it seemed....(You may know more...)

So I rang Mr Plod and they went out to have a look, and later rang back to say they didn't find anybody or any aircraft 'off the strip'.

Then I think we 'pressed for' & got a little more info from the 'overflier' who then said something like the Queenair was BEYOND the Northern end of the gravel rwy. and out they went again.
It would have been dark by this time.
However, this time they went all the way up the N/S towards the fence and found a guy walking back from the site.
And, the rest is history, as they say.
Heard later that the initial report from the 'overflying' aircraft was actually a mate / colleague of the pilot concerned (?) and he didn't want to 'elaborate' for obvious reasons.....
It was 'Incidental Information' to us, so we just submitted the usual 'Crash' report of the facts as we knew them....
We knew nothing of the injuries sustained or the actuals of the 'event'.

The aircraft had just been 'refitted etc' ready for the next tourist season, and had had a 'bomb' spent on it, as you say.
'Twas a nice one too - had the pleasure of flying it in '76 when it was on night freight runs with Masling.
Only just caught up with this one.....sorry re the time frame...:ok:

Cheers....aaaah..dem good ole' days.....:ok:

the wizard of auz
16th Jun 2009, 10:14
Yeah, the "overflying" aircraft was overflying..........on his departure upwind.
I can tell a whole lot about the shonk that was driving, but will save it for a yarn over beers one day. :ok: just think "Sea Devon" and "gun runners shrike". It should all click for ya then. :ok:

porch monkey
16th Jun 2009, 11:02
Prospector- is AEQ still flying? We test flew it together out of MB before your departure. Sad to see it go, I assure you.

Wanderin_dave
16th Jun 2009, 13:38
The Queen Air at Tooradin is (or was) MWI. She's in a sorry state outside, but inside she nice, the props are brand spanking new and I think the donks may be also.

Still, I don't think she'll fly anytime soon......unless I get a bit adventurous after a few beers one sunday arvo! :E

Tmbstory
16th Jun 2009, 18:24
Ex FSO Griffo:
Wanderin dave:

I flew the Queenairs VH-MWH (A65) and VH-MWI (A70) for more than 1500 hours on Commuter Operations in 1968 / 1969 / and 1970.

Good times and good stories.

Regards

Tmb

AussieO2
16th Jun 2009, 21:28
My records indicate that VH-AEQ was reg as ZK-WKA on 14 FEB 2002 and was deregistered on 20 APR 2006, still with same owner at Lower Hutt.
Do not know reason for cancellation.

Re the Excalibur's:- imported into Vanuatu as YJ-RV17 and YJ-RV18.
After Vanair, they both went to Sunflower A/l in Fiji as DQ-FEW and DQ-FER. The latter crashed and was destroyed by fire at Vunitavola on 10 NOV 1988 and the other went to Tonga as A3-FEW to fly with Peau Vava'u Air, but do not know it's current situation.

Hope this helps, but, still looking for TGA, was last operated by a chap on Queenslands Sunshine Coast.

hole.digger
17th Jun 2009, 11:38
anyone hear about the one that lost an engine in darwin the other day? just hear the rumors, but apparantly it hit pretty hard.

VH-XXX
27th Mar 2011, 10:04
Does anyone know of any persons or companies operating either Aus reg or foreign Queenairs in Aust? (I am aware of the CASA register) Am aware of a Queenie being parted out and they are almost as rare as Rocking Horse ****e as they say.

Fred Gassit
27th Mar 2011, 11:38
Freight operation out of Perth.

I think it's called Laser1 freight?

Looks like they have one with flat 8's and one with the geared things.

I believe another at Jandakot getting ready to go for the same op.

VH-XAT and VH-FWG, I think

porch monkey
28th Mar 2011, 01:05
Would be XAE I think.

Callmebede
30th Jun 2013, 10:18
"PA39
17th Mar 2009, 21:11
Could anyone recommend an experienced maintenance organisation who could handle the CoA on an old -B65 Queen Air we are bringing out from Europe? We need someone with a lot of experience on the type.
Thanks for all and any help"

Hi PA39
I was wondering if you had proceeded with your -B65 project?

Along with several other Engineering ghosts from the PNG past, I've just spent a few days, enjoying the hospitality of Denis Beahan and amongst many subjects, discussed Queen Airs, the B80 in particular.

A few bits of info here that may set aside fact from fiction. In more recent times Denis operated 4 of them in Nth Qld. over a 6yr period, with nil challenges.
The comment re, "taking advantage of the curvature of the Earth to climb", is definitely fiction. Out of Bamaga, a -B80 taking MTOW in 800mtr, is fact. This is something a Titan can nowhere near match. They were / are cheap to buy. Similar to most piston engine aircraft of that size, the purchase price is somewhere around the value of hours remaining on Engine and Propellers and Airframe spares are plentiful and cheap. On a SoM the Engines are capable of 2000TBO, IF they are operated correctly. He said that the IGSO-540 engines were a dream to operate and maintain. The GSO-480, not so, but only due to the intricacy of the Simmons fuel system, fitted to most of them. Although, cabin noise level is comfortable, it is also fact that the external noise level is extremely "user UNFRIENDLY".
Overall, a wonderful and hard to match Aircraft, but not for commercial operations today. Today, when most Piston Engine operations in that category have faded into the past, a King Air or Conquest, fills the Queen Air slot.
As a matter of interest, Denis commenced his career, in 1968 as an apprentice with Union-Air, Toowoomba, modifying and maintaining Queen Airs for the Australian Army, SE Asia / PNG Mapping operations. He said he went to Roma in late 1979 to help a friend out for a couple of weeks, during a 6 week break between finishing a job at Air New Guinea and starting a new one at Gulf Air- Bahrain. On the first day of 1980 he set up an independent maintenance business there and other branch operations at Charters Towers, Boonah and Weipa. 24yrs later, he closed the Roma branch, due to a lack of qualified staff. Aviation Organizations come and go, but he has been in business full time, under the same name and with many of the same clients for over 30yrs. He said, he's just "signed on" as chief Engineer for anther 30 years!!! Cheers Denis and thanks again.

601
30th Jun 2013, 23:23
"taking advantage of the curvature of the Earth to climb"

Out of Hagen, they just maintained separation from the curvature of the Earth.

RENURPP
30th Jun 2013, 23:50
"PA39
17th Mar 2009, 21:11
Could anyone recommend an experienced maintenance organisation who could handle the CoA on an old -B65 Queen Air we are bringing out from Europe? We need someone with a lot of experience on the type.
Thanks for all and any help"

Geoff Hunt from Air Frontier in Darwin has experience in CoA's and quite a bit of experience with B65 QueenAirs, he may even still own one, he would certainly have spares.

whoops, just noted the date of the first post. I assume you either have it flying or have given up on this project.

T28D
1st Jul 2013, 03:12
Mike Chadwick at Winrye Jandakot is a B65 man to go to !