Queenair Prang???

[Mr Milk]

I see in the latest issue of australian aviation that VH-XAE has been struck off the register after it "crashed" on the 10.6.09.
Does anyone know what/where it happened?
I did a search but could only find the same aircraft-going by its serial # had another accident (late 80's) that involved a fatality. I have no recollection of it but i might have been out of the country at that time.

It was an excalibur was it not? if so what a great machine they are.

Any info/pics would be great to see.


MM

[training wheels]

Here are pics of it (not the prang)

Photos: Beech 65-B80 Queen Air Aircraft Pictures | Airliners.net (http://www.airliners.net/photo/Beech-65-B80-Queen/0406490/L/)

Photos: Beech 65-B80 Queen Air Aircraft Pictures | Airliners.net (http://www.airliners.net/photo/Beech-65-B80-Queen/0745366/L/)

[smiling monkey]

had another accident (late 80's) that involved a fatality.

I do remember this accident and if I recall correctly, the rego was XAE. It was a Queenair on a night cargo run which encountered icing and went down somewhere around Eildon Weir. I remember seeing a picture of it in the news and the aircraft was reasonably well intact. I heard the pilot died due to being crushed by the cargo behind him (not sure if true or not .. just rumours going around at the flight school I was at).

Just wondering whether the pics of XAE above suggest that it was restored after the crash in the late 80's (89 if I remember correctly)?

[OZBUSDRIVER]

I get cold shudders every time I see or hear one of those things...Back end of Codds flights into the interior....no fun:eek:

[frigatebird]

Queenairs are luvvly aeroplanes. If they could be fitted with 400 h.p. turbodiesels, they would be even better..

[sms777]

The one that crashed at Eildon Weir was a different aircraft but it did have the rego XAE at the time. It was destroyed and the rego was transferred to the current Queenair in WA. It was operated by Air Eastern in the late 80's until my mate bought it in the mid 90's It went to the current operator in WA around 2004 but recently ran out of sparlife. I am not aware of being involved in any crash and i would like to now too if thats is correct.

:ok:

[MakeItHappenCaptain]

I get cold shudders every time I see or hear one of those things

They're fantastic...
Love those augmenters.....(What??? Three-thirty!)
Queenairs don't climb.....they ascend.:ok:

[Jabawocky]

Queenairs are luvvly aeroplanes. If they could be fitted with 400 h.p. turbodiesels, they would be even better..

how about some PT-6's then ;)

[sms777]

Been done already Jabba..... they call it " Kingair " :ok:

[j3pipercub]

HA! Good one sms

[Chief Erwin]

If my memory serves me correctly XAE was confiscated from some drug runners somewhere then imported to Aus.
I don't remember reading anything in the logbooks about a crash.
Not a better aircraft built.

[sms777]

You are correct Chief.
They were busted by DEA flying across the border from Mexico at 50 feet. Aircraft was auctioned at LA County auctions, snapped up by a clever aussie for peanuts. :D:D

[greenslopes]

XUA seems to have different donks to those usually seen on a Q'Air. Can someone else have a squiz.

[illusion]

Probably an Excalibur conversion to 400hp ??

Anyone have details of that mod?

[tail wheel]

Here (http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/-EXCALIBUR-QUEEN-AIR-NO-RESERVE!-MUST-SEE-TO-APPRECIATE_W0QQitemZ320405075453QQcmdZViewItemQQimsxZ2009072 8?IMSfp=TL0907281710005r34382) is an Excalibur for the Queenair lovers. :E

Wikipedia:

The Queen Air development of the Twin Bonanza also received the Swearingen treatment, the Queen Air Excalibur having less-extensive modifications also involving fitment of 400 hp (300 kW) IO-720s, replacing the more troublesome and lower-power geared Lycoming engines installed at manufacture, and the enclosed landing gear doors (the Queen Air was designed from the outset with an airstair). The US Army had several of its U-8 versions of the Queen Air modified to this standard[4]. Excalibur aircraft are easily distinguishable from standard Twin Bonanzas and Queen Airs by the landing gear doors and the more rectangular engine cowlings of the Excaliburs compared to the rounded cowlings of the originals.

VH-XAE is not an ex Colin Codd or Snow Richards aircraft?

[Jabawocky]

J3 and SMS >>>>>>>:ugh::rolleyes::ugh::rolleyes: :cool:

you blokes are too slow........my talents as a comdeian were wasted on you two! :}

J3..... when our collective mate gets back from holidays, you sir will get a major tune up for being a dumbass!!!! :} ;) :ok: keep up with the gags!

and SMS.......... you should know better!!! :ok:

j:):p

..........why did i know this would happen:hmm:

[j3pipercub]

Sorry for being a bit slow, on holidays also...:}

j3

[sms777]

Sorry Jaba.....was tuned on a different frequency :E

[MakeItHappenCaptain]

Letth sthick to the queenth, thankth for athking......;)

[HEALY]

last time I flew XUA it had PW118A engines....I am sure of that one

[Jamair]

Nah, wasn't one of Snows....he had RUU which burnt in a hangar fire in TWB and FWG which was meatbombing @ CDR before Denis gopt hold of it and it went to South America.....or at least that was the plan.....:rolleyes:

[Sked]

Flew XAE and AEQ. Two lovely ladies. Best non-pressurised piston twins I ever flew.

[prospector]

And what was AEQ is now slowly mouldering away at Palmerston North, its new name ZK-WKA. It was certainly a lovely aeroplane, and when fitted with a Garmin 430 made the run out to the Chatham Islands a real pleasure, most of the time.

[sms777]

Don't tell me they implemented the sparlife AD in NZ too? That was the reason why AEQ ended up over there......bugger :(

[Mr Milk]

What a waste of a great machine...

SMS- are you 100% sure that the eildon xae and the recently de registered xae are not the same?
I can find them on the net as the same serial #.

cheers

[flying-spike]

I was told at the time that the pilot of that aircraft was a guy I knew when he was the station pilot of a place just outside Camooweal. Anyone know more?

[601]

Snows....he had RUU which burnt in a hangar fire

Not correct. RUU was bought after the hanger fire to replace the one destroed in the fire.
DB is shown as the owner of RUU.

FWG was one of two Queen Airs that Snow bought for the survey contract. The second was destroyed in a crash in Victoria.

A new Queen Air was obtained to replace the crashed one. This is the one that was destroyed in the fire along with a Baron and several other aircraft.

[sms777]

I am going by the information given to me by the previous owner of XAE who is a good friend of mine. I will contact him and find out that it is in fact correct or not.
You got me curious now......:hmm:
I will keep you posted....
Cheers. :ok:

PS. If it is the same aircraft they have done a damn good job repairing it because i logged nearly 100 hrs in it and it flew and handled perfect every time.

[Jamair]

601....yer right of course; I shouldn't post when I'm half asleep.....:rolleyes: I think there's still bits of RUU in DBs graveyard at Roma....

Those bl00dy thing used to wake up 3/4 of TWB when they did the early morning runups for the moonie / moomba runs....and that was when the airport WASN'T in the middle of town:eek:

When FWG was meatbombing @ CDR you could hear it taking off and climbing, from Bribie to Maroochy (well almost :E )

[601]

wake up 3/4 of TWB
The plan was to wake up ALL of TWB

[OZBUSDRIVER]

Ha, my CFI used to reckon that you could never get lost TWB-CV...just follow the oil track left by Codd's Queenairs.

[Capt Fathom]

just follow the oil track left by Codd's Queenairs

You only need to worry when the oil stops coming out! :E

[Cpt Link Hog]

Very nice machine in NZ there is no 10k rule on the spar life. only the c402
last semi alive one lives in Palmerston North herd has been sold so it may live another day.
WKA (AEQ) was brought in from OZ to replace PHA Which was doing the Chatham Island fish run owned by a private owner
PHA had corrision issues in the wings
Put the wings off WKA (AEQ) on PHA but two flights later Old fart who was flying it did a wheels on roll out....ummm was that the flap or the gear swich... F%$#ed it! Wings back off PHA back on WKA got a big birthday new paint, flash cargo interior, Garmin 430 ect ect stopped flying after about 2 years would have been a good buy

[prospector]

" Put the wings off WKA (AEQ) on PHA but two flights later Old fart who was flying it did a wheels on roll out...."

Your knowledge of fact would be on a par with your spelling.