Turbine-Caribou

[TBM-Legend]

Any word on Amrock Aviation and their Caribou turbine conversions? I think they bought 7 ex-Ronnie machines..

[LeadSled]

TBMLegend
Don't hold your breath!!
The (in Australia) certification hurdles they face are immense.
Tootle pip!!

[FoxtrotAlpha18]

Word is they're going to register them under a flag of convenience and operate them primarily in the South Pacific - doubt they'll ever have seven flying either!

[TBM-Legend]

Very hard to create a market like that if it doesn't exist now. The conversions plus airframe and avionics upgrades in each bird represent big $$$$$...


Have any of these aircraft been moved from Oakey?

[T28D]

There is no type certificate, they are military aircraft.

[Brian Abraham]

There is no type certificate, they are military aircraft.
Ansett operated one in PNG for a while, VH-BFC. Whether CASA would accept an ex mil aircraft is another question. Have been on the civil register in a number of countries.

VH-BFC history VH-BFC DHC-4 Caribou (http://www.aussieairliners.org/dhc-4/vh-bfc/vhbfc.html)

TCDS here http://www.airweb.faa.gov/Regulatory_and_Guidance_Library/rgMakeModel.nsf/0/8b6571d4be7bddcd8525672200714bee/$FILE/1a19.PDF

[LeadSled]

Brian A,
And, as you may recall, DCA refused to allow the use of the aircraft under the old "developmental air services (or something like that) rules" in PNG, as a result the aircraft was totally uneconomic.

Accelerate-stop distances in remote mountain one way airfields with 10%+ slopes--- you have to be kidding.

You could always (except at large sea level airfields) carry a bigger payload with a C-47/DC-3 --- see para. 1, not applied to said C-47/DC-3

There is a Canadian Type Certificate for the Caribou, and an STC for the turbine conversion, but as somebody has already said: Mucho Dinaros, it must be an "interesting" business plan ----- maybe somebody is planning a cashectomy on foreign aid funds ---- it's happened before.

Tootle pip!!

[TBM-Legend]

If the Basler DC-3T conversion is a guide they go for around US$6.5M. Can't see the Caribou conversion being much cheaper.

A used Dash 8-100 is half that price these days. Where is there a return on a $6M Caribou?????

Have they been shifted from Oakey or are we seeing another C-130A and S-2 saga in the making...?:eek:

From the Govt press release:

Amrock Aviation Pty Ltd based in Brisbane, which will use the aircraft for humanitarian work in Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands

[LeadSled]

TBM-
Last I noticed, only the HARS aircraft had moved.
Tootle pip!!