Some 20 years after the introduction of the Soloy Turbine Cessna 206 MK 1, the new MK 2 took to the air last month from Soloy’s facility at Olympia Airport in Washington state.
The MK 2 is powered by the Rolls-Royce 250-B17F, a 450-shp-rated turbo-prop and the company’s latest derivative of its powerful, lightweight engine. Significantly lighter than the standard 206H and with almost 50% more power, the anticipated performance improvement was realized as soon as power was applied during takeoff, Soloy officials said.
Although complete testing will be required to show compliance with certification regulations, there were no abnormal control characteristics present over the speed and power envelope covered during the first two flights. True airspeed at 12,000 feet was 209 mph, obtained at MCP and a fuel consumption of 28 gph, officials noted.
The MK 2 will have more payload than the MK 1 and, with reduced drag, improved cruise performance.
Soloy has been manufacturing, modifying and certifying aircraft engine conversions for more than 35 years utilizing Rolls-Royce, Pratt & Whitney Canada, Continental and Honeywell engines.
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