May_June_2022 - 33
A row of Douglas C-47s
mid-conversion. On
average, Basler has the
capacity to convert two
C-47s a year to BT-67s.
IMAGES COURTESY
OF BASLER TURBO
CONVERSIONS
really is just the aluminum shell that's
left, " Varkoly said.
After pressure washing the shell,
they examine it for corrosions and
start replacing the old with the new.
" Every spar gets replaced regardless,
just because of the age of it, and
for the zero-accumulated fatigue certification
that we get from the FAA. It doesn't allow much corrosion
at all, so we find it's really quicker and cheaper just to replace
it than to try to clean it up and polish it up and continue to use
this as a individual spar or any part of the interior of the aircraft.
So it really is almost a complete replacement, " Varkoly said.
They take off the piston engines and put on the turbo prop
engines, Pratt & Whitney PT-6A67Rs, and because those engines
are lighter weight than the piston engines were, the center of gravity
of the aircraft moves.
" We literally cut the airplane in half, and we stretch it 40 inches
forward of the center wing. So our BT-67s are 40 inches longer
than the C-47s were, and because those C-47s are 85 years old,
now we gut it and replace literally everything inside the airplane,
to the point that 90% of the aircraft is replaced in our conversion
process, " Varkoly said.
A BT-67 in flight. Part of the conversion process is equipping BT-67s
with larger fuel tanks, allowing for flight times of 12 to 13 hours.
Varkoly compared the process to taking apart an old jigsaw
puzzle and replacing it with new puzzle pieces. As each year the
aircraft Basler converts are older and older, the QA requirements
continue to ramp up.
There are only some components within the center wing that
they're able to retain, along with the landing gear sometimes.
" When those come in, we'll take them off, we'll mag particle
inspect them. We tend to be able to reuse those in most cases,
same with the tail wheel, but for the most part everything else gets
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May_June_2022
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of May_June_2022
So What?
Industry Inspection
Your Mobile Home
The Hunt for Parts
An Inconvenient Truth
Getting Aircraft on Ground Flying Again
In the Post-Pandemic World, General Aviation is Taking Off
The Dos and Don'ts of Communication System Maintenance
Basler Turbo Conversions Makes the Old New Again
A Promising Outlook for General Aviation
How Naval Aviation is Combatting Its Billion- Dollar Corrosion Problem
Advertiser’s Index
May_June_2022 - 1
May_June_2022 - 2
May_June_2022 - 3
May_June_2022 - So What?
May_June_2022 - 5
May_June_2022 - Industry Inspection
May_June_2022 - 7
May_June_2022 - 8
May_June_2022 - 9
May_June_2022 - 10
May_June_2022 - 11
May_June_2022 - Your Mobile Home
May_June_2022 - 13
May_June_2022 - The Hunt for Parts
May_June_2022 - 15
May_June_2022 - 16
May_June_2022 - 17
May_June_2022 - 18
May_June_2022 - 19
May_June_2022 - 20
May_June_2022 - 21
May_June_2022 - An Inconvenient Truth
May_June_2022 - 23
May_June_2022 - Getting Aircraft on Ground Flying Again
May_June_2022 - 25
May_June_2022 - In the Post-Pandemic World, General Aviation is Taking Off
May_June_2022 - 27
May_June_2022 - The Dos and Don'ts of Communication System Maintenance
May_June_2022 - 29
May_June_2022 - 30
May_June_2022 - 31
May_June_2022 - Basler Turbo Conversions Makes the Old New Again
May_June_2022 - 33
May_June_2022 - 34
May_June_2022 - 35
May_June_2022 - A Promising Outlook for General Aviation
May_June_2022 - 37
May_June_2022 - How Naval Aviation is Combatting Its Billion- Dollar Corrosion Problem
May_June_2022 - 39
May_June_2022 - 40
May_June_2022 - 41
May_June_2022 - Advertiser’s Index
May_June_2022 - 43
May_June_2022 - 44
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