Page 31 - Volume 18 Number 1

to his airport and found pristine, near-perfect engines with chrome intakes and rocker covers, as well as impeccable logbooks. A thorough visual inspection and compression check confirmed the records. Knowing Dane’s reputation and meticulous nature, there was no doubt the engines were a steal. Dane then flew his Duke to Spokane, where the Rocket Engineering folks removed the engines, props and all piston-related controls and instrumentation.
from Washington to Ohio would be a maximum-effort mission. Potty breaks and food stops are for sissies anyway, right? The trek began within an hour of finishing my work trip, with a ride to SEA on the jumpseat of an Alaska 737, followed by another jumpseat to GEG. By about 11 PM, my head hit the pillow, hard. Seven AM came quickly and the ground portion of the trip began. Rocket Engineering had already done some measuring for me, and graph paper had solved the questions of rented utility truck size and cargo placement.
The engines were mounted on pallets and shrink-wrapped top to bottom. The first pallet was placed into the truck as far as the forklift would reach, then the second one was used to shove the first snugly to the front. As the graph paper predicted, this left just enough room for the propeller assemblies. We carefully taped folded blankets to the tips and hubs and placed them aft of the motors with overlapping blades. With a few airplane tires here-and-there, the load was ready for transport.
At one point during the trip, the air was 20 degrees below zero, causing exhaust from cars to billow like factory chimneys. It’s not often that you leave contrails while driving – it was another excellent reason to limit those bothersome food and potty breaks.
Ingenuity
Just after noon on day three, Ian’s technicians and forklift made short order of the unloading and I was on another jumpseat back to ORD. Over the next several weeks, the new-model Lycomings with alternators and intercoolers were installed – but not without some ingenuity. Ian planned to use Dane’s cowlings but modifying my old ones turned out to be less problematic. The integration of the alternators into a system designed for generators was a challenge, and the prop-heat boots and timer were
a puzzle. We sold the old motors to an overhaul shop and the props went to another Duke owner whose own hadn’t survived a close encounter with the earth. After the purchase of Dane’s equipment, the sale of mine, and some brilliant work by Ian and his staff, the Duke was sporting new motors and props – for less than the cost of overhauling just one. Now, that’s a moment for which I can be ready.
Whether it’s the ticking of a Hobbs, the idea for an invention, or cocktails with celebrities, we can only hope that when the moment arrives, we are ready and can take advantage of any opportunities. Just 500 hours to go before the moment arrives again for the Duke; it’s back to watching for that suitcase full of money – and listening for the phone.
Thank you my friends;
Dianne White, Kansas Aircraft
www.kansasaircraft.com
913-782-8212
Ian Roberts, Roberts Aviation
www.robertsaviation.net
765-220-1596
Bob Hoffman, Hoffman Aviation Services www.dukepilot.com 859-567-1803
Roberts Aviation
The task of replacing my older E1A4’s with Dane’s E1C4’s would present unique and difficult challenges. Instead of having the engines installed in Washington, I elected to retrieve the motors and props myself and have a trusted mechanic in Hamilton, Ohio, Ian Roberts, accomplish the installation. He had performed several annuals on my Duke in the past and had done great work. Ian is Citation- typed and cut his maintenance teeth in the airline world before starting Roberts Aviation. He first worked on mostly piston singles and twins, but now has facilities in Ohio and Saint Augustine, Florida, focusing on turboprops and medium-to-large business jets, including Challengers, Dassault Falcons, Hawkers and others. Ian is one of the most skilled aircraft maintenance technicians I’ve met; he was the obvious choice for the job. I just had to get the motors and props to his shop.
Road Trip!
There were just four days before my next airline trip, so the drive
Patrick Carter, Rocket Engineering
535-4401 T&T •
www.rocketengineering.com 509-
Kevin Dingman has been flying for 40 years. He’s an ATP typed in the B737 and DC9 with 19,000 hours. A retired Air Force Major, he flew the F-16 then performed as a USAF Civil Air Patrol Liaison Offi- cer. He flies volunteer missions for the Christian organization Wings of Mercy, is employed by a major airline, and owns and operates a Beechcraft Duke. Contact Kevin at Dinger10d@gmail.com.
JANUARY 2014 TWIN & TURBINE • 29