So I was poking around looking at Cessna 185 stuff when I came across this, http://versatilehelicopters.blogspot.ca ... a-185.html, a turbine Cessna 185. How did this guy manage to build this/ who did the conversion? Are there others out there? Anyone know anything about it, how it flies etc? Totally out of my price range but interesting anyway.

I saw it at Langley BC about a year ago.

Same here, but it wasn't on floats when I saw it there.

It's my understanding the guy got a one-time STC for the conversion. It's also my understanding he passed away a few months ago. I don't know what happened to the plane, if anybody does please let me know.

Well, using the magic of the internet genie, all your questions may be answered.
Looking up at the ident on the lil red Cessna 185, tells that its has been listed in the "Amateur Built Category" and is listed as a Cessna no more, but a Baker. Model, Turbo. I think Transport Canada has been cracking down on all the fun of rebuilding certified airplane parts in to the ABC,

There's also a one in the US at a interesting magazine Ive never heard of, Cessna Owners Mag
http://www.soloy.com/files/Products/Doc ... 0Story.pdf
Note the exhaust stack on that one. The pax may not want to hang their elbow out the window.

There's a visual on the ident there too. I'm sure if one was to call up the owners they would be more than happy to answer questions.

Joe Soloy was a long time helicopter pilot and developer of turbine conversions for helicopters as well as other modifications. He developed a turbine conversion for both the Bell Model 47 helicopter and the Hiller Model 12 helicopter. He was the first to land nearly at the top of Mount McKinley in a Soloy Turbine converted Hiller 12 E, to rescue two young women climbers.

Soloy then moved on to developing turbine conversions for fixed wing airplanes. His prototype was the Cessna 185 pictured in that magazine article. He toured Alaska with it in the eighties, promoting the possibilities. But, the 185 was simply a test bed to prove the engine/gearbox. The engine was a C 20 Allison engine, the same engine used in the Bell Jet Ranger and other light turbine helicopters. The gearbox was developed by Soloy.

A year later, he returned to Alaska with a Cessna 206 converted with the Soloy turbine pac, and wearing PeeKay 3500 amphibious floats. Those early PeeKays were never the best performing floats (that is an understatement), but I had the opportunity to fly that thing, and with that much power (around 420 if memory serves), it was a blaster indeed.

Unfortunately, the cost of the conversion, combined with the high fuel flows (28 gph or so) made this conversion less than desirable to most of the air taxi operators who were the primary target for this conversion. The airplane, with sufficient fuel to go a distance, didn't have great load capability.

Eventually, Soloy converted the Cessna 207, and in the process increased the gross weight to 4000 pounds. Now, he had an airplane that could carry sufficient fuel AND some payload simultaneously. Lowell Thomas jr. operated a Soloy converted 207 doing flightseeing on Mt. McKinley for a number of years.

Unfortunately, when the 206 conversion was done, they didn't increase the gross weight, and at the time, the Flint tip tanks were about the only approved mod to increase fuel capacity for the 206. And, due to some obscure certification regs, the FAA wouldn't approve the Flint tanks on a turbine powered airplane (had something to do with lightning protection and fiberglass tanks, I believe).

Soloy conversions is still in business, though Joe passed away a number of years ago. And, they still offer Cessna turbine conversions, a third generation of them. Here's a link to their web site: http://www.soloy.com/Home/default.aspx

The latest generation of the 206 conversion looks like a much improved modification. And, now there are a couple options for increasing the fuel capacity of the 206. If you want your 206 to perform REALLY well, there's your mod.

MTV

$935,000 to convert a 210. Pretty cool though, I saw one at KWYS. http://www.onaircraft.com/the-planes/the-silver-eagle-ii/

mtv wrote:Lowell Thomas jr. operated a Soloy converted 207 doing flightseeing on Mt. McKinley for a number of years.
MTV

We were around for that one- it was a hell of a ship, just as Lowell was (might say is) a hell of a pilot. It was later exported to Switzerland or Austria, and stuffed into a mountainside, sadly.

-DP

My dad used to fly that 207 for Lowell Thomas years ago, I flew it once, incredible performance.

Lowell Thomas is a great pilot that is way under recognized in the glacier flying world.

Sidewinder wrote:Well, using the magic of the internet genie, all your questions may be answered.
Looking up at the ident on the lil red Cessna 185, tells that its has been listed in the "Amateur Built Category" and is listed as a Cessna no more, but a Baker. Model, Turbo. I think Transport Canada has been cracking down on all the fun of rebuilding certified airplane parts in to the ABC,

There's also a one in the US at a interesting magazine Ive never heard of, Cessna Owners Mag
http://www.soloy.com/files/Products/Doc ... 0Story.pdf
Note the exhaust stack on that one. The pax may not want to hang their elbow out the window.

There's a visual on the ident there too. I'm sure if one was to call up the owners they would be more than happy to answer questions.

Neat, I saw the Barker Turbo stuff when I looked up the registration. I'm fairly new to aviation and didn't realize people could call a Cessna 185 a homebuilt and repower it like this. I guess they're not letting guys do this anymore though? What about if a guy did this with one of those St. Just Super Cyclones? All far beyond my immediate plans but pretty neat. That red Cessna must be able to take off and climb like nothing else out there.

Fraser Farmer wrote:[ What about if a guy did this with one of those St. Just Super Cyclones?

in the USA i know you can.

The comment on the link is hilarious - referred to as the "Overcompensator"

Battson wrote:The comment on the link is hilarious - referred to as the "Overcompensator"

Yes, and notice the guy who commented talks about seeing it fly over but he doesn't appear to live anywhere near where the plane is based.

Just turned up at my home airport. Haven't talked to the owner yet. I also coincidentally saw a 206 Soloy at Victoria yesterday. Neither of them the prettiest, but sure look like a lot of usefulness.

I think Sunny Peterson had a few of the first 207's at Katmi Air in King Salmon.

Seems to me that I remember a member that was doing his own for a jump plane a few years back. He had more than one plane to keep the jump business going while playing with the conversion. Have no way to know if it was one of the above mentioned players. Seemed to be going at it piecemeal.

DonC wrote:I think Sunny Peterson had a few of the first 207's at Katmi Air in King Salmon.

Yep, Katmai Air had/has two or three Soloy 207s on floats....the only 207s I've ever seen on floats as well.

MTV

mtv wrote:Joe Soloy was a long time helicopter pilot and developer of turbine conversions ...........

MTV

Very interesting history. Appreciate you taking the time to tell it.

-M3X

My friend flew one of the 206's for Channel Flying in Juneau years ago (they've been gone a long time). He said it would easily cruise well into the yellow arc on floats. He said he couldn't imagine owning one that had been abused by air taxi pilots after seeing that.

I talked to this guy when he was doing this conversion. He used to come into Langley in his hot-rodded 182 all the time when he was having helicopter work done. He picked the 185 out of the bush, got it for removal costs. He got the Soloy gear box for $5000 dollars at a bankruptcy auction, nobody knew what it was. I asked if it would have the nose like the turbo beaver or otter. He said no way is it going to be ugly like those things, this will look like a stock 185 when I am finished. I will let you be the judge of that result. One of the guys at Langley bought the floats. The guy that did the conversion died cleaning out the gutters. He was traveling with the scissor lift in the extended position. He hit a pot hole and it pitched him out then landed on him. His wife came home from shopping and found him squished. Not a good day for sure.