Turbo prop bipe !?!?!

[MX304]

This looks like a FUN new toy!

http://www.turbinetoucan.com/

[Bear]

Wow! That looks pretty impressive.

[k5083]

At least one guy has put a turboprop on a Jungmeister before.

August

[Greg87]

I just recently read about a version of the AN-2 that was a turboprop. It was designated an AN-3, didn't add much speed, but I think the main advantage was it was able to carry a heavier load.

[Old SAR pilot]

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Last edited by Old SAR pilot on Tue Dec 30, 2008 12:46 pm, edited 1 time in total.

[MX304]

Has nayone heard much about the Turbine Toucan lately? I know it was almost lost on a test flight, and things have been very quiet lately.

[Bear]

Has nayone heard much about the Turbine Toucan lately? I know it was almost lost on a test flight, and things have been very quiet lately.

This was an article posted over on AirshowBuzz.com.


0-3000 Meter TIME TO CLIMB WORLD RECORD BROKEN by the Turbine Toucan

Sunday, November 18, 2007
As we mentioned the other day, we are now just starting to play with profiles for our “official” FAI sanctioned time to climb attempt for both 0-3000m & 0-6000m. Butch Pfeifer and friend Debbie (serving with the Army as a flight engineer on the Chinook and heading back to Afghanistan next month) accompanied the Toucan down to King City to visit friends at Tutima Academy (formally Sean Tucker’s school of Aerobatics) on Saturday the 17th. King City is a perfect venue to climb straight out to 10,000ft without airspace/traffic issues.

Our first and only attempt was really just a practice and was done on our departure back to San Carlos. The Toucan was loaded with nearly 80 gallons of fuel, in a record attempt we might only have 30 gallons on board. Right off we were carrying 335 extra pounds, which makes a huge difference.

First time out of the gate we broke the C-1C class world record by more then a minute and a half! This was a best angle of climb attempt more then a time attempt for team Turbine Toucan. From take off to 10,000ft. we maintained a 75º deck angle, which doesn’t get us there nearly as fast but provides a lot of fantastic data in the process.

Airspeed was in the 80-90kt range all the way up. What was really fascinating after leveling off at 10,000ft in almost 2 minutes flat was that we never really left the airport. The toucan was just at the end of King City’s 4400ft runway when we arrived at our first destination in route to San Carlos.

The next attempt we’ll be keeping the airspeed up at about 120kts all the way up to 10,000ft and with only 30 gallons onboard. This should make a HUGE difference as we continue to get the time down. Still, today’s record broke the 35 year standing record of 3 minutes and 30 seconds by nearly 40% (at 2 minutes) not to bad for never leaving the airport! Team Turbine Toucan is VERY excited about the potential of this aircraft and today's practice reinforces our enthusiasm.

[Canso42]

Looks cool and totally wicked. Bet it's a handful to fly

[John Dupre]

There used to be a turbine Great Lakes biplane back in the 1970s. It was destroyed in a crash killing the pilot. In Bedford MA at the A&P school there is a turbine powered SkyBolt. The story I heard is that the builder installed an Allison 250 turboprop but did not install a low pitch stop and on one flight accidentally pulled the prop control into Beta or reverse pitch while still just a little bit airborne dropping the thing onto the ground and breaking it. Apparently it was rebuilt but never flown again and donated to the school.