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Get the Most Out  of Your Tires

Get the Most Out of Your Tires

Quality Counts  Sticker shock is rampant these days, and aircraft tires are no exception. Ten years ago, the list price on four main tires for a King Air 200 with standard gear ran $2,900 – now it’s $4,000. I am speaking specifically about Goodyear tires, which have always been my preference because they last longer…

Fuel Leaks and the  Fuel Control

Fuel Leaks and the Fuel Control

Few things are more annoying than finding a puddle of fuel on the hangar floor the morning after a flight. A B200 I was consulting on recently manifested just that. Fuel leaks that crop up suddenly can result from recent maintenance where a seal wasn’t seated properly or where a fitting was left loose. Another…

The Overspeed Governor and the Test Solenoid 2.0 by Dean Benedict

The Overspeed Governor and the Test Solenoid 2.0 by Dean Benedict

T he Before Takeoff checklist includes a test of the overspeed governors. You know that switch on the sub-panel? When you hold it up, it sends a current to a test solenoid which opens a valve and dumps some of the oil going to the prop into a channel going to the engine case. The…

Engine Vibration Analysis

Engine Vibration Analysis

Writing about prop balancing in the October 2021 issue of King Air magazine got me thinking about engine vibration analysis. Some King Air owners and pilots have never heard of it, as it’s not required by the factory and not part of any Phase checklist or special inspection. Unless you are a turbine engine fanatic…

GOOD VIBRATIONS — The Benefits of Dynamic Prop Balancing

GOOD VIBRATIONS — The Benefits of Dynamic Prop Balancing

When I ran my maintenance shop and got a new company truck, I kept the old one at the airport as a crew car. After several months of    driving the new one, I used the old one to run an errand and was shocked at the slop in the steering. I didn’t remember it…

Buyer Due Diligence

Buyer Due Diligence

Due diligence, simply stated, is “examining things or people before buying or employing them.” (macmillanthesaurus.com) I’m talking about a prepurchase inspection, aka, the pre-buy. There is a lot of pushback against them, which makes no sense to me. In buying a King Air, you’re going to part with upward of a million dollars (or maybe…

Over-servicing the Oil

Over-servicing the Oil

The rate of oil consumption on a PT6 engine is a vital statistic for proper maintenance and accurate troubleshooting. Pratt & Whitney’s guideline regarding oil consumption for PT6s is 1 quart for every 10 hours of operation. This rate of consumption is the maximum allowable and it applies to every type of PT6 engine found…

Low Torque:  Hot Section or  Bleed Valves?

Low Torque: Hot Section or Bleed Valves?

When you reach max power during takeoff, you’ve got your eye on the ITT and torque. If ITT is high but torque is lagging, you might worry that a hot section problem has developed in the engine. Before leaping to that conclusion, however, consider the compressor bleed valve(s). All PT6 engines have at least one…

Corrosion

Corrosion

It’s a tribute to the King Air brand that so many are still flying today after 30 or even 40 years since manufactured; but the longer an airplane is “alive and kicking” the greater the opportunity for development of corrosion. When assessing the condition of any King Air, I’ve got the possibility of corrosion uppermost…

Exercise Your AC  During the Winter

Exercise Your AC During the Winter

After a long, hot summer, cooler temperatures have finally arrived. You might think the air conditioning system (AC) in your King Air deserves a vacation after all of its hard work in the blazing heat. But before you send your AC into hibernation for the winter, I’ve got a surprising tip that could pay off…