Basler BT-67
| BT-67 | |
|---|---|
.jpg) A BT-67 of the Guatemalan Air Force | |
| General information | |
| Type | Utility aircraft |
National origin | United States |
| Manufacturer | Basler Turbo Conversions |
| Status | In service |
| Number built | 70[citation needed] |
| History | |
| Manufactured | 1990–present[1] |
| First flight | 1990 |
Developed from | |
The Basler BT-67 is a utility aircraft produced by Basler Turbo Conversions of Oshkosh, Wisconsin. It is a remanufactured and modified airframe of the Douglas C-47 Skytrain or the Douglas DC-3; the modifications are designed to significantly extend the DC-3's serviceable lifetime.
Development
[edit]The design was based upon a single airframe that United States Aircraft had begun converting.[2] After the company closed, it was moved the aircraft to Oshkosh, where work was completed. It was then tested in Alaska and contracted to the U.S. Forest Service.[3]
By March 1989, production of eight airframes had begun at a plant in Van Nuys, California.[4] An additional production line opened in a purpose-built 75,000-square-foot (7,000 m2) facility on the east side of Wittman Regional Airport by February 1990.[3] United Technologies, owner of the manufacturer of the PT6, became a distributor for the BT-67 that October. At the same time, it agreed to oversee a subcontractor performing conversion work using kits in Taiwan.[5] Early in production, four airplanes were seized by the federal government as part of an investigation into drug trafficking, but released after Basler was cleared of any wrongdoing.[6]
Design
[edit]Basler Turbo Conversions was founded in 1990 solely to convert existing C-47 and DC-3 airframes into BT-67s.[1] Basler configures each conversion to a client's specifications. Industries served include cargo, military, cloudseeding, and scientific research.[7][8] The conversion includes fitting the airframe with new Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-67R turboprop engines,[9] lengthening the fuselage, strengthening the airframe, upgrading the avionics, and making modifications to the wings' leading edges and wingtips.
Due to the higher fuel consumption of the turbine engines of the BT-67, compared to the original piston designs fitted to the standard DC-3, range on the standard fuel tank, with a 45 minute reserve, is reduced from 1,160 to 950 nautical miles (2,150 to 1,760 km). Basler provides a long-range fuel tank which increases the aircraft range to 2,140 nmi (3,960 km).[7]
Gunship version
[edit]The Basler BT-67 has a gunship version used by the Colombian Aerospace Force as of 2017[update] for counterinsurgency operations.[10][11] The Colombian gunships are equipped with a forward-looking infrared (FLIR) ball, enabling the aircraft to conduct effective nighttime missions.[12][13]
Operators
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Military
[edit]
Civilian
[edit]
- Australian Antarctic Division[17]
A BT-67 operated by Enterprise Aviation Group at Oshawa Executive Airport
- ALCI Aviation[18]
- North Star Air
- Kenn Borek Air[19]
- Bell Geospace[23]
Accidents and incidents
[edit]As of 2019, a total of 15 BT-67 aircraft have been involved in crashes or other incidents since the 1990s.[citation needed]
Specifications (BT-67)
[edit]Data from Born Again Basler[25] and Jane's Civil and Military Aircraft Upgrades 1994–95[26]
General characteristics
- Crew: Two (pilot & co-pilot)
- Capacity: 38 Passengers
- Length: 67 ft 9 in (20.65 m)
- Wingspan: 95 ft 0 in (28.95 m)
- Height: 16 ft 11 in (5.15 m)
- Empty weight: 15,700 lb (7,121 kg)
- Max takeoff weight: 28,750 lb (13,041 kg)
- Powerplant: 2 × Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-67R turboprop engines, 1,281 shp (955 kW) each
- Propellers: 5-bladed Hartzell constant speed propellers, 9 ft 7 in (2.92 m) diameter
Performance
- Maximum speed: 285 kn (328 mph, 528 km/h)
- Cruise speed: 210 kn (240 mph, 390 km/h)
- Range: 2,140 nmi (2,460 mi, 3,960 km) with 45 minute reserve and long-range fuel tank
- Service ceiling: 25,000 ft (7,600 m)
See also
[edit]Related development
- Douglas DC-3
- Conroy Turbo-Three, a similar turboprop DC-3 conversion.
- Conroy Tri-Turbo-Three, a tri-motor turboprop DC-3 conversion.
Related lists
Notes
[edit]- 1 2 "History".
- ↑ "Born-Again Basler". Flight International. Vol. 139, no. 4624. 24–30 April 1991. pp. 40–43. Archived from the original on 27 December 2015. Retrieved 23 August 2026.
- 1 2 Grey, Dave (18 February 1990). "Basler Flight Services Expands Horizons". Oshkosh Northwestern. pp. F1–F2. Retrieved 23 August 2026.
- ↑ Baxter, Gordon (March 1989). "Gooney Squadron". Flying. pp. 84–86. Retrieved 23 August 2026.
- ↑ Grey, Dave (28 October 1990). "United Technologies Joins Basler". Oshkosh Northwestern. pp. F1–F2. Retrieved 22 August 2026.
- ↑ Grey, Dave (23 February 1991). "Business Recovers". Oshkosh Northwestern. pp. B1–B2. Retrieved 22 August 2026.
- 1 2 "Power and Performance". Archived from the original on 2015-07-01. Retrieved 2015-07-01.
- ↑ "BT-67 Worldwide".
- ↑ Spaeth, Andreas (February 2023). "Making old new again: Reinventing the legendary Douglas DC 3". AEROREPORT. MTU Aero Engines. Retrieved 9 January 2024.
- ↑ "Aeronave AC47 Fantasma culmina fase de inspección mayor en CAMAN". Colombian Air Force. Archived from the original on 11 August 2017. Retrieved 10 August 2017.
- ↑ "Basler BT-67 Utility Aircraft, USA". Airforce Technology. 2024-04-26. Archived from the original on 2024-09-01. Retrieved 2024-09-02.
The Mauritania Air Force employs it for logistical support, and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) tasks, while the Colombian Air Force uses it as a gunship for counterinsurgency operations.
- ↑ "Colombia's AC-47T Fantasmas Are Still Going Strong". War Is Boring. 3 October 2016. Archived from the original on 16 August 2017. Retrieved 16 August 2017.
- ↑ "Argentina to reinforce Antarctic operations with US Basler BT-67 aircraft". Army Recognition. 2024-04-19. Retrieved 2024-09-01.
In addition, a gunship version of the Basler BT-67 has been in use by the Colombian Aerospace Force since 2017. These aircraft, equipped with a forward-looking infrared (FLIR) ball, enhance their capability for nighttime missions.
- 1 2 3 4 5 "World Air Forces 2022". Flightglobal Insight. 2022. Retrieved 15 April 2022.
- ↑ Rivas 2015, p. 120.
- ↑ Hoyle 2015, p. 37.
- ↑ "Basler BT-67 aircraft". Australian Antarctic Division. 31 October 2012. Archived from the original on 2019-07-02. Retrieved 2019-07-02.
- ↑ Charter flights page for Enterprise Aviation Group operated by ALCI Aviation
- ↑ "Air Fleet page at Kenn Borek Air". Archived from the original on 2011-03-16. Retrieved 2011-02-25.
- ↑ "China to facilitate aviation support in Antarctic research expeditions". Archived from the original on 12 January 2014. Retrieved 9 January 2014.
- ↑ "China to deploy aircraft in Antarctica expedition". Xinhua. September 25, 2015. Archived from the original on 15 October 2015. Retrieved 15 February 2019.
- ↑ Ehemalige Flugzeuge Archived 11 April 2013 at the Wayback Machine (in German) Alfred Wegener Institute – Former airplanes, accessed: 18 April 2009
- ↑ "Low-flying plane returns to Cornwall for surveys". BBC News. 13 December 2024. Retrieved 13 December 2024.
- ↑ "As civilian, reservist 'leads' in fight against forest fires". Air Reserve Personnel Center. arpc.afrc.af.mil. 21 September 2015. Retrieved 15 April 2022.
- ↑ Flight International 24–30 April 1991, p. 42.
- ↑ Michell 1994, pp. 245–246.
Bibliography
[edit]- "Born Again Basler". Flight International. Vol. 139, no. 4264. 24–30 April 1991. pp. 40–43. Archived from the original on September 2, 2017.
- Hoyle, Craig (8–14 December 2015). "World Air Forces Directory". Flight International. Vol. 188, no. 5517. pp. 26–53. ISSN 0015-3710.
- Michell, Simon (1994). Jane's Civil and Military Upgrades 1994–95. Coulsdon, Surrey, UK: Jane's Information Group. ISBN 0-7106-1208-7.
- Rivas, Santiago (October 2015). "Fighting Colombia's Drug War". Air International. Vol. 89, no. 4. pp. 118–121. ISSN 0306-5634.
External links
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