The Soloy Pathfinder 21 was a twin-engined, single-propeller,
turboprop
A turboprop is a turbine engine that drives an aircraft propeller.
A turboprop consists of an intake, reduction gearbox, compressor, combustor, turbine, and a propelling nozzle. Air enters the intake and is compressed by the compressor. Fuel ...
aircraft. It is a modification by Soloy Aviation Solutions of a
Cessna 208 Caravan
The Cessna 208 Caravan is a utility aircraft produced by Cessna.
The project was commenced on November 20, 1981, and the prototype first flew on December 9, 1982.
The production model was certified by the Federal Aviation Administration, FAA ...
airframe. First flown in 1995, the aircraft was essentially a stock Cessna 208 airframe that has been stretched by with structural reinforcement, powered by twin
Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6D-114A
The Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6 is a turboprop aircraft engine produced by Pratt & Whitney Canada.
Its design was started in 1958, it first ran in February 1960, first flew on 30 May 1961, entered service in 1964 and has been continuously upda ...
engines in a side-by-side Dual Pac configuration in place of the original single engine.
The aircraft performed its last flight in the late 1990s and was stored for more than 20 years, before being parted out and scrapped.
Design and development
Soloy modified a Cessna 208 to construct a prototype Pathfinder 21, with its first flight in 1995. The Dual Pac PT6D-114A engine used in the Pathfinder 21 gained its FAA Supplemental Type Certificate in 1997. Soloy was attempting to obtain FAA certification for the aircraft conversion, but after completing over 80% of the certification work, Soloy announced that it was halting the entire program. The CEO explained that the FAA requires aircraft with more than nine passengers to have the airframe meet tougher restrictions required by
Federal Aviation Regulation
The Federal Aviation Regulations (FARs) are rules prescribed by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) governing all aviation activities in the United States. The FARs comprise Title 14 of the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR). A wide variety ...
(FAR) Part 25, which is a practical impossibility, since the Cessna 208 does not meet those requirements. This requirement made marketing the airplane unfeasible, as the expanded passenger cabin was a major reason for the stretch to begin with.
[Mike Vine]
Cessna Caravan Story (Part Two)
AvBuyer (last accessed April 12, 2007)
Specifications
See also
Related development
*
Cessna 208
The Cessna 208 Caravan is a utility aircraft produced by Cessna.
The project was commenced on November 20, 1981, and the prototype first flew on December 9, 1982.
The production model was certified by the FAA in October 1984 and its Cargoma ...
References
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External links
Cessna 208nbsp;— technical data concerning the Cessna 208
Soloy.comSoloy Aviation Solutions online, products, brochures, etc.
Caravan Pilotsnbsp;— Cessna Caravan site; Pilot related
(27 May 1998)
1990s United States civil utility aircraft