By: kenkalynuk - 19th January 2021 at 19:31
the ST-27B 005 / 14087 in 2018
By: kenkalynuk - 19th January 2021 at 19:27
Saunders Aircraft ST-27B 005 / 14058 sitting in a farm yard.
If you have Saunders information, or Heron related information, let me know as I’ve started writing the Saunders Aircraft ST-27 & ST-28 history book.
By: kenkalynuk - 19th January 2021 at 19:22
The Saunders Aircraft ST-27 were De Havilland Herons converted to the ST-27 by removing the four Gypsy Queen engines and putting on two Pratt & Whitney Canada PT-6 turbo prop engines.
The ST-27 obtained a UK ARB and Canadian DOT Type certificate in late 1970 and Saunders then applied to have the ARB or DOT type certificated accepted by the USA FAA.
The Saunders Aircraft ST-27 USA FAA certification application failed, the application was rejected due a FAA regualtion that stated if the number and type of engines were changed the aircraft required a complete new FAA certification process.
Saunders Aircraft then decided to build a new aircraft to FAA FAR 25 standards and start FAA certification. The new aircraft was basically a copy of a ST-27 / Heron but used USA spec materials and had a few changes like hydraulic brakes.
The new aircraft program was first called the Saunders ST-27B but later changed to the Saunders ST-28.
Heron #14087 was converted using Saunders Aircraft ST-28 specs, this was done to get the FAA FAR 25 flight part of the FAA certification process underway. This aircraft became knows as the ST-27B #005 / 14087. This aircraft first flew July 17, 1974, and proceeded with the FAA flight tests until Saunders Aircraft went into receivership.
Work continued on build of the all new Saunders ST-28 #001, which had it’s first flight on December 12, 1975.
By the end of 1975, funding to Saunders Aircraft from the province of Manitoba Government was stopped and Saunders Aircaft went into receivership and all work and programs basically came to a stop.
On August 26, 1980, ST-28 001 was gifted to the Royal Aviation Museum of Western Canada (former Western Canada Aviation museum WCAM) based in Winnipeg, however the ST-28 sat abandoned on the airport ramp at Gimli Manitoba Canada.
In 2016 the Royal Aviation Museum of Western Canada scrapped the ST-28 ( the only commerical aircraft ever built from scatch in Manitba) and the ST-28 was hauled away from Gimli to a scrap metal dealer.
The ST-27B 005 / 14087 currently sits abandoned in a farm yard in Manitoba.
My Saunders Aircraft blog at https://saundersaircraft.blogspot.com/p/welcome-to-saunders-aircraft-re… and on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/groups/2763480640542919
cheers – ken
By: David Burke - 2nd September 2006 at 20:12
Consul – lovely book but we seriously need edition two !
By: Consul - 2nd September 2006 at 19:44
[QUOTE=wieesso]
According to Cowell’s Heron book:
Could you please submit the proper book title and the publisher?
Thank you in advance!
It’s full title was: “de Havilland Heron” ! It was self-published by its author: J Graham Cowell in 1983. It comprised a ring bound A4 softback of 184 pages with B&W illustrations. You could only obtain one on the 2nd hand market these days but they don’t surface frequently – I got mine when it was published. Graham frequents the UK Aerojumbles when he has a stand trading in various items such as 2nd hand books, photos, brochures etc. but when I spoke to him a couple of years back I got the impression he holds no stock of the Heron book which only had a limited print run.
By: David Burke - 2nd September 2006 at 18:44
I recall seeing a picture of the ST-28 prototype derelict in Canada.
By: wieesso - 2nd September 2006 at 18:42
[QUOTE=Consul]According to Cowell’s Heron book:
Could you please submit the proper book title and the publisher?
Thank you in advance!
By: wieesso - 2nd September 2006 at 12:56
Thanks to Consul and Thunderbird167 🙂
By: Thunderbird167 - 2nd September 2006 at 10:56
The ST-27 was a re-engined version of the Heron with PT-6A-27 turbine engines rated at 715 e.s.h.p
The ST-28 had PT-6A-34 engines rated at 783 e.s.h.p and was partially pressurised with an increased operating weight. The sole ST-28 was converted from Heron c/n 14087. This was the thirteenth Heron.
The source for the information is De Havilland Aircraft since 1909 by A J Jackson published by Putnam which contains a list of all the aircraft involved
By: Consul - 2nd September 2006 at 10:48
According to Cowell’s Heron book:
“Saunders right from the beggining wanted to stop converting Herons and produce completely new aircraft. Heron airframes were getting scarce and the purchasing costs becoming higher. The 13th aircraft (the fifth Heron received) was completed as the ST-28 prototype. This was to be a modernised ST-27 with no Heron components whatsoever. A model of the ST-28 (originally designated the ST-27A and ST-27B) on show at Farnborough in 1974 demonstrated how the various modifications improved the design.
After a poor start with the ST-27 Saunders was confident that the improvements offered by its younger relation would prove attractive to the sprouting number of third-level operators all round the world. The changes included better cockpit vision because of larger window panels, extra window on starboard side and increased rudder area, more fuel and better emergency exits. Internal alterations included major systems redesign.”
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September 2, 2006 at 9:31 am