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News

 

 

Sky-Tec Announces Newest
Sky-Tec Starter Series

SuperDuty 24V /ec* Series Starters FAA PMA Approved

Now Available from Sky-Tec


Granbury, Texas July 11, 2008 -  Sky-Tec, the world's leading manufacturer of piston aircraft engine starters, announces new twenty-four volt super duty starters.

Sky-Tec's newest starters feature custom engineered 24 volt motors capable of signicantly longer duty cycles.

"We designed the new starter series specifically for our customers supporting larger fleets of "workhorse" aircraft such as Piper Navajo Chieftains and Twin Commanders," explains Rich Chiappe, Director of Operations, Sales & Marketing for Sky-Tec.  "Cargo operators, flight schools operating 24V aircraft and other "heavy duty" operators with frequent quick-turn hot-starts are going to really appreciate the /ec* series vastly extended duty cycle."

The new /ec* (*abbr. Extended Cranking) series motors are available now on the following 24 Volt Sky-Tec Lycoming starters:

bulletAll 24 Volt LS and PM model Flyweight™ Lycoming Starters
bullet24 Volt HT Original High-Torque Lycoming Starters
and
bullet24 Volt NL High-Torque Inline Lycoming Starters


Sky-Tec /ec* series starters are just as light as their non-/ec* counterparts.  There is no weight penalty for the additional endurance.  The only minor trade off is a slightly slower rotation speed. 

"The new /ec* series starters will still crank significantly faster than OEM heavyweight starters and rotate just 25% less fast than our traditional Flyweight™ and High-Torque starters," explains Chiappe.  "For this reason, we are emphasizing the /ec* starters use primarily only on larger 24 volt 540 and 720 powered aircraft.  We will continue to recommend the non /ec* variants for injected four cylinder Lycoming engines and even some 540 aircraft that benefit more from the additional cranking RPM than they would from an increased duty cycle.  If a customer's aircraft starts on two or three blades, it doesn't make sense to switch to the /ec* series starters.  They should stick with the standard 24V non /ec* starter." Chiappe adds.  “But for aircraft that require extended cranking cycles to start, the new /ec* series starters could vastly increase starter reliability over the long haul.”


The new starters are shipping to existing Sky-Tec Dealers now.  Pricing for the new starters will be offered at the same price as the standard non /ec* starters for a limited time. 
 
Customers with standard non /ec* HT or NL starters wishing to convert to the /ec* series starter may send their starter to Sky-Tec using http://www.skytecair.com/Obtain_RA.htm .
For a limited time, conversions will be made for the same price as a normal starter overhaul ($175 for HT series starters and $200 for NL series starters).


###

 

Flyweight™ is a registered trademark of Sky-Tec Partners, Ltd.  The C12ST3 and C24ST3 are patent-pending.

 

PRESS RESOURCES

 

This release in .pdf format

 

 

 

 

Sky-Tec Discontinues Support

For Franklin Starters

 

Unavailability of suitable OEM components
causes starter manufacturer to make difficult decision

Granbury, Texas - October 15, 2008 - Due to unavailability of suitable OEM components, Sky-Tec can no longer support customers of Sky-Tec’s F-Series Franklin Engine starters.

 

Text Box:  “Sky-Tec has been unable to purchase quality, conforming Bendix/Purolator ‘Folo-Thru’ - type centrifugal drive assemblies for its F-Series Franklin Engine starters for a number of years now,” explained Rich Chiappe, Director of Operations, Sales & Marketing for Sky-Tec. “That component was manufactured by the former Bendix which was later purchased by the Purolator companies.  When Purolotor shut down the product line down, the source of OEM quality drives dried up nearly immediately.  Sky-Tec was able to purchase a limited inventory of NOS drives sparingly since that time.  However, that inventory has long since been depleted and Sky-Tec is no longer able to acquire conforming OEM or NOS drive assemblies.  Therefore, we have no choice but to suspend support for the F-Series Franklin engine starter line at this time.”

Sky-Tec invested tens of thousands of dollars developing and certifying Sky-Tec F-Series starters for Franklin engines in 2000 and 2001.  The engines, manufactured at the time by PZL of Poland were gaining popularity with airframe manufactures such as Maule.  “The Maule family was busy developing a PZL-Franklin engine-powered M5 and asked us if Sky-Tec would develop a lighter alternative to the 23lb. OEM starter.  In response to the request from Maule, we began working on the project in 1998,”  Chiappe explained.   Certification was issued in 2000.  Only 150 F-Series starters for Franklin engines were manufactured and sold between its release in 2000 and suspension of manufacturing in 2006.  “Frankly, we’re pretty sure we never even came close to recouping our development and certification investment on the product,” Chiappe shared.  PZL shut down the Franklin line about the same time the source of OEM centrifugal drives dried up.  Rights to manufacture Franklin engines has been tied up in dispute ever since.  Production of new engines has yet to resume under new Romanian ownership and is unlikely to produce significant installed engine volumes in any reasonable time frame. 

 

Owners of Sky-Tec F-Series starters for Franklin engines can continue to receive support for the electrical components of their starters.  But support for the centrifugal drive assemblies is no longer available.  Sky-Tec has exhausted attempts to find suitable replacement drive assemblies.  With no practical way to develop a pro-rated credit for those starters in use, no refund programs are currently planned for owners of Sky-Tec F-Series starters for Franklin engines.  However, trade-in credit toward other Sky-Tec products may be considered on a case-by-case basis.

 

While a complete redesign of the F-Series starter eliminating the need for the Bendix-type centrifugal drive assembly is mechanically feasible, the financial investment is currently unjustifiable given the rapidly elevating costs of development and certification compounded with the dwindling size of the Franklin aircraft engine market.


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PRESS RESOURCES

 

This release in .pdf format

 

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