Seems like the really early ones with the -1's are pretty similar to the last ones: I just turn the the knob to RUN and it starts. No enriching, no NTS check, no cross gen, no series start. So simple a child could do it.

After doing some research I found out the engine program is transferrable. The plane we are looking at was registered with MSP through Honeywell until 2018, thereafter the program was transferred to Propulsion-International. PI have confirmed that they would transfer the GMP for a $2K fee and at the same rate of ~$88/hour.

However upon reviewing the engine logs Perimeter found that two SB might not have been applied. The owners mechanic will confirm on Monday. This might be a deal breaker as these two SB's involve replacing the first stage turbine and part of the combustion chamber.

These are SB and not an AD so I am not sure if they need to be done, we are finding out. Anyway it will be a good test of PI's maintenance program to see if they will cover these if they have not been done.

Hilgard

I’ve been managing and flying Merlins for the last 12 years. We’ve got six of them at present, one of which is a IIIA w/ -10s. Along with 3 IIIBs, a IIIC, and a Fairchild 300 (which is just a IIIC with winglets). I’ve also spent a fair amount of time flying the -3 IIIA, IV-A and IV-C.

I’m a little partial towards the -10 IIIA, ours is a screamer that regularly turns out 297-306kts true. I haven’t found a slow turning 4 blade Merlin that can do that. The downside is the noise, the higher pitched shrill of the fast turning three blades is pretty intrusive. However running at cruise rpm settings of 96-98% does cut it down some. It’s worst in the cockpit, the further back you get in the cabin it drops off and the passengers in mine are able to enjoy normal conversations without having to talk over the noise. I use either my Bose A20 or my DC X-One and find they both do pretty well at taming the noise up front. I also find that the IIIAs tend to have lighter empty weights than the later models opening up more useful load. All of our Merlins have been very reliable machines for us, but if there’s one regular squawk item we’ve come across it is the EGT compensators on the SRL equipped IIIBs and IIICs. Every now and then they’ll go goofy and the EGT needle will start erroneously flicking around and trip the overtemp protection. That can be annoying until you turn it off. The non-SRL IIIA doesn’t have that problem, yeah you have to manually start it rather than just hitting a button once and starting it like a ceiling fan, and you have to consult the chart to set your max EGT for takeoff and cruise, but it doesn’t fail and that has a quality of its own.

Best of luck going forward. I’d be happy to help if I can if you have questions, or at least point you towards someone in the Merlin world who can answer them. I’ve really enjoyed my time flying these aircraft. They’re an enormously capable airplane for the money. They have to be flown a little more than most of the aircraft in their class, but I like that about them too. Keeps me from getting lazy. Lol

Here’s our -10 IIIA.

Is it the IIIA, B or C that has the insane range and 600+ gal of fuel?

All of the IIIs have 650 gallon fuel capacity, 648 useable.

BEAUTIFUL plane James!

My former MU2 had -10 with EGT and no SRL.

You had to manually do the fuel enrich during start, and consult the temp card for max EGT. To newbies, this sounds like a big burden. It isn't.

The benefit is not having the SRL computer and sensors. They do fail, and those who have SRL also have backup manual means (including, you guessed it, temp cards on raw EGT). So they have to know the old ways as a backup.

Further, SRL had more preflight tests (delta PP for example), and it was extra wiring and weight to carry around.

I like keeping it simple. The fuel enrich and EGT card are no issue. I never missed an SRL system.

SRL stands for "single red line". It was basically a temperature computer to "adjust" the EGT reading so that one red line worked for all situations. It also did automatic fuel enrich on start.

Mike C.

Mike, thanks for answering this question preemptively!

What you see still isn't raw, it's compensated to match engines in an airplane. You usually have to pull a CB to get raw EGT.

Do you have a broker who also knows Merlins and who really knows about the 331 business looking after you on this deal? I recommend you find one ASAP.

It was confirmed today that SB 72-2303 and 72-2235 has not been done on N505GM.
National Flight Service (authorized Honeywell engine facility) quoted me around $100K to a $125K per engine to get this done. The SB is a CAT 1 safety item, it seems many part 91 operators don't comply, however when hot section comes they are hooked.

Propulsion international will cover this at the time of Hot section but not before. They stated it is not and AD and therefore not Mandatory, so it can wait. Also Hot section is another 1700 hours away.

Our last option is to get the current owner to comply with this, since it is under PI's program and he might have more leverage with them, However the odds of that happening does not look good.

In the end we will likely pass on this one.

They don't have to if it isn't an AD. If it isn't an AD, the FAA was not persuaded it is a safety of flight issue.


Explain this comment. Why would someone be hooked for an optional SB at HSI? Unless there is an AD which requires SB compliance at HSI, then just because there is an SB that the OEM calls mandatory does not make it so.

You are beholding to the hot section inspection and life limited parts, but not SBs.


They are correct.


If I was the owner, I would not do it. If an engine is working well, I would not take it apart for something that is not required. You can introduce more problems and not really fix anything.

Mike C.

Explain this comment. Why would someone be hooked for an optional SB at HSI? Unless there is an AD which requires SB compliance at HSI, then just because there is an SB that the OEM calls mandatory does not make it so.

Hilgard, not sure what your mission is, but your aiming high, maybe to high for my logic!

Hang out with Mark Hagen, or Mike Ciholas awhile to see their toys!

Murray

Murray

Not sure I follow your point either. Do you want me to buy a Citation instead, or downgrade to what? (Since I am aiming to high) I have been looking at Garret powered Turboprops for several years. The 421 is likely sold so we need a replacement. At times we will fly to NWT/Yukon for business and so the Merlin with it's insane range seems to fit our bill. There is also an excellent knowledge base for the Merlin's in Canada as opposed to the MU2.

Mike and I have corresponded several times over the years regarding MU2's that I looked at and I highly value his opinion.

Mark Hangen made his disdain known for me on these forums years ago when I defended Mike C in a post where he berated Mike as the village idiot, so that sandbox is off limit.

Hilgard