Press Release

Issued by Raisbeck Engineering.

May 21, 2013

Since the introduction of the swept blade turbofan propellers in January of 2013, Raisbeck has experienced positive sales trends of both the props and EPIC systems. Many of these sales are happening outside of the U.S. in Canada and Europe. The Saskatchewan Ministry of Central Services (CS) took delivery of two sets of Raisbeck’s Swept Blade Turbofan Propellers for two B200 King Airs operated by the Saskatchewan Air Ambulance (SAA) service. SAA operates three King Airs in its fleet of “Lifeguard” aircraft, completing about 1,500 flights per year, both within and outside of the Canadian Province of Saskatchewan. There are three additional King Airs that the Ministry uses as business aircraft. Every King Air in the fleet has two or more Raisbeck Performance Systems installed to help each aircraft’s intended missions.
Chris Oleson, executive director of Air Services for CS, explains why they bought the Swept Bladers: “The performance numbers for the new Swept Blade Propellers was the deciding factor, particularly the reduced takeoff distance.” They often operate on very short airstrips on the Canadian prairies, so reducing take off and landing distances is essential. SAA has had extensive experience operating their Raisbeck-equipped King Airs with other systems as well. “The [Raisbeck Dual Aft Body] Strakes are a home run because of the reduced need for the yaw damper,” Oleson added. “Also, the extra stability they provide in flight is very important to our medical professionals and for the care of the patients.” Oleson also likes the Raisbeck Ram Air Recovery System (factory-standard on the new King Air 250). “We are still tracking our performance gains with RARS,” Chris noted. “So far they are positive. Protection from foreign object damage is also a factor.” Since the RARS ice vanes can be deployed on takeoff without loss of performance, they shed dirt and debris drawn into the engine intakes from unimproved airfields. The Swept Props and 200-series Performance Systems aren’t the only products increasing in popularity worldwide. Across the Atlantic in Augsburg, Germany, Beechcraft Sales & Service GmbH (BSSG) is completing a Raisbeck EPIC installation on a C90GTi. In the process of selling the aircraft, BSSG’s salesman Martin Roppelt suggested completing the full complement of Raisbeck Performance Systems to obtain the best-performing C90GTi possible. The customer was already aware of Raisbeck Systems and frequently uses short fields in the Alps, so completing the EPIC package was the perfect solution. BSSG is one of Raisbeck’s most successful European dealers and installation centers, due in part to their dedication to customer service, helping aircraft buyers weigh the advantages of purchasing used aircraft and upgrading them—or purchasing already-upgraded aircraft—versus buying new. “A King Air with the full Raisbeck EPIC Performance Package performs as well or better than the same model new from the factory,” says Raisbeck’s director of sales Scott Keefe. “The fact that our Performance Systems and Crown Wing Lockers have been either OEM-standard or factory-installed options for more than a decade, attests to their many benefits and market acceptance worldwide.” Raisbeck Engineering continues in the tradition of its founder, dedicated to the improvement in performance and productivity of business and commercial aircraft through the infusion of advanced technology into in-service and new production aircraft.