Basler BT-67

BT-67
	A Kenn Borek Air Basler BT-67 at Williams Field, Antarctica (2008)
Role	Cargo aircraft
Manufacturer	Basler Turbo Conversions
Introduction	January 1990
Number built	66
Developed from	Douglas DC-3

The Basler BT-67 is a utility aircraft produced by Basler Turbo Conversions of Oshkosh, Wisconsin. It is a remanufactured and modified Douglas DC-3; the modifications are designed to significantly extend the DC-3's serviceable lifetime. The conversion includes fitting the airframe with new Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-67R turboprop engines, lengthening the fuselage, strengthening the airframe, upgrading the avionics, and making modifications to the wing leading edges and wingtips.

Due to the slightly higher fuel consumption of the turbine engines of the BT-67, compared to the original piston designs fitted to the standard DC-3, range on the standard fuel tank, with 45 minute reserve, is reduced from 1,160 to 950 nautical miles (2,150 to 1,760 km). Basler provides a long-range fuel tank which increases the aircraft range to 2,140 nmi (3,960 km).^[1]

Gunship version

The Basler BT-67 has a gunship version used by the Air Forces of Colombia.^[2] The Colombian gunships are equipped with a forward-looking infrared (FLIR) ball, enabling the aircraft to conduct effective nighttime missions.^[3]

Basler Turbo Conversions offered its BT-67 gunship with FLIR ball sensors and night-vision goggle (NVG) compatible cockpit to the Philippines on 12 October 2016.^[4]

Operators

Civilian operators

Basler BT-67 conversion No.1, N200AN of World Air Logistics, at Missoula Montana in 2000

Basler BT-67 operated by ALCI at Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station (2009)

Basler BT-67 operated by Enterprise Aviation Group at Oshawa Executive Airport

ALCI Aviation (operated by Enterprise Aviation Group), Canada
Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research, Germany
Australian Antarctic Division (operated by Kenn Borek Air)^[5]
North Star Air, Canada
Kenn Borek Air, Canada
Polar Research Institute of China, China (operated by Kenn Borek Air)^[6]^[7]
United States Forest Service, United States

Military operators

Bolivia

Bolivian Air Force^{[citation needed]}

Colombia

Colombian Air Force;^[8] Colombian Air Force designation AC-47T
National Police of Colombia ^[9]

El Salvador

El Salvador Air Force^[10]

Guatemala

Guatemalan Air Force^[11]

Malawi

Malawi Air Force^{[citation needed]}

Mali

Mali Air Force^{[citation needed]}

Mauritania

Mauritanian Air Force^[12]

Thailand

Royal Thai Air Force^[13]

Accidents and incidents

To date (up to 2019) a total 15 BT-67 have been involved in crashes or other incidents since the 1990s.

Specifications (BT-67)

Data from Born Again Basler^[14] and Jane's Civil and Military Aircraft Upgrades 1994–95^[15]

General characteristics

Crew: Two (pilot & co-pilot)
Capacity: 38 Passengers
Length: 67 ft 9 in (20.65 m)
Wingspan: 95 ft 0 in (28.95 m)
Height: 16 ft 11 in (5.15 m)
Empty weight: 15,700 lb (7,121 kg)
Max takeoff weight: 28,750 lb (13,041 kg)
Powerplant: 2 × Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-67R turboprop engines, 1,281 shp (955 kW) each
Propellers: 5-bladed Hartzell constant speed propellers, 9 ft 7 in (2.92 m) diameter

Performance

Maximum speed: 285 kn (328 mph, 528 km/h)
Cruise speed: 210 kn (240 mph, 390 km/h)
Range: 2,140 nmi (2,460 mi, 3,960 km) with 45 minute reserve and long-range fuel tank
Service ceiling: 25,000 ft (7,600 m)

References

^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2015-07-01. Retrieved 2015-07-01.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
^ "Aeronave AC47 Fantasma culmina fase de inspección mayor en CAMAN". Colombian Air Force. Archived from the original on 11 August 2017. Retrieved 10 August 2017.
^ "Colombia's AC-47T Fantasmas Are Still Going Strong". War Is Boring. 3 October 2016. Archived from the original on 16 August 2017. Retrieved 16 August 2017.
^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2017-07-29. Retrieved 2017-07-23.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
^ "Basler BT-67 aircraft". Australian Antarctic Division. Archived from the original on 2019-07-02. Retrieved 2019-07-02.
^ "China to facilitate aviation support in Antarctic research expeditions". Archived from the original on 12 January 2014. Retrieved 9 January 2014.
^ "China to deploy aircraft in Antarctica expedition". Xinhua. September 25, 2015. Archived from the original on 15 October 2015. Retrieved 15 February 2019.
^ Hoyle 2015, p. 35.
^ Rivas 2015, p. 120.
^ Hoyle 2015, p. 37.
^ Hoyle 2015, pp. 38–39.
^ Hoyle 2015, p.43.
^ Hoyle 2015, p. 50.
^ Flight International 24–30 April 1991, p. 42.
^ Michell 1994, pp. 245–246.

"Born Again Basler". Flight International. Vol. 139 no. 4264. 24–30 April 1991. pp. 40–43.
Hoyle, Craig (8–14 December 2015). "World Air Forces Directory". Flight International. Vol. 188 no. 5517. pp. 26–53. ISSN 0015-3710.
Michell, Simon (1994). Jane's Civil and Military Upgrades 1994–95. Coulsdon, Surrey, UK: Jane's Information Group. ISBN 0-7106-1208-7.
Rivas, Santiago (October 2015). "Fighting Colombia's Drug War". Air International. Vol. 89 no. 4. pp. 118–121. ISSN 0306-5634.

External links

[1] "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2015-07-01. Retrieved 2015-07-01.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)

[2] "Aeronave AC47 Fantasma culmina fase de inspección mayor en CAMAN". Colombian Air Force. Archived from the original on 11 August 2017. Retrieved 10 August 2017.

[3] "Colombia's AC-47T Fantasmas Are Still Going Strong". War Is Boring. 3 October 2016. Archived from the original on 16 August 2017. Retrieved 16 August 2017.

[4] "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2017-07-29. Retrieved 2017-07-23.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)

[5] "Basler BT-67 aircraft". Australian Antarctic Division. Archived from the original on 2019-07-02. Retrieved 2019-07-02.

[6] "China to facilitate aviation support in Antarctic research expeditions". Archived from the original on 12 January 2014. Retrieved 9 January 2014.

[7] "China to deploy aircraft in Antarctica expedition". Xinhua. September 25, 2015. Archived from the original on 15 October 2015. Retrieved 15 February 2019.

[8] Hoyle 2015, p. 35.

[9] Rivas 2015, p. 120.

[10] Hoyle 2015, p. 37.

[11] Hoyle 2015, pp. 38–39.

[12] Hoyle 2015, p.43.

[13] Hoyle 2015, p. 50.

[fi91_p40-14] Flight International 24–30 April 1991, p. 42.

[jup94_p245-6-15] Michell 1994, pp. 245–246.

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show v t Douglas DC-3 family variants
Predecessors	DC-1 DC-2
Civil/Commercial	DC-3 Super DC-3
Military	B-18 Bolo XB-22 B-23 Dragon C-32 C-33 YC-34 C-38 C-39 C-41 C-41A C-42 C-47 Skytrain AC-47 Spooky C-48 C-49 C-50 C-51 C-52 C-53 Skytrooper C-58 UC-67 C-68 C-117D YC-129 R2D R4D R4D-8 CC-129 LXD1 Dakota
After-market	Basler BT-67 Conroy Turbo-Three Conroy Tri-Turbo-Three
Licensees	Lisunov PS-84/Li-2/Li-3 Showa/Nakajima L2D

show v t United States military transport aircraft designations, Army/Air Force and Tri-Service systems
Army/Air Force sequence (1925-1962)	C-1 C-2 C-3 C-4 C-5 C-6 C-7 C-8 C-9 C-10 C-11 C-12 C-13¹ C-14 C-15 C-16 C-17 C-18 C-19 C-20 C-21 C-22 C-23 C-24 C-25 C-26 C-27 C-28 C-29 C-30 C-31 C-32 C-33 C-34 C-35 C-36 C-37 C-38 C-39 C-40 C-41 A C-42 C-43 C-44 C-45 C-46 C-47 F T AC-47 C-48 C-49 C-50 C-51 C-52 C-53 C-54 C-55 C-56 C-57 C-58 C-59 C-60 C-61 C-62 C-63 C-64 C-65 C-66 C-67 C-68 C-69 C-70 B C-71 C-72 C-73 C-74 C-75 C-76 C-77 B-D C-78 C-79 C-80 C-81 C-82 C-83 A B C-84 C-85 C-86 C-87 C-88 C-89 C-90 C-91 C-92 C-93 C-94 C-95 C-96 C-97 KC-97 C-98 C-99 C-100 C-101 C-102 C-103 C-104 C-105 C-106 C-107 C-108 C-109 C-110 C-111 C-112 C-113 C-114 C-115 C-116 C-117 D C-118 C-119 AC-119 C-120 C-121 F C-122 C-123 A C-124 C-125 C-126 C-127 (I) C-127 (II) C-128 C-129 C-130 J AC-130 DC-130 EC-130/H HC-130 KC-130 LC-130 MC-130 WC-130 C-131 C-132 C-133 C-134 C-135 KC-135 C-136 C-137 C-138¹ C-139¹ C-140 C-141 C-142
Tri-service sequence (1962-present)	C-1 C-2 C-3 C-4 C-5 C-6 C-7 B C-8 C-9 C-10 (I) C-10 (II) C-11 C-12 C-13¹ C-14 C-15 C-16¹ C-17 C-18 C-19 C-20A-D F-H C-21 C-22 C-23 C-24 C-25 C-26 C-27 J C-28 C-29 C-30¹ C-31 C-32 C-33 C-34¹ C-35 C-36 C-37A B C-38 C-39¹ C-40 C-41 C-42¹ C-43¹ C-44¹ C-45 C-46
Revived original sequence (2005-present)	C-143 C-144 C-145 C-146 C-147
Non-sequential designations	C-767 C-880
Related designations	CT-39 CT-43 CV-2 CV-7
¹ Not assigned