TRACE Beaver First Flight

MIDLAND, Texas (May 14, 2012) - TRACE Engines L.P is excited to announce the successful, first flight of a de Havilland Beaver (freight and passenger) aircraft powered by a TRACE engine this weekend.  The milestone marks over a year of effort in designing the conversion kit, procuring the kit components, and assembling the kit to the aircraft.  The TRACE installation allows for a dramatic performance increase with the TRACE engine producing 600 horsepower replacing the original Pratt & Whitney Radial engine which produced 450 horsepower.  The increase in performance is extremely beneficial to the Beaver, which is typically categorized as a “bush” plane, taking off from small fields, lakes, or rivers (if equipped with floats).

This particular Beaver was provided for conversion by Sealand Aviation, which is located in Campbell River, B.C. Canada for the installation on the TRACE engine.  Sealand Aviation will be the sales and installation center for the TRACE Beaver once the Supplemental Type Certificate is issued for the TRACE installation.   The certification is expected by September 2012 after additional ground and flight testing is completed under FAA review.   TRACE and Sealand will be marketing the TRACE Beaver primarily to the Canadian and Alaska market, where these aircrafts bring everything from passengers, food, medical supplies, and equipment to remote areas where often there are no roads to access.   

Located in Midland, Texas, Texas Reciprocating Air Craft Engines (TRACE) L.P. is a privately held manufacturer of aircraft V-8 engines that offer a high performance, economical alternative to turbines.  For more information about TRACE and their products, visit www.traceengines.com.