Soloy Pathfinder 21

{{Short description|American twin-engined utility aircraft}}  {{Infobox aircraft | name = Soloy Pathfinder 21 | image = | caption = | type = Utility aircraft | manufacturer = Cessna/Soloy | designer = | first_flight = | introduction = | retired = | status = Scrapped | primary_user = | more_users = | produced = | number_built = 1 | unit cost = | developed_from = Cessna 208 Caravan }}

The '''Soloy Pathfinder 21''' was a twin-engined, single-propeller, turboprop aircraft. It is a modification by Soloy Aviation Solutions of a Cessna 208 Caravan airframe. First flown in 1995, the aircraft was essentially a stock Cessna 208 airframe that has been stretched by {{convert|72|in|m|2}} with structural reinforcement, powered by twin Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6D-114A engines in a side-by-side Dual Pac configuration in place of the original single engine.

The aircraft performed its last flight in the late 1990s and was stored for more than 20 years, before being parted out and scrapped.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Aircraft Photo of N5010Y {{!}} Soloy Pathfinder 21 {{!}} AirHistory.net #362173|url=https://www.airhistory.net/photo/362173/N5010Y|access-date=2021-08-12|website=AirHistory.net|language=en}}</ref>

==Design and development== Soloy modified a Cessna 208 to construct a prototype Pathfinder 21, with its first flight in 1995. The Dual Pac PT6D-114A engine used in the Pathfinder 21 gained its FAA Supplemental Type Certificate in 1997.<ref>[http://rgl.faa.gov/Regulatory_and_Guidance_Library/rgstc.nsf/0/E12680B66A5E1EF986256FE0006AEF6C?OpenDocument STC No. SE00482SE]</ref> Soloy was attempting to obtain FAA certification for the aircraft conversion, but after completing over 80% of the certification work, Soloy announced that it was halting the entire program. The CEO explained that the FAA requires aircraft with more than nine passengers to have the airframe meet tougher restrictions required by Federal Aviation Regulation (FAR) Part 25, which is a practical impossibility, since the Cessna 208 does not meet those requirements. This requirement made marketing the airplane unfeasible, as the expanded passenger cabin was a major reason for the stretch to begin with.<ref>Mike Vines [http://www.avbuyer.com/articles/Article.asp?Id=241 Cessna Caravan Story (Part Two)] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061223021623/http://www.avbuyer.com/Articles/Article.asp?Id=241 |date=2006-12-23 }} AvBuyer (last accessed April 12, 2007)</ref>

==Specifications== {{Aircraft specs |ref= Soloy<ref>{{Cite web| title =Pathfinder Specs| publisher =Soloy Corporation| date = | url =http://www.soloy.com/Resources/misctext/pathspecs.rtf| accessdate =2006-07-19 }}</ref> |prime units?=kts  |crew=1-2 |capacity=15-19 passengers |length m=14.3 |length ft= |length in= |length note= |span m=15.88 |span ft= |span in= |span note= |upper span m= |upper span ft= |upper span in= |upper span note= |mid span m= |mid span ft= |mid span in= |mid span note= |lower span m= |lower span ft= |lower span in= |lower span note= |swept m= |swept ft= |swept in= |swept note= |dia m= |dia ft= |dia in= |dia note= |width m= |width ft= |width in= |width note= |height m=5.02 |height ft= |height in= |height note= |wing area sqm= |wing area sqft=279.4 |wing area note= |swept area sqm= |swept area sqft= |swept area note= |volume m3= |volume ft3= |volume note= |aspect ratio= |airfoil= |empty weight kg= |empty weight lb=7,300 |empty weight note= |gross weight kg= |gross weight lb=12,000 |gross weight note= |max takeoff weight kg= |max takeoff weight lb=12,410 |max takeoff weight note= |fuel capacity= |lift kg= |lift lb= |lift note= |more general=  |eng1 number=2 |eng1 name=Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6D-114A in a Soloy Dual Pac |eng1 type=Combined output twin turboprop |eng1 kw= |eng1 hp=664.5 |eng1 shp= |eng1 kn= |eng1 lbf= |eng1 note= |power original= |thrust original= |eng1 kn-ab= |eng1 lbf-ab=

|avionics= }}

==See also==

===Related development=== *Cessna 208

==References== {{Reflist}}

==External links== * [http://www.airliners.net/info/stats.main?id=158 Cessna 208] — technical data concerning the Cessna 208 * [http://www.soloy.com/ Soloy.com] Soloy Aviation Solutions online, products, brochures, etc. * [http://www.caravanpilots.com/ Caravan Pilots] — Cessna Caravan site; Pilot related * [http://www.flightglobal.com/articles/1998/05/27/37538/soloy-plans-pathfinder-push.html Soloy plans Pathfinder push] (27 May 1998)

Category:1990s United States civil utility aircraft Category:Aircraft with fixed tricycle landing gear Category:High-wing aircraft Category:Aircraft first flown in 1995 Pathfinder Category:Twin-engined single-prop tractor aircraft Category:Twin-engined turboprop aircraft Category:Abandoned civil aircraft projects of the United States