The Piper PA-23-250 Aztec F is a six-seat all-metal low-wing twin-engine business aircraft.
The Piper PA-23 was initially designed by Stinson in the late 1940s, as the Twin Stinson, an all-metal four-seat light twin. In 1948, Piper
Aircraft Corporation purchased the Stinson Division of Consolidated Vultee and Piper developed the Twin Stinson further as the PA-23 Apache.
The first prototype PA-23 flew first on 2 March 1952. Production deliveries commanced in 1953.
The aircraft was continious in production and improved with the PA-23-235 Apache four/five seater as the end model
as Apache. In 1958, an upgraded version with 250 hp Lycoming O-540 engines and a swept vertical tail was produced as the
PA-23-250 and named Aztec. Production deliveries of the five-seat Piper PA-23-250 Aztec A began in 1959. The PA-23-250
cabin monoplane was introduced in its six-seat Aztec B form in 1962. The Aztec B differs from its predecessor in having
an elongate nose housing, a second luggage compartment, a modified instrument panel, and improved maintenance accessibility.
The Piper PA-23-250 Aztec B was powered by two 250 hp Lycoming O-540-A1D5 six-cylinder air-cooled engines. The later models
of the Aztec were equipped with IO-540-C4B5 fuel-injected engines. Production of PA-23 ended in 1982,
wit a total of 6976 Piper PA-23s in various models built. The ICAO code for the Piper PA-23 is PA23. |
The 1976-built Piper PA-23-250 Aztec F s/n 27-7754002 was registered N62760 in the USA.
On 15 December 1978, registration N62760 was cancelled as exported to England. On 20 December 1978,
the aircraft was registered G-HARV in the UK with Penarth Commercial Properties Ltd., Cardiff. On 10 August 1979, the aircraft was registered with T.S. Grimshaw
Ltd, Cardiff. On 3 December 1981, the Piper PA-23 Aztec G-HARV was
registered with Kraken Air Ltd, Cardiff. On 6 February 1984, the
aircraft was registered as G-BKVT with T.S. Grimshaw Ltd, Cardiff. On 21
April 1986, registered ownership of Piper PA-23-250 G-BKVT changed to
Fhanthom Properties Ltd, Maidstone. On 23 July 1987, Crane Investment Ltd, Guernsey,
became the next owner of the G-BKVT. On 30 August 1990, was the G-BKVT registered with
L.G. Culverwell, Guernsey. On 20 August 1991, ownership of the G-BKVT changed to Express Bond Ltd., Banchory.
On 15 June 1994, ownership of the G-BKVT changed to R.E. Woolsey, Tandragee. On 25 March 1997, the G-BKVT was
registered with Keen Leasing Ltd, Derbyhaven. On 16 June 1998, Piper PA-23-250 Aztec G-BKVT was registered with Fugro-BKS Ltd, Colerane.
On 28 March 2012, registration G-BKVT was cancelled as transferred to Malta, but on 30 March 2012, the G-BVKT was restored to the UK-register
with Fugro Malta Ltd, Malta, as owner. On 18 July 2012, registration G-BVKT was cancelled as transfered to Malta, where the Piper PA-23-250 was
registered 9H-FMV with Fugro Malta Ltd, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Fugro NV. On 5 April 2013, the 9H-FMV was damaged when the nosewheel collapsed during
landing at Teuge. Since, registration 9H-FMV was cancelled. On 28 November 2014, the Piper PA-23-250 Aztec 9H-FMV was seen at Teuge airport without props.
The airframe serves as advertising object with the company Rodenburg in Veenendaal since 2015. |