Conroy Turbo-Three (original) (raw)

The Conroy Turbo-Three was a series of two Douglas DC-3s modified with turboprop engines by Conroy Aircraft. The first conversion first flew on May 13, 1969. Two Rolls Royce Dart Mk. 510 engines from a crashed Vickers Viscount previously operated by United Airlines were used to replace the original Pratt & Whitney radial engines. Because the new turboprops were much lighter than the radial engines, they had to be mounted further forward to maintain the aircraft's center of gravity. The replacement engines increased the aircraft's cruising speed from 170 mph to 215 mph. The prototype was later converted into the Conroy Tri-Turbo-Three.