Waco, TX – March 16, 2015 – CenTex Aerospace, Inc. has announced that a King Air 350 operator has purchased the Saddle Tanks Plus for their aircraft. Scheduled installation will begin soon at Elliot Aviation, located in Moline, IL. The operator, based in the Central United States, says that the Saddle Tanks Plus will allow non-stop flights to the west coast with NBAA reserves using Boeing wind data. This eliminates a fuel stop which provides a time savings of 45 minutes on the flight. In addition to the reduction in flight time, they are able to experience the added benefit of more comfort and less disruption for the passengers. Also, the increased cargo capacity in the Saddle Tanks Plus provides the added convenience to carry several standard carry-on bags, or engine & propeller covers and plugs.
The Saddle Tanks Plus mount aft of the engine nacelle, and provide an additional 60 gallons per side for a total of 120 gallons plus 9 cu ft of storage. Range is extended more than 350 NM. The standard Saddle Tanks for the King Air provide up to an additional 95 gallons per side for a total of 190 gallons, extending range more than 600 NM.
The Saddle Tanks are constructed solely from aircraft grade aluminum. Simple design provides reliable fuel transfer from Saddle Tanks to wing tanks via gravity flow – no fuel pumps are needed. Fuel transfer occurs seamlessly without any pilot action required. Fuel level is displayed on a cockpit indicating system included in the conversion.
Also, the CenTex Saddle Tanks can be removed and the aircraft reconfigured very easily to fly without the tanks. The Saddle Tank STC allows the aircraft to be operated with or without the tanks, enabling operators to make a quick change from one configuration to another.