Kenny Meines of Turbine Motor Conversions brought something pretty impressive to AirVenture last year, his own custom Murphy Moose with a Pratt & Whitney PT-6 hanging on the nose. It’s a real backcountry rocket ship, building on Murphy’s solid foundation by kicking things up a notch, or two. Meines said his converted aircraft pulls off 200 mph cruise speeds to the tune of about 25 gallons an hour of Jet A, a stone’s throw away from the fuel burn of the handsome (but slower) M14 radial engine seen on other Mooses.
Thanks to the homegrown nature of the Moose, builders can tailor their aircraft to the mission, whether that means leaving it with a stock 100 gallons in the wings, or grabbing Meines’ new project: A 50-gallon belly tank to add another couple hours of cruise. Of course, like any whiz-bang turboprop installation, it doesn’t come cheap. Meines said there’s a pretty good selection of mid-time PT6-20s out there on the market, which make for a pretty good engine in a private aircraft.
Moose pilots can budget about $250,000 for the conversion and come off unsurprised at the cash register. Meines said the Murphy family is seeing a resurgence, thanks to its off-airport performance and affordable build. If the lookie-loos at AirVenture were any indication, a Murphy is a real head-turner on the flight line, especially when you add a turbine to the front of it!
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