Can you identify this airplane?

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Member for

13 years 9 months

Posts: 38

Dear all,

I represent an amateur group of scuba divers in Greece.
By pure chance we ran into a wreck of an aircraft here in Athens in the Saronic gulf.
As you can imagine this is very intriguing.

Not being experts in the aviation industry, we cannot as you appreciate, identify what kind of aircraft it is.

So, in that sense I am attaching a picture of the said aircraft with the hope that someone could give us some hint.

Thank you.

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Member for

13 years 9 months

Posts: 38

Or for what matters, if someone could give me clue on where to look for information or some kind of manufacturer label on the actual plane.

Member for

18 years 11 months

Posts: 8,847

Don't worry, you will have an answer or a selection of answers before the sun sets!:)

Member for

14 years 1 month

Posts: 1,190

No occupants?

Member for

18 years 11 months

Posts: 8,847

Looks like a Beech King air to me

You cannot be serious, can you?

Sorry, just watching tennis.;)

I think Sandy is right. The wheel bays look familiar. The King Air undercarriage has a single oleo strut. The nose whel retracts backwards and the main wheels retract forwards as you can see in the Airliners.net pictures. Seawreck, if you could take more pictures of the "underneath", maybe a cabin or cockpit window, might help to positively identify it.

Member for

13 years 9 months

Posts: 38

Thank you all for the feedback. Really appreciate it.
I do have some more pictures and will upload them tommorow.
Btw, no skeleton found, so we pressume that he fled!

Member for

13 years 9 months

Posts: 38

Lads, this one is from the cockpit area. Unfo the fuse is upside down.

Hope that whis one will help.

This weekend we will go again to the wreck in order to take closer pics.

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Member for

20 years 8 months

Posts: 8,505

I don't think it is a King Air. Twin mains on them.

Member for

24 years 2 months

Posts: 945

I don't think it is a King Air. Twin mains on them.

The C90 has single main wheel assemblies; cf. bmused links above... ;)

Or for what matters, if someone could give me clue on where to look for information or some kind of manufacturer label on the actual plane

Think it's on the rear fuselage in the vicinity of the horizontal stabilizer and that part seems to be missing...

Member for

13 years 9 months

Posts: 38

Few more details regarding this aircraft.

It has no piant. Parts which are not covered by underwater life still have the silver coating of alu.

Parts from Bendix Co where found around the wreck....so that means that its an aircraft from an american manufacturer.

Member for

15 years 3 months

Posts: 66

Aztec? Would have a steel tube fuselage under the skin if so - did you notice?

(any small round holes?)

Member for

13 years 9 months

Posts: 38

Small round holes yes, but I think this is irelevant.

No its not a Piper Aztec. For sure it has two turboprop engines, and cockpit capsule.

Member for

13 years 9 months

Posts: 38

I bet that the orginal shape of the cockpit should be like this...

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Member for

20 years 5 months

Posts: 10,625

I'm certain it's a King Air.

Look at the angles of the inside wing leading edge, then the angle of the outer wing leading edge, then compare those to the King Air C90 pictured here:
http://www.airliners.net/photo/Beech-C90A-King/1718401/L/

Identical design. The position of the gear, the shape of the nose and the length of the engine nacelles all match. You can even make out the squared off fuselage.
I cannot find an picture of the underside of a C90, which appears to differ slightly from the C90A. But the general design is the same.

I agree with Sandy. I flew a 90 years ago. If you can see the control yoke it should have "Beechcraft" on it. The newer 90s had Bendix radar, the radios were often King.

Member for

15 years 2 months

Posts: 2,828

I think its a King Air also.

Member for

13 years 9 months

Posts: 38

Lads,

Can you please focus on the cockpit photo? I agree that the majority fits for a Beechcraft.

BUT.....pay attention on the fact that there are no doors for the wheels as well as the cockpit seems to be a capsule.

I couldnt find any Beechcraft with that kind of features.

Member for

18 years 5 months

Posts: 2,318

Lads,

Can you please focus on the cockpit photo? I agree that the majority fits for a Beechcraft.

BUT.....pay attention on the fact that there are no doors for the wheels as well as the cockpit seems to be a capsule.

I couldnt find any Beechcraft with that kind of features.

I agree with those who have identified it as a King Air. Depending on the age of the wreck it could also be a Beechcraft 99.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beechcraft_Model_99

There is obviously extensive damage to the fuselage. The undercarriage doors are simply missing. Possibly ripped off in the crash?

The image that you are saying is a cockpit shot does not show the cockpit. This is simply the bottom half of the nose section. The cockpit area and cockpit windscreen is located further back behind the location of the retracted position of the nose wheel undercarriage.

See cutaway drawing

http://www.flightglobal.com/airspace/media/generalaviationcutaways/images/5968/beechcraft-king-air-cutaway.jpg

http://www.airliners.net/photo/Beech-C90A-King/1631493/L/

http://www.airliners.net/photo/Untitled-(Luwe-Flug)/Beech-C90A-King/1549610/L/

TJ

Member for

20 years 8 months

Posts: 8,505

I'm still not convinced that it's a King Air as I recken the engine cowlings extend too far forward