Colemill Enterprises

Substantial Tax Savings Could Be Available For Those Who Buy or Modify Aircraft Before The End Of The Year

Customer says Panther conversion is an "awesome airplane."

Panther conversion available for Piper Navajo C model and 325.
Allan Bower is an international aviation defense attorney who has spent the last 30 years defending clients who build airplanes and their components. Needless to say, he knows a lot about quality in aircraft products.
In 1982 Bower bought Piper's press demo short body 310-C Navajo and has been flying it approximately 100 hours per year in connection with his law practice. Bower said, "I knew when the engines reached TBO I would be taking it to Colemill for a conversion. Colemill calls it a conversion. I call it a transformation."
Bower said the performance of his Panther is exactly as Colemill said it would be. "I've picked up close to 20 knots in cruise. I cruise in the 12,000 to 15,000 foot range and at 33 inches and 2200 RPM in still air, and I true out at about 206 to 208 knots. It is an awesome airplane. It truly is. Based on my own experience and what I have been told, I believe that the Panther will outrun any turboprop in the sky with the exception of the turbine Commander," Bower said.
Many Panther pilots have talked about how much quieter their airplanes are compared to stock Navajo. Bower has the proof to back up those claims. "The Q-Tip propeller is quieter. My wife just retired as senior audiologist at the UCLA Medical Center. We measured the sound levels in the airplane - in the cockpit and in the cabin - and it is six dba quieter than it used to be," Bower stated.
Bower said that in addition to the quiet ride there are other things he liked about the four-blade prop. "Because the four-blade props are shorter you don't see as much dinging on the prop leading edges as you do on the three-blade props. They are also inherently balanced which the three-blade props are not," he said.
Bower said that while he is pleased with the Panther modification he was equally pleased with the service and treatment he received at Colemill. "Colemill did what they said they were going to do, when they said they were going to do it, in the time they said it would take, and for the price they quoted. The performance is exactly as advertised. In this day and age that is, shall we say, unusual. Dealing with the people at Colemill was a pleasure. It truly was. And that's important. It's also important that they've been in the business for more than 50 years and that they stand behind what they do," Bower said.
Bower wanted his new Panther conversion to look as good as it performs. "As soon as I had the Panther conversion I took the airplane to Downtown Airpark in Oklahoma city for new paint. The airplane looks better than it did the day I picked it up at the Piper factory. So what I have is a brand new airplane," he said.
Several components go into each Colemill Panther conversion. Working together they give the Panther a shorter takeoff run, improved climb, faster cruising speed, improved inflight stability, a quieter and smoother ride, and a shorter landing roll.
Each Panther modification includes installation of Lycoming 350 h.p. TIO-540-J2B engines with dual, independent magnetos. (The dual mags are something Allan Bower said he "likes a lot" about his Panther.) Also included in each conversion are the four-blade propellers with Q-Tips" for a quiet smooth ride, and a Shadin Digiflow fuel computer for extremely precise fuel management. Colemill also offers "Zip-tip" winglets with landing lights as part of the Panther package. The winglets provide additional lift for better climb and allow approaches to be flown slower. The built-in landing lights can be used for recognition purposes while the gear is up."
The Panther is a very much improved airplane compared to a stock Navajo. And, there's no better time than now for Navajo pilots to learn all about this great modification. Give us a call. We'll be happy to answer all your questions.