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Indiana Attorney Calls Colemill's Executive II "Really Something Special"
"It's great. It exceeded my expectations. It's really a terrific airplane. From the first moment I released the brakes after throttling up my airplane I knew that this airplane was really something special. "That was the reaction of Indianapolis attorney Steven Kirsh when asked about his first flight in his Cessna 310 after it had undergone a Colemill Executive II modification.
Kirsh flies all over the state in connection with his law practice which is limited to adoption cases. He said his primary reason for having the modification performed was additional safety for him and his passengers. But once the conversion was done, Kirsh found that the Executive II package did much more than simply increase safety.
"The climb is much better. I was flying recently on a rather hot day in the 80s. I was climbing at least 1500 feet per minute at six thousand feet. Prior to the conversion if I could get 600 or 700 feet per minute on a hot day at that altitude, I'd be thrilled. If I have some airspeed built up and am cruising at six thousand feet and ATC gives me a climb to eight thousand, it will climb at three thousand feet per minute. I've had line guys at the airport I fly out of say, 'We like to watch you take off because you go up like a rocket,'" Kirsh said.
Kirsh noted that the VSI in his 310 was calibrated to only 3000 fpm. He has since replaced it with one that is calibrated to 4000 fpm. "I hope that is enough," he said.
The attorney said he has also noticed nice additions to the 310's speed since the Executive II modification. He said he now flight plans it 15 knots faster than he did prior to the modification.
Kirsh noted that in addition to the increased climb and cruise speeds the Executive II package delivers, his initial goal of having a safer airplane was achieved also."I know with the old engines on a hot day with just two people on board with no baggage the airplane would barely stay aloft on one engine. When I came back from having the modification done, I was due for a biennial flight review. We shut down one engine. It wasn't a terribly hot day---probably about 60 degrees---but the airplane climbed at a thousand feet per minute on one engine. So the safety factor was a major consideration for me---having the ability to stay aloft on one engine," Kirsh said.
The attorney not only had praise for his Executive II modification but also for the treatment he and his airplane received from the personnel at Colemill.
"The people at Colemill were just terrific. I was kind of like a nervous parent sending my child away at school. I probably called too many times (to check on the airplane) but the Colemill people were always pleasant and helpful. When I returned to pick up the airplane, they spent a lot of time with me explaining all the work that was done to the plane for the annual inspection which was done at the same time as the conversion. When I scheduled the conversion and the annual inspection, I was told it could take a month. But Colemill had it done in two weeks. So it was two weeks ahead of schedule," Kirsch stated.
The Executive II modification was engineered by Colemill especially for Cessna 310 I through Q models. The conversion includes installation of 300 h.p. Continental IO-550 engines, new three blade props, governors, spinners, and a Shadin Digiflow fuel computer. And, as with all Colemill modifications, the conversion includes all new accessory parts such as starters, alternators, magnetos, Lord mounts, hoses, and belts. This means persons who have the conversion performed can generally count on many hours of trouble free flying which might not be the case with just an engine overhaul or even new engines alone.
If you own or fly a Cessna 310 I through Q model, there's no better time than now to check with Colemill about all the advantages of flying with an Executive II modification. Or, better yet, schedule your airplane for the conversion and begin flying with the extra climb, speed, and safety Steven Kirsh discovered following his Executive II conversion.
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