De Havilland Heron #14058 to Saunders ST-27 001 / 15058

 The history of aircraft De Havilland Heron #14058 to Saunders ST-27 001 / 15058.

De Havilland Heron #14058 became the first Saunders Aircraft ST-27 conversion. 14058 had a remarkably interesting history prior to being purchased by Saunders Aircraft. Heron #14058 came off the De Havilland Aircraft assembly line at Hatfield Hertfordshire in 1954 was delivered to the Royal Air Force and given RAF registration XG603. XG603 was attached to the British Joint Services Mission in Washington, DC. and outfitted with eight executive seats.

De Havilland Heron 14058 with the RAF number XG603

RAF officer Glover with XG603 at Andrews Airforce Base

When the British Air Attaché was told that XG603 could only carry eight passengers, he had a quick look inside the aircraft and suggest that this Heron might be all right for Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, thus Heron #14058 / XG603 was nicknamed “Snow White”.

Heron 14058 / XG603 "Snow White" article

After serving the British Ambassador in Washington and carry notable passengers such as Lord Louis Mountbatten, XG603 was sent to the RAF far east air force in 1966 and flew for the Air Attaché in Saigon, Vietnam while the Vietnam war was on.

October of 1968, XG603/ #14058 was declared RAF surplus was purchased by Hawker Siddeley Aviation and later Cimber Air. Saunders Aircraft purchased 14058 from Cimber Air on January 24, 1969.

Saunders Aircraft converted De Havilland Heron #14058 to the new ST-27 001 / 14058. Saunders Aircraft leased hangar space from Atlantic Aviation at Dorval Airport in Montreal, Quebec do the the conversion work.

Heron #14058 under conversion to Saunders ST-27 001 / 14058

Heron #14058 under conversion to Saunders ST-27 001 / 14058

ST-27 001 / 14058 painted but without marking and registration

The new ST-27 001 / 14058 ground running the new PWC PT-6 turboprop engine.

Dave Saunders in the cockpit of ST-27 001 / 14058

ST-27 001 / 14058. made it's first flight on May 26, 1969, a formal invitation was sent out for the unveiling of the aircraft on May 23rd.

the invitation to the unveiling on ST-27 001 / 14058

ST-27 001 / 14058, this may be the first flight on May 26, 1969 as the landing gear had to stay  down and locked

Saunders Aircraft ST-27 001 / 14058 in flight over the Montreal area  - May 1969

ST-27 001/14058 was sold to Millardair on August 27, 1969

In January of 1972 ST-27 001 / 14058 was sold to Aerolíneas Centrales de Colombia (ACES) and registered as HK-1286 in Columbia.

ST-27 001 / 14058 in ACES markings, registered as HK-1286

ST-27 001 / 14058 in Aerolíneas Centrales de Colombia (ACES) paint and registered as HK-1286 in Columbia on the ramp at Medellin Columbia.

In 1976 ST-27 001 / 14058 HK1286 was repossessed by Saunders Aircraft and returned to Gimli.

ST-27 001 / 14058 was then allocated the Canadian registration of C-GYCQ but it is unknow if this registration was ever applied.

ST27 001/ 14058 was then sold to

Otonabee Airways in the Saunders Aircraft receivership sale and used for spare parts.

Saunders ST-27, ST-27A, ST-27B, ST-28 and ST-30 model names

There is some confusion on the internet about the Saunders Aircraft model names, different model types such as the ST-27, ST-27A, ST-27B, ST-28 and ST-30 are used, and hopefully we can sort things out.

The first Saunders Aircraft model was the Saunders Aircraft ST-27 which stood for Saunders Transport up to 27 passengers, the reason for the ST-27 name was confirmed by Dave Saunders.  We can see the DOT flight permit for ST-27 #1.  It would appear that the "official serial number would be to use the De Havilland DH114 Heron serial number, then the model number and the Saunders serial number such as 14058/ST-27/001 as shown on this DOT form below.

ST-27 001 serial #14058/ST-27/001 at Ottawa Canada, June 1969, Ron Digney photo

Somewhere between 1971 and 1973, when Saunders Aircraft realized the ST-27 program would not get a bilateral FAA type certificate  under FAR 23 without a lot FAA certification work being done to meet FAA  FAR 23, plus FAR 23 was changing around that time. Saunders Aircraft decided to go with an all "new build" based on the De Havilland Heron / ST-27 concept. This "new build" would be certified under USA FAA FAR 25.

The new Saunders Aircraft build has been called the ST-27A, or the ST-27B, and the ST-30.

The ST-30 name was reported in the July 22, 1971 edition of Flight International magazine.

 July 22, 1971 edition of Flight International reporting the ST-30

Saunders Aircraft company president William Kelly reported that Saunders Aircraft was looking at a successor to the ST-27 in this Winnipeg Tribune article from August 8, 1971

Winnipeg Tribune newspaper August 8, 1971

We also see in the June 14, 1972 Winnipeg Free Press article that Manitoba Government Industry Minister Len Evans refers to the "new build" as the ST-27A and that a possible jet version is the long term future.

clip from the Winnipeg Free Press newspaper June 14, 1972

This clip from the July 3, 1972 Winnipeg Free Press, has Peter Briant, chairman of the MDC - the  Manitoba Development Corporation (MDC now is majority equity holder in Saunders Aircraft Corporation) referring to the new build program as the ST-27A

clip from Winnipeg Free Press July 3, 1972

Then in April 21, 1973 the "new build" aircraft is now referred to as the ST-27B

Winnipeg Tribune April 4, 1973 clip on the ST-27B

Winnipeg Tribune April 4, 1973 article on Saunders and mentions the ST-27B

It would appear from this point forward of around April of 1973 , the new build goes from the ST-27A name to the ST-27B name or program.

To get  started on the "new build" certification program to FAR 25, Saunders Aircraft converts Heron 14087 to the "new build" ST-27B specs. We think serial # 14087/ST-27?/005 is given to this aircraft.  The question mark is whether the serial number is ST-27 or St-27A or ST-27B, going forward the 14087/ST-27?/005 has it's first flight on July 17, 1974, and proceeds to fly many FAR 25 flight certification flights. At the time of the first flight of 14087/ST-27?/005 this aircraft may have been also been called the ST-27B prototype. 

De Havilland DH 114 Heron #14087 with the South African Air Force SAAF 121 by Cor Zall via Frits Boer

Saunders Aircraft ST-27B or ST-27A  #14087/ST-27?/005 photo from Bill Ewing

This past April 2020, we find in the  Saunders Aircraft Corporation Ltd. document "ST-28 Specifications " is the paragraph that effective February 1, 1975, the ST-27B program is renamed the ST-28 program.

Saunders Aircraft employees may now referenced aircraft 14087/ST-27?/005 as the ST-27A, or the ST-27B or the ST-28 prototype. 

The all "new build" ST-28 is finally completed as Saunders Aircraft ST-28/001 or ST-28/101 and has it's first flight on December 12, 1975. This aircraft may have been called by the Saunders employees as the ST-28 or the ST-28 production model.

Saunders Aircraft ST-28/001 or 101  - the "new build" aircraft

Both aircraft ST-27 005-14087 and ST-28 001 were never certified and both stayed at Gimli after Saunders Aircraft closed down. Both may have been part of the receivership tender package sold to Otonabee but were never taken by Otonabee though Otonabee may have stripped them for parts useful to their ST-27 airline operation.

The tender documents are in the Manitoba Archives and we hope to see then after the government gets back to normal after Covid 19.

We believe Saunders Aircraft 14087/ST-27?/005 only carried the registration of CF-YBM-X as the aircraft was not every type certified as a ST-27B/ST-28 and did not fit the ST-27 type certification because 14087/ST-27?/005 had been modified to the "ST-28" program specifications. The final paint scheme for this aircraft was in Swift Aire colors as a possible sale of few ST-28 aircraft was in the works to Swift Aire, dependent on the ST-28 receiving it's FAA type certificate.

Saunders Aircraft 14087/ST-27?/005 Saunders Aircraft photo via R.K.

After Saunders Aircraft closed it's door aircraft 14087/ST-27?/005 was photographed  in August 1981 sitting in a hangar in Gimli, Manitoba

Saunders Aircraft 14087/ST-27?/005 at Gimli, August 1981, Paul Simpson photo

After sitting in the hangar for a few years, Saunders Aircraft 14087/ST-27?/005 was acquired by J.R.  who worked for another company at the Gimli Airport. J.R. moved the airframe 14087/ST-27?/005  to his farm where it still sits to this day (May 2019).

Saunders Aircraft 14087/ST-27?/005 in May 2019 near Gimli, Manitoba

Saunders Aircraft 14087/ST-27?/005 in May 2019  near Gimli, Manitoba

The "new build" Saunders Aircraft had a serial number of ST-28/001 or ST-28/101 - we have yet to find official documentation to show whether the correct serial number was 001 or 101, if you have documentation, email me a scan to kenkalynuk@gmail.com.  The one and only ST-28 did not fly again after 1976, and it stayed in GImli because it was not type certified. We believe Saunders Aircraft ST-28/001 or ST-28/101 only carried the registration of C-GYAP-X as it was not certified.

The ST-28 001 airframe was stripped for useful parts and in 1980 was gifted to the Western Canada Aviation museum (WCAM).

Winnipeg Tribune August 8, 1980 - the Manitoba Government  announcement gifting the ST-28 airframe to the Western Canada Aviation Museum

Now owned by the WCAM, the ST-28 first sat in a hangar in Gimli then later sat on the apron of the Gimli Airport, until 2014 - 2016 when the Western Canada Aviation Museum scrapped the ST-28.
.

Saunders Aircraft ST-28 001 or 101 at the Gimli airport around 2010

view of the cockpit of the Saunders Aircraft ST-28 001 or 101 around 2010.

A partial airframe was built for the static test certification program,  and was called the "static test frame". This partial airframe was never intended to be completed as an ST-28 as some structural components in the test frame were tested to failure.  This Saunders ST-28 "test frame" now sits on the SW corner of the airport near the go kart track.

Saunders Aircraft ST-28 "static test frame" May 2019

Saunders Aircraft ST-28 "static test frame" May 2019

Saunders Aircraft ST-28 "static test frame" May 2019

Saunders Aircraft ST-28 "static test frame" May 2019

If you have information on the ST-27 or the ST-27B or the ST-28, please scan and email me at kenkalynuk@gmail.com.   Thank-you for visiting this blog!  cheers - ken kalynuk