Banyan 13-seat STC

[Sheepster]

Hi guys.
We operate a Mallard that was converted at Banyan to their 13-seat STC, and included was an installation of a second emergency exit at the front right side - like the Frakes 17-seat front exit. However the standard rear emergency exit was not blanked off - so the aircraft had two emergency exits on the right side.
Was this standard for this STC? I can't find photos of other aircraft with this configuration, were there any other aircraft modified like this?
Thanx

[MrWidgeon]

Which Mallard, that might help, I've a lot of pics of Mallards.

Bill

[Sheepster]

She's J-26. As N73AH she had the double door mod put in in '91 or '92 in Florida.

[MrWidgeon]

I have pics of most of the Mallards and the only one I can find where both right side doors are outlined is one shot of N2969 J-27.
The aft door is there but not outlined in a few other shots, so it was probably sealed, same for a few other G-73Ts, N1208 J-44 comes to mind.
Not all the Frakes conversions had the forward door, only the ones converted to airline use.
Hope that helps.

Bill

[Sheepster]

From what I understand, the Frakes 17-seat STC installs the front exit and removes the rear exit.
I can find a photo of N2969 on airliners-dot-net that still shows the faint outline of the rear exit panel, but to my eye it looks like the door has been blanked off. If you do have a shot of both doors paint-outlined it would be interesting.
The Banyan 13-seat STC is a different mod. Banyan are still in business, but do not appear to have any info on this ancient (in their eyes) STC any more. I have only 1 internet sourced photo of N73AH with both emergency exits paint-outlined while being worked on at Banyan. When she was returned to Australia and re-registered in Aussie an engineering order was raised with work diagrams for the complete removal of the standard, rear emergency exit - and the aircraft is still flying today with only the front "Frakes-style" emergency exit.
I'm most interested in details of the Banyan 13-seat STC, especially if any other aircraft were modified with this STC, and whether they also had 2 emergency exits. 2 emergency exits does seem to be a major configuration change for the Mallard, so I would assume that aircraft with double exits would be a notable event in Mallard history and rate a mention somewhere in the aircraft's literature.
The next question is why the "standard" rear exit was removed during re-registration in Australia. Was retaining the rear exit a "non-standard" error with the STC installation?

[MrWidgeon]

PM sent.

Bill