Ransome Airlines   Aerospatiale (Nord) Mohawk 298  N29811                   (c/n  42)

                           

                                   The Turbomeca Bastan III turbo-prop engines of the Nord 262s had always been a bit of a
                                   problem and so Ransome had nine of the fleet re-engined  with Pratt and Whitney Canada
                                   PT6A-45 turboprops.    The modification of the aircraft was taken over by Mohawk Air
                                   Services and then undertaken by Frakes Aviation in Texas    Since this conversion was per-
                                   formed in order to meet United States FAR 298 regulation, they were dubbed Mohawk 298s.
                                   Both images on this page are from the vast collection of Bob Garrard.    Initially the aircraft
                                   flew in Allegheny Commuter livery, since when the Nords were purchased, Ransome was
                                   operating as a code-share partner with  that airline.  Bob's photo (below) shows N29811 at
                                   Philadelphia International Airport in March of 1981, while above the same machine is seen at
                                   Ronald Reagan National Airport, Washington, D.C. in May of 1985 in full Ransome Airlines
                                   markings.    Interestingly, by then the airline had entered into code-sharing agreement with Delta
                                   and operated as a Delta Connection carrier between March 1984 and June 1986, (its relationship
                                   with Allegheny having ended in 1982).   It appears as if the Nords were never painted in Delta
                                   livery, however.  Interestingly, this machine is now on display in the Queensland Air Museum in
                                  Australia, its last operating registration having been VH-HIX.