View source for Frakes Aviation

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'''Frakes Aviation''' was founded by J. Fred Frakes in the late 1960s, and is located in [[Cleburne, Texas]], United States.  When founded, the company's main activity was converting [[radial engine]] powered airplanes to [[gas turbine]] engines. The company continued operations in this area of aviation into the mid-1980s, converting various airplanes.

Frakes' most significant projects were the re-engineering of two [[Grumman]] products, the [[Grumman Ag-Cat|Ag-Cat]] and the [[Grumman Mallard|Mallard]], in both cases replacing the original radial piston engines with the [[Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A]].

The company also converted a number of [[Aérospatiale N 262|Aerospatiale Nord 262]] airplanes for [[Mohawk Airlines]] (later used by [[Ransome Airlines]], an Allegheny Commuter subsidiary airline) in the late 1970s.  After long usage by Ransome Airlines at least two of these airplanes were exported to [[Australia]] where they were used for a short time before being retired.

In the mid-1980s Frakes Aviation saw a need to diversify their business and ventured into aftermarket [[exhaust system]]s for PT6 powered aircraft. As the modification business dwindled the exhaust business began to take hold. Frakes Aviation now holds various [[Supplemental Type Certificate|supplemental type certificates]] for exhaust systems on several different [[airframe]]s.

Further diversifying of their business brought them into the [[OEM]] market. Frakes Aviation is now the OEM for exhaust stacks on various newly built aircraft, including the [[Quest Kodiak]] and the [[Epic Dynasty]].

==References==
* {{cite book |last= Gunston |first= Bill |title=World Encyclopedia of Aircraft Manufacturers |year=1993 |publisher=Naval Institute Press |location= Annapolis |pages=122 }}

==External links==
* [http://www.frakesaviation.com/ Company website]
* [http://www.mallardaircraft.com/ Mallard Aircraft], G-73 certificate holder

[[Category:Aircraft manufacturers of the United States]]
[[Category:Manufacturing companies based in Texas]]


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