For info on 695A, 96015, see below The Model 695A, marketed as the “Jetprop 1000,” was the twenty-seventh model to be placed into production; the first one by the General Aviation Division of Rockwell International Corporation at Bethany (Wiley Post Airport), Oklahoma City, Oklahoma; the next 49 by Gulfstream American Corporation, Commander Division; the next 15 by Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation, Commander Division, Bethany; the penultimate 28 by Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation, Commander Division, Oklahoma City; and the last 7 by Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation, Oklahoma Operations.
The 100 examples were built between May 1980 and May 1985, serial numbers 96000 through 96089, and 96091 through 96100.
Of these, one was initially certified in 1980; 22 in 1981; 32 in 1982; 19 in 1983; 10 in 1984; and 16 in 1985. Six examples have been converted to Model 695Bs, while four have been converted from Model 690Ds.
A factory document describes the Model 695A as “Certified April 30, 1981. Same as the 690D except AiResearch TPE331-10-501K engines were used.”
The Model 695A was indeed certified on April 30, 1981, under Type Certificate 2A4, with the first 70 having the AiResearch TPE331-10-501K engines, the last 30 having the AiResearch TPE331-10-511K. Most (57) examples used the 106-inch diameter Dowty Rotol (c)R.306/3-82-F/7 / VP2926 supercritical propellers (with a B.F. Goodrich de-ice kit); 19 used the (c)R.306/3-82-F/7 / VP3027 (with Dowty Rotol de-ice boots); and 23 used the (c)R.306/3-82-F/7 / VP3034. The exception was serial number 96062, N120GA, which was first flown with TPE331-10-501K engines and Hartzell HC-D4N-5L/LEP569-5 propellers, as it was used as a prototype for a proposed Model 1200. The engines were subsequently changed to TPE331-12-701K for further testing before it was converted to a 695B by June 1986 and sold, with TPE331-10-511K engines and Dowty Rotol (c)R306/3-82-F/7 /VP3034 propellers.
Gross weight is 11,200 pounds and the cabin pressure differential is 6.7 psi, giving an 11,000-foot cabin at 37,857 feet and a sea-level cabin at 15,909 feet. Total fuel capacity is 482 U.S. gallons (1,825 litres), with 474 U.S. gallons (1,794 litres) usable.
None of the first 24 695As featured a cosmetic dorsal fillet, but the remaining 76 did, being the same type as the Model 690C.
The Model 695A incorporated a major change to the fuselage, with the intention of maximizing the cabin volume within the existing fuselage loft shape and length. The rear pressure bulkhead was moved aft and under the wing torque box by approximately 36 inches; the cabin aisle floor between the seats was lowered approximately four inches; the structural capability of the pressure vessel was increased from 5.2 to 6.7 psi; and the fuselage vessel was now pressurized completely to the lower skin. All previous pressurized Commanders were pressurized only to the floor level. Finally, the picture window arrangement was deleted and replaced by four individual windows. This decision involved aesthetics, desire to improve cabin noise level, weight reduction, and the increased pressurization level.
Additionally, the landing lights were moved back to the nose and de-ice boots were added between the fuselage and nacelles, the first Commander to have this feature.
On March 24, 1985 serial number 96019, N200DK, established a new world record for “Speed around the World, Eastbound” when flown from Elkhart, Indiana, on March 21 and back, via Goose Bay, Keflavik, Vienna, Cairo, Luxor, Sharjah, Colombo, Singapore, Manila, Agana, Wake Island, Midway Island, Honolulu, and San Francisco, at a speed of 490.51 km/hr (equating to 304.79 mph or 264.85 knots). The time was 75 hours, 54 minutes, 25 seconds and involved 13 stops, each averaging 28 minutes. The crew was Joe Harnish and David D. Webster, the aircraft being owned by Durakool Inc., of Elkhart, Indiana.
On March 18, 2004 serial number 96070, as N7896G, had a Certificate of Airworthiness issued in the Experimental – To Show Compliance category for collection of performance data applicable to the FAR requirement of RVSM (Reduced Vertical Separation Minimum), which reduces the vertical separation between flight levels 290 and 410 from 2,000 feet to 1,000 feet, and makes six additional flight levels available for operation.
Barry Collman’s lifelong interest in airplanes began when he was growing up in a house located underneath the downwind leg to busy Northolt aerodrome, an R.A.F. base near London-Heathrow airport. As a young teenager he discovered airplane “spotting”–hobbyists’ observation and logging of aircraft by make, model, and registration number. The hobby began to grow into a passion as Collman joined a club of like-minded spotters. At one point he purchased a copy of the January 1966 U.S. Civil Aircraft Register, and thumbing through it came upon the Aero Commander. He was hooked. Eventually he acquired every available FAA microfiche file on Commanders, and since 1995 has made annual pilgrimages to Oklahoma City to sift through FAA records. He now has a database with about 100,000 records as well as a collection of negatives, slides, photographs, digital images, magazines, brochures, knick-knacks–and a very understanding wife. This series on Commander production history originally was written for the Twin Commander Flight Group, of which he is an enthusiastic member.
Photo Captions:
From a shot taken by Dan Grew on May 23,1987 at Brownsville, Texas, XB-DSF is serial number 96015. It is finished in factory paint design #Standard 695A, in Matterhorn White, Dark Wine, Dark Wine and Sunfast Red. Originally XC-HAC, it had an Export Certificate of Airworthiness issued on December 14, 1981 and was delivered to the Gobierno del Estado de Tamaulipas, Cuidad Victoria, Tamaulipas. It became XB-DSF by June 1986 with Arrendadora Madero SAdeCV., in Tampico, Tamaulipas, before being sold back to the United States in April 1993, becoming N325MM. Eventually sold to Andersen-Fought, in Portland, Oregon, the original Dowty Rotol propellers were replaced by Hartzell HC-B3TN-5FL/LT10876ANSB-2Q “Q-tip” in October 2000. By June 2002, “Commander 1500” had been inscribed on the winglets, the reason for which has not ascertained. Re-registered as N333UP in September 2002, it is currently owned by Powers Aviation LLC., Peoria Heights, Illinois.
Scanned from a negative taken by Barry Collman on June 28, 1997 at Bethany-Wiley Post, Oklahoma, N269M is serial number 97098. Originally N135GA, it was finished in factory paint design #Standard 695A in Viking Gray, Dark Wine and Medium Gray. It was certificated on June 6, 1985. Having been re-registered by Gulfstream Aerospace as N122A, it was then sold to Commander One Thousand Inc., of Carson City, Nevada. Several owners later, it was re-registered as N699GN by the operator Great Northern Paper Co (a Subsidiary of Bowater Inc), of Millinocket, Maine, and then N269M by the operator Mammoth Mountain Ski Area, Mammoth Lake, California. Sadly, it was written off on January 21, 1998 near Delray Beach, Florida.
