![](http://www.alamy.com/thumbs/6/383AA59B-8F67-4E64-A799-B360DEE06CAD/2A3KGAE.jpg)
Fairchild Swearingen Metroliner SA227DC departing from Inverness airport in the Scottish Highlands - October 2019.
The Metroliner was an evolution of the Swearingen Merlin turboprop-powered business aircraft. Ed Swearingen, a Texas fixed-base operator (FBO), started the developments that led to the Metro through gradual modifications to the Beechcraft Twin Bonanza and Queen Air business aircraft, which he dubbed Excalibur. A new fuselage (but with a similar nose) and vertical fin were then developed, married to salvaged and rebuilt (wet) Queen Air wings and horizontal tails, and Twin Bonanza landing gear; this became the SA26 Merlin, more-or-less a pressurized Excalibur. Through successive models (the SA26-T Merlin IIA and SA26-AT Merlin IIB) the engines were changed to Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6, then Garrett TPE331 turboprops. These were marketed as business aircraft seating eight to ten passengers.
Size: 6108px × 4006px
Location: Dalcross Inverness Airport Scotland UK
Photo credit: © David Gowans / Alamy / Afripics
License: Royalty Free
Model Released: No
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