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October 11 "I want to win this one!" You can understand how gratifying it was to hear those words, over and over, at AOPA Expo last week, as pilots and aviation enthusiasts and their families gathered around the Catch-A-Cardinal, our 2007 sweepstakes airplane. The 1977 Cessna Cardinal we've refurbished this year is almost complete — and it was on display for all of New England (and surrounding states) to enjoy. Towards a perfect panel We took the opportunity to visit the Jet Panels facility in Peachtree City, Georgia, and see how the process of building a panel the high-tech way takes place. Though its systems are proprietary, we walked through the design work as engineer Eric Simonsen made updates to the CAD file. The software integrates with Jet Panels' machinery so that the actual production of the panel is quick and seamless — allowing them to produce panels in great quantities if called to do so. When we get the final panel, we'll have Advanced Aircraft Refinishers paint it and we'll send it off to Air Capitol Dial for silk-screening of placards and labels. A clear coat will provide the finishing touch. On the Expo scene We set up the aircraft display on Wednesday in great anticipation of the crowds to come. Many thanks to Miriam Stoner and Steve Ells and our static display team of Woody Cahall, Tom Zecha, and Daneen Leidig who helped put everything together during one hot afternoon — a precursor to the unseasonably warm days to come. Thursday morning started with fog — a trend that persisted each morning through Expo — but cleared by late morning to let the sun shine down. And each time the shuttle bus from the convention center stopped at the airport gates to unload its group of pilots, the Cardinal swarmed with people eager to see "their" airplane (but you know it's really yours — right?) and get a closer look. If you made the trek to Expo, you may see yourself in the photos that accompany this post. We really enjoyed talking to everyone who stopped by. We also had some celebrity visits from various contributors to the project. On Thursday afternoon, Dave Brown from Garmin International came by to talk with those interested in the Cardinal's avionics and answer questions, and we talked a bit about my experiences flying with the new WAAS-capable GNS 430W navigators and the GMX 200 — the wealth of data these boxes display is amazing and useful when flying along at minimum sector altitudes. On Friday, we had Craig Barnett, of Scheme Designers, stop by and talk with those gathered around the Cardinal about the airplane's distinctive paint scheme — and how aircraft owners can achieve similar results with their aircraft paint projects. Saturday morning we got a visit from Ray Crist, of Lycoming, who took the opportunity to engage with pilots on the operation of the O-360 we've installed in the Cardinal, as well as other technologies in Lycoming's latest engine designs. We also got a visit from those at Cessna responsible for seeing that we could have any Cardinal part in the company's inventory that we needed for the project, including Parts Distribution Supervisor of Sales and Marketing Mike Tharp, who took personal responsibility for overseeing our orders and making sure everything came out right. We can't thank them all enough for their help both with the project and with our Expo forums. Moving on E-mail the author at julie.boatman@aopa.org. |
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Honeywell has placed renewed emphasis on the Bendix/King heritage with announcements this past summer of a new line of primary and multifunction displays for light GA aircraft, the Apex Edge series, which includes the KMD 850 and the KSN 770. We've installed one of Bendix/King's most reliable and enduring products, the KI 525 HSI and KCS 55 remote compass system in your Cardinal. Call 800/601-3099; visit the Web site. |
