A panel full of garmins
Garmin International launched several new products in April at the Aircraft Electronics Association annual convention in Palm Springs, California. The addition of a new audio panel, navigation indicators, and transponder fills several holes in Garmin's blueprint for a complete avionics panel.
The new GMA 340 audio panel accommodates three com radios and the usual navigation radios, and includes a marker beacon receiver along with a six-place stereo intercom system with music inputs. The panel is festooned with LED push buttons that clearly show what is being used and in what mode. It lists for $1,495 and will be available late this year.
The GTX 320 solid-state transponder transmits 200 watts and can be powered by either a 14- or 28-volt electrical system. It is a slide-in replacement for many existing transponders from AlliedSignal, Narco, and Cessna. The GTX 320 lists for $1,495 and will be available in June.
The GI 102 and GI 106 nav indicators are purchased from autopilot-maker S-Tec and branded by Garmin. The GI 102 lists for $1,595; the GI 106, which includes a glideslope indicator, lists for $1,695.
For most avionics dealers, the AEA convention was their first look at Garmin's two new moving map GPS receivers, the GPS 150 XL and the GNC 250 XL GPS Com (see " Pilot Products," May Pilot). The first of those new units will be shipped this month. — Thomas B. Haines
Icarus brings GPS data into the scan
If you just can't get enough information from your GPS receiver, Icarus has an answer with the NavAlert. The 1-inch-diameter display, about the size of a quarter, is 6 inches deep. On the face is an LED and one button. Pushing the button causes the system to cycle through various displays as gleaned from a GPS output. The choices include distance to waypoint, time to waypoint, waypoint identifier, groundspeed, ground track, and track-angle error.
The $995 system, available this month, will be most useful to pilots who want to have some critical piece of information right in front of them without having to look at the receiver while shooting an approach.
Holding the button a few seconds causes the unit to go into "Scan" mode. Then, the display automatically cycles through distance to waypoint, waypoint identifier, and track-angle error — all information critical during an approach. For more information, contact Icarus Instruments, 7585 Washington Boulevard, Baltimore, Maryland 21227; call 410/799-9497; fax 410/799-8320. — TBH
Trimble offers 'plus' product line
Trimble has made three new additions to its GPS navigation system product line — the 2000 Approach Plus, 2101 Approach Plus, and the 2101 I/O Plus. The new systems support IFR operations and European B-RNAV flights. Enhancements to the Plus line include 12-channel receivers for low susceptibility to com radio jamming and interference. In addition, course reversal procedures have been simplified. A CD-ROM comprising NavTutor and Trimble Trainer software programs is available to train operators in the use of the radios. The training software can be purchased separately for under $100 at Trimble dealers.
The 2000 Approach Plus is aimed at general and business aviation operators and meets FAA TSO C-129 (A1) standards. The 2101 Approach Plus is a panel-mount receiver for commercial and corporate operators, while the 2102 I/O Plus is a DZUS rail-mount unit for corporate, helicopter, and regional commuter operators.
In other Trimble news, shipments of the TrimConnect 3100D Flight Telephone System have begun. For information, contact Trimble Navigation Limited, 645 North Mary Avenue, Post Office Box 3642, Sunnyvale, California 94088-3642, or call 800/827-8000 or 408/481-8000. See the products on the Internet ( www.trimble.com).
Hamilton Aerospace is offering the HX 321 kitplane for $60,000. It promises a cruise speed of 260 knots from a Lycoming IO-540 engine. The prototype is expected to fly this year. George Hamilton, the company's CEO, said that he will establish seven assembly areas where builders can take their kits. Deposits have been taken from 200 customers so far. Hamilton said that the use of standard tooling by the kit builder assures proper construction. For information, contact Hamilton Aerospace, Post Office Box 700494, San Antonio, Texas 78270-0494.
1997 starts well for GA shipments
General aviation billings reached a record high of $886 million, a gain of 60 percent over the first-quarter figures of 1996, said the General Aviation Manufacturers Association.
According to the first quarter report, 237 units were delivered, compared to 225 in the first quarter of 1996. Jet deliveries were the big moneymakers during that quarter, increasing 40 percent over the same time period in 1996.
Piston airplanes also posted a 10.7-percent increase in total billings and posted 135 total shipments. Cessna entered the piston field again with 14 shipments of the revamped 172R Skyhawk. Likewise, The New Piper sold 14 of its Malibu Mirage pressurized singles. Raytheon sold 13 Beech A36 Bonanzas, while Piper turned out the same number of Saratoga II HPs.
Avblend survives blind test
One of the difficulties facing airplane owners wanting to try oil additives is a dearth of hard information. Does the stuff work...or not? Too often, the "proof" of any additive's efficacy comes anecdotally from happy pilots and mechanics or tests that can't possibly duplicate the breadth of engines and operation conditions found in the real world.
So it's a pleasure to find feedback from an objective source to help confirm or refute the additive maker's claims. After two years of tracking engines that used the oil additive AvBlend, Engine Oil Analysis (EOA) in Tulsa, Oklahoma, (918/492-5844) has come to some conclusions about the additive. The test included 75 engines from Lycoming and Continental (about equally split, it turns out) — both low-powered models and high-output turbocharged engines. EOA's founder, Howard Fenton, compared the wear metals taken from 535 oil samples — with a total amount of flight time in excess of 18,000 hours — and compared the AvBlend samples to historical values on the same airplanes.
The results are, if anything, mixed. By far the greatest advantage of AvBlend seems to be the reduction of wear metals in Lycoming engines — the survey showed that copper, aluminum, chrome, and iron wear rates were down. Such findings dovetail with the claims that AvBlend helps to reduce valve-guide wear and valve sticking in Lycomings. In fact, in Fenton's own Grumman Tiger (powered by a Lycoming O-360), AvBlend cured a "lazy" valve, or one that experiences incipient sticking during startup — the so-called morning sickness. Another user in the survey also reported that AvBlend helped to cure a sticking valve.
AvBlend seemed to help the Continental engines only slightly, reducing the amount of copper found in the oil samples. It should also be noted that AvBlend did not apparently cause any problems for the sample engines.
Fenton is not sure exactly why AvBlend helps the Lycoming valve guides, postulating that the additive may be leaving behind an oil film in certain places in the engine.
Ultimately, the EOA survey suggests that if you fly engines prone to valve sticking — the parallel-valve Lycomings and the Continental O-200s and O-300s — AvBlend has some specific benefits. However, noting that the additive adds $20 to the cost of every oil change, Fenton is quick to point out that by cutting the oil-change interval, owners of these engines may be able to accomplish the same thing. — Marc E. Cook
Beech 35 owners should beware of a potential AD regarding ruddervator flutter and vibration. Although details are limited, AOPA suspects a requirement for an initial control surface balancing, repetitive inspections, and rebalancing after any maintenance or painting.
The beacon that rests atop the 60-foot-tall Wright Brothers Monument at Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina, has been removed for repair. It was found to be in working order but was sent to Houston for cleaning and rewiring. The restoration is the opening phase of a centennial celebration in 2003 commemorating the Wright brothers' successful powered flight. The monument will be rededicated later this year. A fund-raising effort has been begun to build a new $10 million visitors center. The current center is overwhelmed by 625,000 guests a year, most of whom visit in the summer. To learn more about the celebration, see the Internet site ( www.firstflight.org) or call 919/840-2003.
At press time, Linda Finch has reached Jakarta, Indonesia, on her commemoration of Amelia Earhart's attempt at an around-the-world flight. Finch, an AOPA member, started her trip on March 17 from the same Oakland, California, hangar from which Earhart left. She was expected to complete the trip in late May. In the meantime, residents of Earhart's hometown, Atchison, Kansas, are selling 999 limited-edition prints of "Give Wings to Your Dreams" to help pay for restoration of the Earhart home. The effort was organized by The Ninety-Nines. The framed 16 x 20 print costs $129, while T-shirts are $15 to $20, and coffee mugs are $9.99. To order, call 800/344-0708 or 816/279-3313.
The first 12 Grob 115TA military trainers have been delivered to the United Arab Emirates Armed Forces. The aircraft were delivered three at a time aboard an Ilyushin Il-76TD freighter by Gats Airlines from Munich, Germany. The aircraft were reassembled at the UAE Khalifa Bin Zayed Air College. The aircraft will be used for aerobatics, night and instrument flying, spin training, and emergency training. The UAE military has an option for 12 more aircraft.
King Schools was selected by Cessna Aircraft to develop the computer-based training system to be used at some 400 Cessna Pilot Centers in the United States. The learning system is expected to be unveiled at Oshkosh during the EAA Fly-in and Convention this summer and CPCs will begin actively using the materials in 1998. The system will feature CD-ROM-based material. Full-screen, full-motion video and computer graphics will be enhanced by sound and text. The student's progress will also be tracked by computer.
Kitplane manufacturer Europa Aviation is celebrating the 400th sale of the Shaw Europa kitplane. Europa claims that the aircraft is the fastest-selling British civil airplane ever built. More than 40 kits have been completed and certified for flight in 27 countries, including the United States. They are powered by a variety of engines, among them the Rotax 912 and 914T, Subaru, and Mid West rotary engines. Research is in progress on the use of a 90-horsepower BMW motorcycle engine.
Unison buys BFG engine electrical systems
Unison Industries, maker of Slick magnetos and the LASAR electronic ignition system, has reached an agreement to acquire BFGoodrich Aerospace Engine Electrical Systems Division of Norwich, New York, and Fort Worth, Texas. The $60 million deal effectively doubles the size of Unison's sales and work force and opens up new markets for the company in the turbine and military realm of aviation. Rick Sontag, Unison's president, expects the closing of the deal to occur this month. At a Jacksonville, Florida, press conference, Sontag was quick to assure that Unison would not abandon its GA roots and said that this takeover will bring more "horsepower" to the general aviation side of Unison's market.
Galaxy Aerospace Corporation has narrowed the field of competing communities for its new headquarters. They are: Dallas; Ft. Worth, Texas; Jacksonville, Florida; Orlando, Florida; and Tulsa.
Schweizer Aircraft Corporation has introduced the 330SP turbine helicopter with increased-area main rotor blades, high-stance landing gear, and a larger main rotor hub. The improvements have increased the maximum cruise speed from 92 knots to 104 kts. The high-stance landing gear provides a 12-inch increase in ground clearance for infrared and camera equipment and for off-site landings. For information, call 607/739-3821.
AASI Aircraft, the Long Beach, California, company that has developed the Jetcruzer, has realized $28 million from an initial public stock offering. In addition, Apollo 13 astronaut James Lovell has been named to the AASI board of directors.
Squawk Sheet
The Cessna Pilots Association issued owners of turbocharged twin Cessnas an urgent letter alerting them to a possible emergency AD as a result of numerous in-flight exhaust system failures. According to the letter, in the last 29 months 29 people have been killed in crashes stemming from exhaust system failure. In most cases a component of the exhaust system ruptured, torching the aluminum keels that support the engines. Once exhaust gases penetrate the keel, they can pass aft of the firewall to the crossfeed fuel lines, which may either starve the engines of fuel — causing a double engine failure — or send a fuel fire through the front wing spar, leading to its failure. CPA, AOPA, and the FAA are attempting to reach a logical solution to the problem before the possible grounding of the fleet, a move that the National Transportation Safety Board is urging. CPA recommends an immediate visual and pressure inspection of the aircraft's exhaust components. To obtain a copy of the letter and recommendations, contact CPA at 800/343-6416.
The FAA is ordering operators of specific Eurocopter Deutschland GmbH (ECD) helicopters to inspect the tail booms for cracks before the helicopters are permitted to fly. The Priority Letter Airworthiness Directive (AD) affects 132 helicopters. It requires inspection of models MBB BK117 A-1, A-3, A-4, B-1, B-2 and C-1. Specifically, the AD requires inspection for cracks, loose rivets, or other anomalies of the surfaces of the tail boom (known as the vertical fin spar) prior to further flight. If no cracks are found, the helicopter may be flown but must be reinspected every 100 hours of service. If cracks are found, the aircraft may not fly. No FAA-approved repair procedure is available at this time. It will be up to the manufacturer to develop a repair procedure to submit to the FAA for approval. The AD is prompted by a recent accident involving an ECD Model MBB BK117 series helicopter in New York City. The investigation of the accident revealed that the tail boom — which holds the stabilizing rotor — broke off. It was determined that the failure was caused by fatigue cracking. Further inspection of three same-design helicopters found similar cracks. When this was learned, the manufacturer and American distributor immediately sent out alert notices to all operators of these types of aircraft.
The FAA has issued a notice of proposed rulemaking affecting Mooney M20F, -J, and -L models that would require removing the fuel cap retaining lanyard. The proposed airworthiness directive was prompted by an incident in which a Mooney M20J had an in-flight engine failure following fuel starvation. Apparently, the lanyard trapped the fuel gauge float, giving the pilot a higher-than-normal fuel indication. The pilot was able to switch tanks, restart the engine, and make a safe landing. Approximately 2,526 Mooneys are affected by the proposed AD.
Cessna 172RG owners should prepare for a possible AD requiring inspections for cracks in the landing gear pivot assemblies. Initial inspection will be required at 1,800 hours total time and every 300 hours thereafter. Those with more than 1,800 hours need to be inspected within the next 25 hours.
NWS cost-cutting: where does it end?
In its quest to cut $41 million from its budget, the National Weather Service has developed plans to abolish 200 jobs, some affecting aviation weather forecasting. Six forecasters at the Aviation Weather Center in Kansas City (where sigmets, convective sigmets, and area forecasts are issued) were set to be terminated, along with six hurricane specialists at the National Hurricane Center.
A last-minute deal appears to have reversed this move, however. Officials shifted $715,000 from a satellite procurement account in order to retain the threatened employees.
Sources revealed another money-saving plan: revise severe thunderstorm limits upwards — from the current 3/4-inch hail and 50-knot winds, to 1- to 2-inch hail and 65-knot winds. Skeptics wonder whether radars can make the distinctions between hail diameters, and question the ability to verify the new limits to ascertain forecast accuracy. — Thomas A. Horne
AOPA members in the news
Danny Clisham, AOPA 1018823, of Ann Arbor, Michigan, was selected Favorite Airshow Announcer in the 1996 General Aviation News and Flyer Readers Choice Awards. Clisham owns a Swearingen SX 300.
John Gauch, AOPA 859007, of Batavia, Ohio, was named president of the Sportsman's Market, parent company of Sporty's Pilot Shop and other catalogs. Gauch is also president of Sporty's Pilot Shop-Europa in Germany. Former President Hal Shevers, AOPA 183872, is now chairman of the board.
Carl Susemihl, AOPA 003666, of Ellicott, Colorado, was recently featured in the Colorado Springs Gazette-Telegraph. The 77-year-old aviation veteran has big plans for his Colorado Springs East Airport in Ellicott. Susemihl plans to divide the airport property, allowing him to sell individual lots for hangars to increase the number of based aircraft from 20 to 150. A new terminal building, restaurant, and bar are also in the works. Susemihl is a CFI who has been a member of AOPA since 1940. He owns a Cessna 152 that has more than 9,000 hours on it.
Anthony Kioussis, AOPA 1307684, of Viewtown, Virginia, received the Florida Institute of Technology School of Aeronautics' George M. Skurla Outstanding Alumni Award. Kioussis graduated in 1975 and is now president of Raven International, an aviation product marketing company in Chantilly, Virginia.
Jack Hooker, AOPA 424412, of Freeport, Illinois, received the Frank Murray Award for outstanding achievements and dedication to the world of aviation. Hooker owns and operates Hooker Harness, maker of aircraft restraint systems.
Paul Kvedalen, AOPA 785061, of Oakland, California, has opened California Flyers, a new flight school on the north field of Metropolitan Oakland International Airport. Kvedalen is a 2,500-hour CFI who has been flying for 20 years.
John Blue, AOPA 1205294, was awarded the $16,000 Leon Harris/Les Nichols Memorial Scholarship presented by the Aircraft Electronics Association Educational Foundation.
Richard Wall, AOPA 948191, is arranging a February 21, 1998, fly-in to Venezuela for for adventure and to get a spectacular glimpse of the eclipse of the sun. For information, reach him by writing to Richard Wall, 516 Bellmore Place, Nashville, Tennessee 37209; telephone 615-352-9503; or e-mail ( [email protected]).
Emmerson Daily, AOPA 1101501, has been appointed as one of five commissioners for the Jackson Municipal Airport Authority, Mississippi.
John S. Wilder, AOPA 847358, Tennessee's longest-seated lieutenant governor and speaker of the senate, has a new "WLDER STAR" standard terminal arrival route named after him. It was established by the Memphis Air Route Traffic Control Center.
Lou Wipotnik, AOPA 182439, has added a multiengine-seaplane rating to his ATP certificate by flying this Grumman Widgeon off Florida's Lake Monroe near Orlando. He was awarded CFI of the Year in 1996. Wipotnik now has 21 certificates and ratings and plans to get a lighter-than-air ATP if he wins the lottery.
Neal Schwartz, AOPA 1183735, of Scarsdale, New York, was awarded one of two $15,000 scholarships from Sporty's Pilot Shop to be used in continuing his flight training. Schwartz is a sophomore at Duke University and a private pilot who founded the Duke University Flying Club. Sporty's will award two $15,000 flight-training scholarships to two more recipients next year. To qualify, applicants must be enrolled in a high school college-prep course, or at an accredited two-year or four-year college or university. They must be full-time students but can be pursuing any course of study. Applications must be received in mid-January 1998. Application forms may be obtained by writing to Sporty's Aviation Scholarship Program, Post Office Box 444327, Cincinnati, Ohio 45244.
A company in England is now offering a low-cost three-axis motion system ranging from $85,000 to $170,000. The Merlin 520-T is a single-seat, fully enclosed capsule with computer-generated visuals. It is aimed at the college training market and has been installed at London's City University. It was codeveloped by a City University professor. For information, write to Marion Neal, Merlin Product Ltd., Fieldhouse Farm, Old Worthing Road, Dial Post, West Sussex, England, United Kingdom RH13 8NS; telephone 44 1403 711799.
Gulfstream V completes world tour
The new Gulfstream V completed a world marketing tour on April 14 with a 12-hour, 40-minute flight from Tokyo to New York City, a distance of 6,000 nautical miles. The takeoff weight was 89,700 pounds, but the aircraft was not fueled to maximum capacity. Cabin pressure is maintained at 6,000 feet while cruising at between 41,000 and 51,000 feet.
Pilots for the flight were Dick Whitaker and Jim Keller. Gulfstream President and Chief Operating Officer Bill Boisture made the takeoff from Tokyo, climbing to 9,000 feet in less than 12 nm to meet air traffic control requirements, and also made a picture-perfect landing in turbulence and wind shear at Teterboro Airport, New Jersey. Gulfstream received certification for the new aircraft on April 11. Gulfstream reported earnings of $376 million for the first quarter of 1997, up 75 percent over revenues of $215 million in the first quarter of 1996. Net income for the 1997 quarter was $40 million.
Jerry Garrison of Dalton, Georgia, won the second annual Sun 'n Fun Air Race flying a Lancair 320. He covered the 342 nautical miles from Griffin, Georgia, to Bartow, Florida, with an average groundspeed of 196.18 knots.
Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation has signed a $5.4 million contract with Airshow, located in Tustin, California, to provide passenger information systems for Gulfstream IV-SPs and Vs through the year 2000. In other Gulfstream news, Executive Jet International has ordered 11 additional Gulfstream IV-SPs for delivery through 2000.
Hartzell Propeller received a supplemental type certificate to install a new two-blade propeller on Piper PA-24-180 Comanches. The new two-piece aluminum-hub propeller is intended to replace the threaded-hub McCauley and steel-hub Hartzell propellers. Although no performance gains are claimed, the company says that this propeller will be the lowest priced ($5,595) Comanche propeller on the market. It has a 2,000-hour TBO and a 3-year, 1,000-hour warranty. In other Hartzell news, the company recently completed a $4 million expansion that consolidates the product engineering, marketing, sales, and product support groups with its main manufacturing and assembly plant in Piqua, Ohio. For more information, call 513/778-4200.
Leonard Beauchemin of Eastman Kodak Services has received the National Aviation Maintenance Technician of the Year award, while Jim Trusty of Old Hickory, Tennessee, has received the National Certificated Flight Instructor of the Year award. The awards are sponsored by the FAA and nine aviation groups, including the AOPA Air Safety Foundation. Beauchemin is Kodak's manager of technical support and serves as an employment development coach. Trusty is an FAA aviation safety counselor and has written a number of articles for national flying magazines. "I just want everyone to know the experience of flight," Trusty said.
Wipaire has received a supplemental type certificate to install its Wipline 2100 floats on the Aviat A1 Husky. Both straight and amphibious floats are available for $19,995 and $33,000 respectively. For more information, call Wipaire at 612/451-1205.
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