Ground broken for Tiger plant
Like other cats, the Tiger apparently has nine lives. TLM Aerospace, a new company financed by Tong Lung Metal Industries, plans to put the sporty four-place Tiger back into production. The design was first built by American Aviation, then Grumman, then Gulfstream, then American General Aircraft Company. AGAC went bankrupt in the early 1990s shortly after opening its plant along the Mississippi River in Greenville, Mississippi.
Last fall TLM Aerospace purchased the assets of AGAC, including the type certificates for the 180-horsepower AG-5B Tiger and the 160-hp AA-5A Cheetah. Heading up the project for TLM is Robert Crowley, who was CEO of AGAC. The first order of business for Crowley is to oversee the construction of a new factory at the Eastern West Virginia Regional Airport in Martinsburg, West Virginia. The new 60,000-square-foot facility will be located next to the Sino-Swearingen factory that is expected to begin turning out new SJ-30-2 business jets within a year. Like the Sino-Swearingen operation, TLM is financed by Taiwanese interests anxious to develop aerospace expertise.
At the groundbreaking ceremony on April 29, Crowley said that the TLM factory should be completed in November. The first new Tiger should roll out in April 1999. He projects the price for a well-equipped, IFR-capable airplane will be $214,500. About 65 aircraft will be produced in the first year, ramping up to 144 aircraft annually in five years. Initially, the Martinsburg plant will serve as an assembly and paint operation. Fabrication will be completed by contractors from around the country. In four to five years, Crowley hopes to move the fabrication to Martinsburg and perhaps to revive the long-dormant Cheetah. — Thomas B. Haines
GAMA: Best first quarter in GA history
The General Aviation Manufacturers Association has proclaimed the first quarter of 1998 the best first quarter of billings in the history of general aviation.
Compared to the first quarter of 1997, billings were up 24.5 percent, for a total of $1.03 billion. Aircraft deliveries among the GAMA members were up 92.4 percent, with a total of 456 units delivered.
With Cessna ratcheting up production of its new singles, piston aircraft shipments were up 142.2 percent, for a total of 327 units delivered. Cessna shipped 115 new 172s and 74 new 182s, accounting for 58 percent of all piston aircraft sales.
Cessna's Citation Excel received its FAA type certificate on April 22. Cessna has taken orders for 200 Excels, worth $1.6 billion. The aircraft promises a stand-up cabin, economical operation, and short-field capability. The type certificate was received without requiring any changes in specifications. Two performance parameters have been improved: landing distance at 18,700 pounds has been reduced to 3,180 feet, and maximum cruise at 35,000 feet has been increased to 430 knots. Maximum takeoff weight is 20,000 pounds. The payload with full fuel is 1,100 pounds.
In March, the Galaxy business jet reached its planned maximum operating speed on its seventeenth flight. The aircraft was flown at Mach 0.85 at 42,000 feet. The aircraft also reached its maximum operating altitude of 45,000 feet on that flight. The airplane has now completed 24 flights and accumulated 81 hours. A second test aircraft is in preparation for its first flight.
An Oklahoma pilot's business seeks to assist pilots whose medical certificates are at risk. Pilot Medical Solutions will retrieve, organize, and submit medical records from various sources to the FAA in a manner that can facilitate a prompt, favorable response to an application for special issuance of a medical certificate, explained David Hale, the company's director. Although AOPA can provide members with considerable information on special issuance, association staff must rely on pilots to collect the relevant medical information. "Gathering the necessary records is a difficult task," Hale said. For more information, contact Pilot Medical Solutions at 1611 South Utica Avenue, Suite 300, Tulsa, Oklahoma 74104; call 800/699-4457; or visit the Web site ( www.leftseat.com). — Michael P. Collins
Raytheon Aircraft recently mated the forward and aft fuselage sections of the first Premier I business jet. The airplane is currently scheduled to begin flight testing this summer. Certification and deliveries are expected in the summer of 1999.
Van's Aircraft now offers the RV-8A, a tricycle-gear model of the tandem-seat RV-8 tailwheel aircraft. A flying prototype of the RV-8A kitplane was shown for the first time at the Sun 'n Fun EAA Fly-In in Lakeland, Florida. The company says that preliminary information shows the RV-8A will cruise at 190 knots and climb at 1,800 feet per minute at a maximum gross weight of 1,800 pounds. "It will chew up a [Beech] T-34 in speed and climb rate," promised the company's owner, Dick VanGrunsven. Van's Aircraft is located in North Plains, Oregon.
Superior purchases Aircraft Technology/SpiritAir
Still toweling off after emerging from Chapter 11 bankruptcy a few months ago, Superior Air Parts Inc. announced that it has purchased Aircraft Technology Corporation/SpiritAir, another supplier of Continental and Lycoming engine parts. The consolidation of the two companies further strengthens Superior's offense in the PMA business against original equipment manufacturers. Superior, maker of the Millennium brand of replacement cylinders, is the world's largest manufacturer of FAA-approved replacement parts.
Textron Lycoming, the engine manufacturer, has appointed James A. Koerner as president. Former President Dave Assard recently resigned to take a new position as president and CEO of another company. Koerner was previously vice president of operations for Textron Turbine Engine Components in Thomasville, Georgia.
The FAA issued a type certificate for the M-26 Air Wolf on April 16, just in time for the Sun 'n Fun EAA Fly-In. The canopied tandem two-place aerobat, powered by a 300-horsepower Lycoming AEIO-540 turning a three-blade Hartzell propeller, is manufactured in Poland by PZL-Mielec Aircraft Company. Cruise speed is reportedly 170 kts at 6,000 feet and 75-percent power. For more information, write to Melex USA, 3223-BSwift Creek Road, Smithfield, North Carolina 27577, or telephone 919/934-5675. — MPC
Hartzell announces AD-eliminating prop upgrade
Hartzell's upgrade that would eliminate the requirement to comply with airworthiness directive 97-18-02 is now available.
The new MV-shank propeller kit converts the double-shoulder design of the previous X- and V-shank blades to a single-shoulder design. Resulting are propellers similar in configuration to the company's steel-hub turbine propellers. New blade-retention clamps with a beefier design are required to accommodate the single-shoulder blade.
The upgrade will be applicable to HC-A or -D hubs. Those with HC-1 or -8 hubs will need to purchase the A- or D-style hub and associated parts. The upgrade increases the recommended TBO to 2,000 hours or five years.
Blades, clamps, and hubs, as well as complete MV propellers, are included under a special half-price plan in effect until September 1999. Hartzell says that a two-blade propeller in good condition may be upgraded for about $4,000. A three-blade prop with a 1- or 8-style hub and unserviceable blades could cost more than $10,000 to convert. Several replacement propeller STCs from Hartzell and McCauley are available to owners of affected aircraft. For more deails, contact Hartzell at 937/778-4379.
Cessna Finance Corporation now offers 25-year financing on the new 172R and 172S (180-hp) Skyhawks. With what is called Long Term Security Financing, the monthly payment on a 172R will be $859, while the 172S payments will be $963. The floating interest rate is 0.75 percent over prime. The monthly rates are based on a purchase price of $133,700 for the 172R and $149,900 for the 172S. The down payment is 25 percent; that's $33,425 for the 172R and $37,475 for the 172S.
Women in Aviation International has announced the availability of The Facts 1998, a book that provides statistical information on aviation careers, as well as historical and present-day industry firsts for women. According to WAI, 41,120 pilot certificates are held by women. For a copy of the book, contact WAI at 937/839-4647.
Tornado hits Nashville's Cornelia Fort Airpark
A spring storm spawned a tornado that touched down on the Cornelia Fort Airpark in Nashville, Tennessee, destroying some 30 airplanes, said Bill N. Colbert of Colemill Enterprises.
Nobody was hurt during the storm, which also took down two hangars and heavily damaged a third. "I watched it from inside until I saw a 152 do a back-flip towards me; then I jumped for cover," said Colbert. Colemill Enterprises, founded in 1944, performs conversions on Piper Navajo, Beech Baron, and Cessna 310 airplanes. Two Barons and two Navajos that are owned by customers were heavily damaged.
"As far as modifying airplanes is concerned, everything here is operating normally," said Ralph Peeler, Colemill's vice president.
NASA plans to build a flying model of The Wright Flyer to celebrate the 100th anniversary of powered flight in 2003. First, however, a model will be tested at 27 knots in the NASA Ames Research Center wind tunnel at Moffett Field, California. The Wright Flyer model will be on public display this spring in preparation for wind tunnel tests in January.
Gulf Coast Avionics is moving its company headquarters to Florida's Lakeland Linder Regional Airport. Gulf Coast, previously located at the Tampa International Airport, was attracted by the "general aviation friendliness" of Lakeland and, of course, the nearly 1 million visitors to the Sun 'n Fun Fly-In. Gulf Coast plans to construct a 28,000-square-foot facility, which will be complemented by an 8,800-square-foot hangar for avionics installations.
Micco displays second SP20 prototype
Micco Aircraft Company, of Fort Pierce, Florida, displayed its second production prototype SP20 at the Sun 'n Fun EAA Fly-In. Meanwhile, production prototype number one was busy flying demonstration flights and competing in the Aeroshell 3D Speed Dash time-to-climb race in the Medallion (handicapped) class. The two-place taildragger SP20 is a 200-horsepower derivative of the Meyers 145, which was originally certified in 1948. Micco also announced the seven dealerships that will be distributing the SP20. Company Manager F. DeWitt Beckett announced a price increase, which took effect after Sun 'n Fun. Price for a VFR-equipped version will be $147,500, while the IFR versions will list for $162,700.
Federal Express says that it will build a hub at the Piedmont Triad International Airport in Greensboro, North Carolina. A new parallel runway will be contructed to accommodate cargo operations.
The six-place pressurized Extra 400, seen by some as a high-wing competitor to the New Piper's Malibu Mirage, has received FAA IFR certification. Nearly 180 customers have signed letters of intent to purchase the aircraft. (Deposits will not be accepted until production is ready to begin.) At this writing, additional testing was in progress for known-icing certification. While a piston-powered 350-hp model was certified, the company also plans a turbine-powered Extra 400 in the near future. The aircraft is built by Extra-Flugzeubbau of Germany, headed by Walter Extra. It will be distributed in the United States by Aero Sport of St. Augustine, Florida. Extra made his name in aerobatic aircraft before building the Extra 400. While not intended as an aerobatic-capable aircraft, Extra has performed aerobatics in the prototype to demonstrate the aircraft's structural strength.
FAA trumps user-fee proposal
FAA Administrator Jane Garvey and Secretary of Transportation Rodney Slater unveiled a proposal to convert the U.S. air traffic control system into a performance-based organization (PBO). Garvey canceled a planned visit to the Sun 'n Fun EAA Fly-In in Lakeland, Florida, so that she could be on hand in Washington, D.C., for the announcement. AOPA is concerned about the plan, which would split the FAA into two organizations (see " AOPA Action," page 8).
Acting Deputy Administrator Monte Belger, who stood in for Garvey in Florida, said that the FAA plans to establish its first-ever cost-based accounting system to determine "precisely what our costs of providing services are, by location." That information will be employed to set user fees, which airlines will pay beginning in July 2000, Belger said.
General aviation will be exempt from user fees and would continue to pay the existing fuel tax at the current level. Military and other public-use aircraft would also be exempt from paying user fees. Introduced as draft legislation, the measure still faces hurdles. "The proposal that is being sent today will be debated by Congress for many months," Belger acknowledged. — MPC
Hartzell Propeller has received supplemental type certification to install a new 80-inch, three-blade propeller on Cessna T207 and T207A airplanes. The new prop has a 2,400-hour/six-year TBO and lists for $7,195. Contact Hartzell at 800/942-7767.
Waco Classic Aircraft Corporation, located in Lansing, Michigan, has mounted its 275-hp Waco YMF5 Super on PK 3000 floats. The floats are built by DeVore Aviation, located in Albuquerque. The $323,595 prototype was completed in March and cruises at about 105 knots. It's the first new Waco on floats since 1935, when the DuPont family owned two of the aircraft. The Alaskan tourism industry has expressed interest in using the Waco floatplanes for sightseeing tours.
Apollo 13 astronaut James A. Lovell and jet-engine pioneer Dr. Sam Williams will be inducted into the National Aviation Hall of Fame in the Dayton Convention Center on July 18. Williams is founder of Williams International, manufacturer of small jet engines. Also inducted will be Harry G. Armstrong and Maj. Gervais Raoul Lufbery. Armstrong developed the medical criteria used in pressurized cabins, while Lufbery was America's first ace and the country's third highest-scoring ace of World War I. For information, call 937/226-0800.
Squawk Sheet
Airworthiness directive 93-10-06, affecting Piper airplanes equipped with wing lift struts, may be superseded by a proposed AD. The proposed rulemaking is intended to clarify requirements of 93-10-06, eliminates the lift strut fork repetitive inspection requirement on PA-25 Pawnee airplane, and requires fabricating a placard on the lift strut.
A new AD (98-09-25) will require owners of Piper PA-31-300, -325, and -350 Navajos and Chieftains to replace the lower wing spar splice plates and rework the lower spar caps. The AD resulted from numerous reports of cracking and fretting of the splice plates on airplanes in service.
Socata has flown the first of three new piston engines powered by jet fuel that are now under development by a Socata/Morane Renault team. A 200-hp Morane Renault engine was mounted on a Socata TB20 Trinidad for a 50-minute flight from the Tarbes-Ossun-Lourdes Airport, France. Socata says that development tests, customization, endurance tests, and improvements to the engine-manufacturing process will continue through 1998.
More avionics announced; Lancair Columbia moves to Bend
Lancair is completing the move of Columbia 300 production facilities to Bend, Oregon. The 191-knot four-place single is expected to win FAA approval by midsummer. The original timetable has been pushed back to allow testing for certification in a special spin-resistant category. Kit production will remain in Lancair's original facilities in Redmond, Oregon. Lancair has 200 refundable deposits for the Columbia, which is expected to sell for approximately $189,000 when equipped for VFR flight and $230,000 with IFR equipment.
Lancair has selected the full-color 10.4-inch AvroTec display for use in the Columbia 300 production airplane. The AvroTec will run software from Avidyne, another maker of multifunction cockpit computers (see " Pilot Products," p. 138). AvroTec and Avidyne have combined to make a display that will enhance situational awareness by depicting Avidyne's IFR and VFR Charts software, as well as the company's Navigator and Lightning applications. In the Columbia 300, the portrait-oriented display can be controlled by a control unit mounted in the center armrest.
For lightning detection, the Columbia 300 will use the BFGoodrich WX-950 as standard equipment and the WX-500 remote sensor optional in Lancairs equipped with the AvroTec display.
LoPresti Speed Merchants of Vero Beach, Florida, displayed its new cowling conversion for the Piper Cherokee Six and fixed-gear Saratoga at the Sun 'n Fun EAA Fly-In in Lakeland, Florida. LoPresti claims a 7-mph increase in top speed after the cowling conversion, which incorporates a single cowl flap to control engine cooling. The cowl is a combination carbon-fiber/fiberglass and vinylester laminate, which claims to be far more durable than stock Piper cowls. Included in the $11,900 kit are a new spinner and back plate.
European-built Cap 10B and -232 aerobatic aircraft are again in production and are being shipped to the United States for distribution. The aircraft will be shipped to a distributorship at Flagler County Airport in Bunnell, Florida. Airshow performer Patty Wagstaff has decided to use a CAP 232 in her act after this year. She now flies an Extra 300S aircraft. For information on the new aircraft, call 904/437-9700.
A Maule MX-7-420 turbine-powered amphibian aircraft piloted by Kit Wilkes has laid claim to the 10,000-foot time-to-climb world record set in 1974 by a Russian M-12 Chaika aircraft. The 1989-model Maule took off from Lakeland Linder Regional Airport, Florida, during the Sun 'n Fun EAA Fly-In. Subject to verification, the aircraft broke the 3,000-meter record with a time of 4 minutes 29 seconds, which was 37 seconds faster than the existing record.
A Lockheed Constellation will once again fly the North Atlantic route to Europe, but this time as a show aircraft. The Constellation Group, a preservation organization in Scottsdale, Arizona, is taking its restored Military Air Transport Service Connie to airshows throughout Europe for three months starting in June. Countries receiving visits include England, The Netherlands, Switzerland, Germany, and Denmark. To see the schedule, visit the Web site ( www.connie.com) or call 602/443-3967.
AOPA members in the news
Mike Warren, AOPA 824092, of Silverdale, Washington, got a little hung up on his way to work on April 9 when his Cessna 150L encountered wake turbulence and became entangled in power lines while attempting to land at Seattle's Boeing Field. Millions of people watched on television as Warren's airplane dangled inverted by one wheel, effectively trapping him inside. He was rescued several hours later when a cherry picker was brought within reach of him. A few hours after his rescue, Warren, a crane operator himself, watched carefully as his relatively undamaged 150 was lowered from the wires.
Doug Allen, AOPA 611636, of Saint Peters, Missouri, was selected as the FAA Central Region's CFI of the Year.
Shawn Knickerbocker, AOPA 612308, of Orange Park, Florida, was named a Master CFI by the National Association of Flight Instructors.
Forrest Ott, AOPA 069335, of Summerville, South Carolina, was featured in the Summerville Journal Scene for recently logging his 25,000th hour in the air. Ott is a 48-year member of AOPA.
Duane Wilson, AOPA 1061707, of Tonasket, Washington, was a corecipient of the Washington Pilots Association's Dick Cory Award for his "significant and substantial contributions to general aviation within the state."
Sylvia Otypka, AOPA 588926, has revised her book Flying the Big Birds: On Becoming an Airline Pilot. The first printing sold 1,600 copies in just over a year. It can be ordered by any bookstore and is also available through Aviation Book Company and the Zenith/Motorbooks catalog.
Mauricio Obregon, AOPA 017211, of Bogota, Colombia, died recently at the age of 76. Obregon was a 53-year AOPA member who, among several achievements, was a test pilot for Grumman, a founder and technical vice president of Colombia's LANSA Airlines, holder of the first Colombian private pilot certificate, and owner of the first private airplane in Colombia.
William Bohlke Sr., AOPA 067416, of Margate, Florida, died recently at the age of 83. Bohlke built and operated the Spring Valley (New York) Airport, where he taught such notables as Burgess Meredith, Wally Cox, and Frank Blair how to fly. In the 1950s Bohlke used a Piper Tri-Pacer in his New York City air taxi business. Eventually, he owned his own commuter and cargo airline, flying DC-3s and C-46s in the Caribbean. Bohlke was an AOPA member for 48 years.
The Bendix/King division of AlliedSignal General Aviation Avionics officially announced the availability of its new Silver Crown Plus line of avionics to aftermarket customers. The radios, which have appeared only in new airplanes and AOPA's 1997 Ultimate Arrow Sweepstakes airplane, bring several enhancements to the venerable Silver Crown stack that has been available since 1982. A stack of basic IFR avionics (two navcoms, ADF, DME, audio panel/intercom, and transponder) lists for $19,420. Until sometime next year, the new radios are available only for aircraft with 28-volt electrical systems. For more information, see " Silver Crown's Next Step," June 1997 Pilot; telephone AlliedSignal at 913/782-0400; or visit the company's Web site ( www.alliedsignal.com/aerospace).
Aviation weather forecasting, the government asserts, just got a lot more accurate. A new weather model called Rapid Update Cycle (RUC-2) has become operational at the National Center for Environmental Prediction at Camp Springs, Maryland. It combines a number of features — hourly updates, more detail, and more precise and accurate information. General aviation pilots will benefit indirectly through more accurate airmets, sigmets, and area forecasts. See RUC-2 for yourself on the Web ( http://maps.fsl.noaa.gov). It was developed by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Forecast Systems Laboratory in Boulder, Colorado, and was funded by NOAA and the FAA. The model predicts weather in 22-nm grids, and makes storm prediction over the next six to 12 hours more accurate.
A nationwide flying club?
A new organization, the United States Association of Flying Clubs, wants to simplify the process of renting aircraft. Through a group insurance program, standardized flight training and checkouts, and a sophisticated scheduling system, Executive Director Lou Frank hopes to lower flight-club insurance costs and build a nationwide network of flying clubs with reciprocal agreements. For example, he said, a California pilot in New Jersey on business could schedule an airplane from a participating club, go to the airport, provide identification, and take the airplane — without a checkout.
Flyers, Inc., in San Diego — with 600 members — is USAFC's prototype, Frank said. Flyers saved 20 percent on its insurance costs by purchasing USAFC's policy. Standardized flight-training procedures and scheduling policies will help to encourage safe flying practices and, ultimately, lower insurance costs, he explained.
To date three clubs have joined Flyers in the USAFC, giving it a combined membership of more than 1,000 pilots: the Texas A&M University Flying Club in College Station, Texas; Flight Dimensions in Scottsdale, Arizona; and LFRA, a club in central Maryland. Several other clubs are looking seriously at joining the association, Frank added.
So far, all member clubs have elected to participate in cross-scheduling of aircraft. Scheduling is done via the World Wide Web or by touch-tone telephone.
For more information on the United States Association of Flying Clubs, call Frank at 888/322-8111, e-mail him at [email protected], or visit the Web site ( www.usafc.org). — MPC
The prototype for The New Piper Aircraft's single-engine turboprop, the Malibu Meridian, is expected to fly in August. Production deliveries are still scheduled for 2000. The airplane will be powered by a Pratt & Whitney PT6A-42A turboprop engine specifically tailored for single-engine aircraft. For all the latest information, see the Web site ( www.newpiper.com).
AGATE Bonanza displays future of panel technology
Technology for future general aviation aircraft is tested aboard this Beech F33C Bonanza based at Raytheon Aircraft in Wichita. The paint scheme represents airflow over the aircraft, with colors indicating pressure. The area around the cockpit, for example, is a low-pressure area.
Inside are two liquid-crystal, flat-panel displays depicting aircraft and engine instruments, and showing real-time weather transmitted via satellite. It can also display ground-based air traffic control displays. Later this year Raytheon will install fly-by-wire decoupled flight controls allowing the pilot to enter commands for turn and climb rates, and airspeed.
The aircraft is part of NASA's Advanced General Aviation Transport Experiments (AGATE) program. It is a joint effort by NASA, private industry, and academia. More than 70 companies are participating, including NavRadio, Harris, Arinc, Trimble, Seagull Technology, Jeppesen, and Rockwell Collins.
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