Pilot Briefing

News hound recalls aerial journalism in 1920s

Garner Emerson may be 90 but his mind is still as sharp as it was while working on board a news photography airplane in the 1920s. During an interview this spring, he recalled his days as a teenage "cabin boy" aboard a Waco E owned by the New York Daily News.

His job was to ride the aircraft with the photographer and, for $2, rush the film to the newspaper office when it landed. (He later became a commercial instrument-rated pilot because he "had to make a living.")

One of the news stories Emerson covered was the arrival of the Graf Zeppelin in New York. Riding an earlier Waco used by the Daily News — one that had literally been re-covered with bed sheets — he was amazed at how the airship's fabric flapped in the breeze. Out over the ocean, where the plane flew to meet the airship and beat competing newspapers, there was little air traffic. But as they neared New York dozens of aircraft greeted the Graf Zeppelin. "It looked like [the movie] King Kong," Emerson recalled.

He also remembers one of the dashing young pilots of the era — Bert Acosta — rolling the wheels of his Fokker fighter on a hangar roof as a stunt. Acosta was a legend in his own right, and you'll find information about him on the Web ( http://home.earthlink.net/~ralphcooper/bioacost.htm). Emerson knew other aviation legends as well, and recalls talking to Howard Hughes — or at least trying to talk. "He would be talking to you and fall sound asleep."

He also met Duke Krantz, one of two pilots hired to do stunt flying for King Kong who later took over a New York-area airport. Emerson recalls sadly the first pilot for the Daily News, Harold McMann, who saw a black area one night, thought it was a good place to land, and lies entombed today in a New Jersey swamp. It brings tears to Emerson's eyes today to talk about it.

The good times outweighed the bad, and he has happy memories of calls from the paper at 5 a.m. summoning the then-15-year-old to adventure. "What a way for a kid to be raised," he said. — Alton K. Marsh

OMF announces new factory, airplane

A lot is going on at OMF Aircraft — new factory, new airplane. The company has reached a $22 million agreement with three Canadian investment partners and will build a new production facility located in Trois-Rivières, Quebec, Canada.

The new 30,000-square-foot facility will provide 25,000 square feet of manufacturing space and 5,000 square feet of office space. OMF hopes to have it operational this August. Three additional 25,000-square-foot construction phases are planned. When completed, the facility will employ 300 people and produce all of the OMF aircraft for North America. Trois-Rivières was selected from more than 20 proposals. Company officials said it offers room for expansion and is located at an airport with a 6,000-foot-long runway.

"This expansion demonstrates our commitment to general aviation, and the North American market in particular," said OMF Managing Partner Derek Stinnes. "OMF Aircraft is looking toward a bright future. In fact, now that these expansion plans have been finalized, we're poised to announce an addition to our line of aircraft."

That addition is a complement to its two-seat Symphony 160, a four-placer called the Symphony 4. Powered by a 250-horsepower Lycoming IO-540 engine, the 4 is projected to have a useful load of 1,190 pounds, allowing it to carry four full-size adults and their baggage with full fuel tanks. Anticipated range is 485 nm on 50 gallons of fuel. Cruise speed at 75-percent power is estimated at 145 knots. Stinnes expects the 4 to be flying by the end of this year, with certification to come in late 2004 or early 2005.

In Rutan's world GA may go higher than ever

If legendary aircraft designer Burt Rutan has his way, general aviation may have to change to "general aerospace" soon. On April 18, Rutan and his team at Scaled Composites unveiled their new manned space program under the blue skies of California's Mojave Desert.

The program includes a launch vehicle dubbed White Knight, first seen in a spy photo after its maiden flight on August 1 last year (see " Pilot Briefing," December 2002 Pilot), and a three-man suborbital space vehicle with the simple name Space Ship One. Rutan's team hopes Space Ship One will live up to its N number, N328KF, by reaching an altitude of 328,000 feet. Of course the program also includes training private astronauts. The first four individuals selected for the job are all longtime Scaled Composites employees.

Rutan said he's unsure of all the implications of Space Ship One, just as early aviators didn't know exactly how airplanes would change the world. He does, however, want to see space travel become affordable. Project costs were not disclosed, but Rutan said the program will be completed for "less than half a percent" of the cost of doing it "the normal way." Rutan also pointed out that no government money or labs will be used in the program.

Like all of his projects, Rutan's space program follows few traditional lines of thinking. While it resembles in principle NASA's X-15 program, where a space vehicle is carried aloft by a mother ship, the similarities pretty much end there. "We had to build our own B-52," Rutan said, referring to the aircraft used to launch the X-15. Powered by two General Electric J-85 turbojet engines, the 82-foot-wingspan White Knight will release Space Ship One at an altitude of 50,000 feet, where it will rocket into space.

Space Ship One, like White Knight, has a center seat for the pilot, with two side-by-side seats behind for the rest of the crew (or passengers). A traditional stick-and-rudder control system is used in both craft. Perhaps one of White Knight's most unique features is the feather system. The entire tail structure of the craft and part of the wing pop up nearly 90 degrees, allowing the vehicle to glide like a shuttlecock back into the atmosphere. The pilot will then unfeather the craft for a dead-stick landing.

White Knight already has more than 40 hours of flight time, and Space Ship One was expected to start glide tests and perhaps even powered tests by the time you read this. No date was specified for the first flight into space. Rutan mentioned the possibility of having flights once a week after development was complete and even hinted at the idea of flying into space from Oshkosh. Save your money and you could be one of general aerospace's future astronauts. — Jason Paur

ePILOT Headliners

Recent news from AOPA's weekly e-mail newsletter

Company eyes space market

A company has taken one small step for backyard rocket science and one giant leap for space tourism. XCOR Aerospace has begun test firings of a more powerful rocket engine able to generate far more thrust than the company's previous version that was successfully flown next to a second engine on a Long-EZ airplane.

Sales up for Robinson

Despite the economic woes experienced by the rest of the general aviation industry, Robinson Helicopter Company can't seem to make enough aircraft. To meet the demand, the company has hired 100 more production workers.

Share a Cub

You've heard of buying shares in business jets and new piston airplanes. But what about classics? A new company, Time Pieces, is offering shares in a timeless Piper J-3 Cub.

Cessna picks Garmin to light up Mustang

Seeking to make its smallest jet easy to fly, Cessna Aircraft Company has announced that Garmin International Inc. will provide an all-glass flight deck for its Citation Mustang, currently under development. Owners will have weather, traffic, and terrain awareness at their fingertips with the new G1000 integrated avionics system.

NTSB names new chairman

Ellen G. Engleman has been sworn in as the tenth chairman of the National Transportation Safety Board. Engleman has experience in business and public and government affairs. She is also an attorney and a naval reserve officer.

Sun 'n Fun officials work to improve count

Sun 'n Fun President John Burton said he is continuing efforts started months ago to generate more accurate attendance figures for the annual Sun 'n Fun EAA Fly-In in Lakeland, Florida. Burton was asked about the figures following a report by a Lakeland newspaper challenging past totals.

Now you can receive a customized version of the free AOPA ePilot e-mail newsletter tailored to your interests. To customize your weekly newsletter, see AOPA Online ( https://www.aopa.org/apps/epilot/).

Ultralight glider breaks three world records

Imagine flying hundreds of miles and hitting speeds of more than 90 mph in an aircraft that has an empty weight of 155 pounds and no engine. Sound far-fetched?

Not to Gary Osoba. He set three world records in a SparrowHawk ultralight glider in conditions that were far from ideal. While it sounds hard to believe, it's all a matter of physics, modern composite construction, and American engineering.

The SparrowHawk, made by Windward Performance, of Bend, Oregon, was designed by Greg Cole and is produced as an uncertified ultralight glider. It has sharp, efficient wings that produce high lift (it has a lift-over-drag ratio of 36-to-1 at 50 knots and 24-to-1 at 75 kt) and can penetrate the wind for good cross-country performance. But with its lightweight pre-impregnated composite construction and swift handling, the SparrowHawk turns tight and can take advantage of narrow thermals and scraps of lift that much heavier gliders can't stay with. It also can be towed aloft by a powered ultralight.

The Fédération Aéronautique Internationale (FAI) recently ratified three world records for Osoba in Class DU that were set late last summer over Kansas and Texas. He squashed the previous speed record over a 300-km triangle course by 33 percent, beat the distance over a triangle course by 21 percent, and set a new record for speed over a 500-km triangle course, a distance that was previously unattainable for the particular aircraft class.

Despite weak lift, the long FAI triangle runs sent Osoba over a wide area of varying terrain and weather conditions. One leg took him above some inhospitable terrain in Texas. Looking down on mesquite trees, cliffs, and coyote and roadrunner habitat, Osoba didn't have many places to land if things went bad. During his final 25-mile glide on the 500-km triangle course, Osoba reached an average speed of 91 mph.

Windward Performance officials said more records are on the way. To find out more about the aircraft, see the Web site ( www.windward-performance.com).

Members in the news

Anne Hopkins, AOPA 1009657, has written Sticks & Wires & Cloth, a book about her first seven years of life with Nanna, a Great Lakes biplane. Available online and in bookstores in July. Excerpts are available now on the Web site ( www.tebooks.com).

Fred Glover, AOPA 170846, recently published From Muskogee to Mangrove, an in-depth look at the role that light aircraft have played in U.S. government operations. The book retails for $19.50 and can be ordered by calling 970/406-0370.

Dave English, AOPA 705218, has published The Air Up There: More Great Quotations on Flight, which contains hundreds of aviation statements — some serious, some not — attributed to individuals from Aesop to Yeager. Many of the quotes were suggested by other pilots. It's a sequel to his previous book Slipping the Surly Bonds: Great Quotations on Flight. English's first pilot job was flying traffic patrol in Raleigh, North Carolina; he's now an airline captain residing in Wisconsin. Information about the books — and a searchable database of aviation quotes — is available on his Web site ( www.skygod.com).

Keith Lamb, AOPA 522030, is the new commander of Glider Flight 400, a unit of the Arizona Civil Air Patrol, in Glendale, Arizona. A commercial pilot and CFI, Lamb has been active in CAP for nearly 33 years, holding various positions, including director of operations for the Wyoming Wing. He is a first officer on a Boeing 777 for Continental Airlines.

Jackie Whitford, AOPA 1222605, was honored as the 2003 Flight Instructor of the Year for the State of Arizona on January 25. For three and a half years, she served as chief aviation advisor for the Boy Scouts of America, Aviation Explorer Post 900EX. All participating students graduated from high school with at least a private pilot certificate. As an active member of The Ninety-Nines, she has held elected and appointed offices in the Phoenix chapter and the Southwest section, as well as being a contributor and docent for the Museum of Women Pilots International. This past year, Whitford started her own ground schools covering private, commercial, multiengine, and instrument certificates and ratings. Whitford was also featured as a mentor in the June 2002 issue of AOPA Pilot.

Squawk Sheet

Textron Lycoming says it has nearly completed the inspection and replacement of crankshafts in more than 1,000 engines and improved its process for making and testing the parts. The company said it finished the work and shipped the 797 TIO-540 engines that had been returned under a service bulletin and fixed most of the 601 engines that fell under another service bulletin. The cost of the crankshaft work and related expenses was picked up by Lycoming.

Sun 'N Fun news

New airplanes, more records for Bohannon

As the first major aviation event of the year, the Sun 'n Fun EAA Fly-In in Lakeland, Florida, in April provided a barometer to size up the coming months for general aviation. With Iraq war coverage blaring on a big-screen TV on one of the main walkways and a lackluster economy, the show was slower this year in terms of industry news, but there were some interesting announcements.

The New Piper Aircraft will begin deliveries in August of two fixed-gear members of the Saratoga II family called the Piper 6X and Piper 6XT (turbocharged). Each is powered by a 300-hp Lycoming 540 engine driving a three-blade Hartzell propeller. While option pricing has not yet been determined, the standard-equipped list price of the Piper 6X is $336,000 and the Piper 6XT is $356,000.
Piper claims the cruising speed of the normally aspirated 6X is 150 KTAS, while the turbocharged version is said to cruise at 154 KTAS.

Mooney Airplane Company announced refinements to the Mooney product line to add value and capability to the normally aspirated Ovation2 and the turbocharged Bravo. The improvements to the new DX line of airplanes include lowering the instrument panel by 2 inches to improve pilot visibility. To further improve safety, Mooney has made the Garmin GDL49 weather downlink system and the Garmin GTX 330 Mode S transponder standard equipment. In addition to the specification changes, the DX models feature a new three-year warranty. The Ovation2 DX and Bravo DX will begin delivery this month. (See " The Gospel According to Mooney," page 64.)

The Lancair Company is pursuing certification of an ice-protection system for its Columbia line of aircraft to further increase safety when customers fly in inclement weather. Lancair is using a system called ThermalWing, developed by Northcoast Technologies, in which a graphite laminate tape on the leading edges of the wings and horizontal stabilizer is electrically heated.

In homebuilt aircraft news, Lancair International announced a fixed-gear Legacy called the Legacy FG to lower costs and shorten build time. The airframe configuration is almost the same for both aircraft, but the new version is constructed primarily of fiberglass instead of carbon fiber. It will also accept four-cylinder Lycoming engines and has simplified interior features. Fitted with a 200-hp Lycoming engine, Lancair says the airplane will cruise at 174 knots. The introductory kit price is $32,900.

And Bruce Bohannon, pilot of the Exxon Flyin' Tiger, seems to keep setting records without leaving the ground. Upon further review, his flight last October over Palm Springs, California, set seven world records — two more than it was initially credited with. Bohannon set three records in Class C-1, which covers all piston-engine aircraft of any weight. They include time to climb to 12,000 meters, time to climb to 9,000 meters, and altitude in horizontal feet (40,604 feet). In addition, he set four more records in Class C-1.b, which covers piston-engine aircraft between 1,102 and 2,205 pounds. In recognition of the flight that marked the first time a homebuilt airplane set seven world records, the National Aeronautic Association (NAA) awarded Bohannon a Bleriot Medal.

Wind tunnel unlocked the secrets of flight

BY ALTON K. MARSH

No, the Wright brothers did not invent the wind tunnel. But without it their development of powered flight would not have been possible, according to Wilbur Wright. "As famous as we became for our Flyer and its system of control, it all would never have happened if we had not developed our own wind tunnel and derived our own correct aerodynamic data," he wrote before his death in 1912.

What the Wrights did was to stand atop more than 100 years of wind-tunnel research. The first mention of using wind-tunnel technology, according to the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, came in a scientific paper written in 1686 by French researcher Edme Mariotte titled "Following the Movement of the Waters" — an early study in fluid dynamics. Early researchers studied wing models using available wind, a method that had obvious limitations. Early devices weren't tunnels at all but were instead whirling arms that whipped a model through the air. The first actual wind tunnel was built in 1871 by Frank H. Wenham.

The Wright Experience, with backing from the Ford Motor Company, intends to fly a Wright Flyer replica in December during the Kitty Hawk Celebration in North Carolina as part of the Experimental Aircraft Association's celebration of the 100th anniversary of powered flight. The group, headed by Ken Hyde is recreating the entire Wright brothers experience from 1899 through 1911. That includes recreating all the kites, gliders, and powered aircraft of that time period, and the research tools as well — such as the wind tunnel that the Wright brothers built.

Building a wind tunnel became necessary when the Wrights discovered that aerodynamic data they were using, developed by Otto Lilienthal, were wrong. The two brothers, tinkerers who managed to remember their high school algebra and trigonometry, built a box 16 inches square and 6 feet long. A measuring device called the balance was made from an old hacksaw blade and bicycle-spoke wire. The tunnel was powered by an old one-cylinder gasoline engine that also operated other tools in their bicycle shop. Since the path of return airflow for the tunnel was the shop itself, Wilbur often had to yell at Orville to stop moving to preserve the accuracy of the test.

The Wright Experience Web site ( www.wrightexperience.com) shows the wind tunnel that Hyde's group re-created and how it works using a series of short movies. Through the Croup's efforts, future historians may at last understand just how the Wrights did it.

E-mail the author at [email protected].

This month in GA

If you are in trouble anywhere in the world, an airplane can fly over and drop flowers, but a helicopter can land and save your life — Igor Sikorsky, 1947

June 23, 1905. The first flight of Wright Flyer #3 takes place at Huffman Prairie outside Dayton. The aircraft remains aloft for 30 minutes.

June 10, 1908. Aeronautical Society is formed in New York City. Morris Park Raceway airfield is established in the city — some consider this the nation's first real airport.

June 1909. Igor Sikorsky builds his first helicopter, the H-1, in Russia. "This machine was a failure to the extent that it could not fly. In other respects it was a very important and necessary stepping stone," Sikorsky says. He flies a helicopter for the first time the next year.

June 15-16, 1919. Capt. John Alcock and Lt. Arthur Whitten Brown, British World War I fliers, fly 1,900 miles from St. John's, Newfoundland, to Clifden, Ireland, in 16 hours, 12 minutes. It is the first nonstop transatlantic flight.

June 16, 1922. In a demonstration to the military at College Park, Maryland, Henry Berliner makes the first controlled horizontal flight in a helicopter.

June 24, 1924. Lt. Russell L. Maughan flies a Curtiss PW-8 in the first dawn-to-dusk flight. He departs from Mitchell Field in New York City at 3:59 a.m. Eastern time, arriving at Crissy Field in San Francisco at 9:47 p.m. Pacific time — a 21-hour, 48-minute trip.

June 17-18, 1928. Amelia Earhart is the first woman to cross the Atlantic by air, in a Fokker C.2 dubbed the Friendship.

June 17, 1943. Elbert L. "Burt" Rutan is born in Portland, Oregon. Rutan develops light homebuilt aircraft such as the Long-EZ and later leads an aerospace prototype development company. (See " Pilot Briefing: In Rutan's World GA May Go Higher Than Ever," page 56.)

June 1946. Al and Art Mooney partner with C.G. Yankee and W.L. McMahon to launch the Mooney Aircraft Corporation, of Wichita. (See " The Gospel According to Mooney," page 64.)

June 26, 1948. The Berlin Airlift — "Operation Vittles" — begins. Douglas C-47 crews bring 80 tons of supplies that first day.

June 22, 1984. Burt Rutan's Voyager makes its first test flight. It eventually completes the first nonstop, non-refueled flight around the world.

June 19-July 3, 2002. Steve Fossett flies in a balloon from Northam, West Australia, around the world to Queensland, Australia, landing after 14 days, 19 hours. In the first nonstop round-the-world balloon flight, Fossett breaks three balloon records: fastest time around the world, measured by crossing 117-degree East longitude (13 days, 3 minutes), longest distance flown solo (20,483.25 miles), and longest time flown solo (355 hours, 50 minutes).

While we cannot list all of the significant aviation events of the past 100 years, we welcome your comments and suggestions. Please send letters to AOPA Pilot, This Month in GA, Attn. Julie Walker, 421 Aviation Way, Frederick, Maryland 21701.