Monster Garage star flies a sports car
The Discovery Channel's Monster Garage television show is all about making ridiculously powerful one-of-a-kind machines in ridiculously short periods of time.
In five days' time the show's star, Jesse James, and crew converted a donated $90,000 Panoz Esperante sports car built at the Panoz Automobile Company near Atlanta into a flying car and launched it on a 5-foot-high hop on February 25 at the Currituck County Airport not far from Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina. Roger Jarrell, editor of Kittyhawkfreepress.com, was a witness to the flight. It was the second attempt, and James, who admits to having had only one flight lesson, said he was worried about crashing. The car, which was not damaged in the flight, had no rudders, so crosswinds were a concern. Ailerons were used to level the car in flight after it lifted off at 76 knots. It was built with the help of an aeronautical engineer.
The flight was declared a success, but it is unlikely the car will soar again. The TV crew had hoped to use First Flight Airport at Kill Devil Hills for the attempt, but local officials rejected the idea. You can see it on Monster Garage and on the Tonight Show in June. — Alton K. Marsh
Navy threatens to sink Corsair project
A year ago it seemed that a warbird restorer who recovered a 60-year-old Brewster F3A-1 Corsair from the mud of a North Carolina swamp would get to keep the airplane.
The Navy had threatened Lex Cralley, 50, of Princeton, Minnesota, with legal action, claiming that the airplane was Navy property. But Rep. Walter Jones (R-N.C.) introduced an amendment in the defense spending bill that conveyed title of the aircraft to Cralley. That was only a first step, as it turns out. Navy concerns about liability mean Cralley's proposed "gift of deed" comes with restrictions, requiring him to buy a $2 million liability policy for the aircraft and name the Navy as an insured party. It forbids him from flying the aircraft for seven years. Cralley says that would set a bad precedent for other warbird restorers, so the matter may yet go to trial. Unfortunately, the defense spending bill that gave Cralley the airplane also contained a section reinforcing the premise that the Navy owns all sunken or buried military aircraft. Jones continues to work on the issue, with further negotiations planned.
Cralley wants to continue the fight but doesn't want to become a burden on Jones and others helping him. "I plan to display the Corsair at Oshkosh this year to promote the change of the latest anti-preservation law," Cralley said. — AKM
Texas company flies Cub look-alike
American Legend Aircraft Company successfully made the inaugural flight of its Legend Cub in March at Sulphur Springs Municipal Airport in Texas.
The aircraft will be manufactured for the light-sport aircraft category and cost about $65,000. Fuel will be stored in the wing, allowing pilots to fly from the front of the tandem-seat two-place airplane. In the original Piper J-3 Cub, solo pilots had to fly from the backseat to offset the weight of the fuel then contained in the nose of the aircraft. The Legend Cub will be powered by a 100-horsepower Continental O-200 engine. The cockpit will be 3 inches wider than the original J-3, but from the outside the aircraft will appear similar to a J-3. Initial deliveries are planned for June.
The parent company is Alpha Omega Jet Services, known for its work over the past 25 years on Air Force One and head-of-state aircraft for Mexico and Saudi Arabia. It is possible to build Cubs without help from The New Piper Aircraft because all the FAA-approved parts are made separately by a wide network of companies. Piper officials have expressed concern about look-alike Cubs in the past because of liability and other issues. — AKM
Skytruck demonstrator arrives from Poland
You may not need to take 19 friends on a hamburger run anytime soon, but for those trips there is a new FAA-certified twin turboprop on the market.
Poland's PZL Mielec (Mielec is the city where it is produced) has already sold 50 Skytruck aircraft worldwide and is stepping up efforts in the United States. One of the aircraft, powered by two 1,100-shaft-horsepower Pratt & Whitney PT6A-65B engines, has arrived in Naples, Florida, to be used as a demonstrator. The headquarters will be moved to Immokalee Airport near Naples as soon as facilities are complete. FAA examiners from Kansas City, Missouri, were recently trained to test applicants for type ratings in the 16,535-pound aircraft that claims a maximum cruise speed of 190 knots.
Its signature features are the ability to carry 4,400 pounds internally and more than 600 pounds in an external pod, or to carry 19 passengers, and do it off short strips. It will be fitted with a Chelton electronic flight information system (EFIS) soon. Customers are nearly all commercial and government operators, although a pilot in Alaska wants to put one on floats for fishing trips. — AKM
ePILOT HEADLINERS
Recent news from AOPA's weekly e-mail newsletter.
Adam has landing boo-boo
A twin-engine Adam A500 used for FAA-certification testing was slightly damaged when the left main landing gear collapsed on rollout after landing at Fort Myers, Florida, on March 17. The aircraft was back on its feet, so to speak, and ready to fly the same day.
Symphony is back
Symphony Aircraft Industries has received its production certificate for the Symphony 160 from Transport Canada. This means that the company can start delivering its Symphony 160 to North American customers.
Fossett debriefs record flight
Steve Fossett figures air bubbles in the top of the fuel tanks expanded as he climbed to altitude in the GlobalFlyer, forcing 2,600 pounds of fuel out the air vents. Nonetheless, Fossett was still able to circle the globe nonstop.
Bessie Coleman honored
African-American pilots and descendants of Bessie Coleman, the first black woman to earn an international pilot certificate, planned to travel to France in May to commemorate Coleman's 1921 achievement.
FAA pays big for crash
The FAA and the U.S. Department of Justice have agreed to pay out more than $9 million in a settlement to the families of four people who died in a 2001 Florida airplane crash. A federal judge had previously found the FAA mostly liable for the crash that killed two attorneys and their two clients at Jacksonville International Airport.
New bush plane makes progress
American Champion's new Explorer High Country tailwheel model that features a 180-horsepower Superior Air Parts Vantage engine didn't make its planned certification date last December, but the company is making progress.
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/).
Members in the news
David Diamond, AOPA 3488743, has written Flight Training: Taking the Short Approach, a 278-page, full-color book that gives an overview of flight training for prospective and new student pilots. Diamond is a private pilot, not a CFI, so he says the book is written humorously from a unique perspective among other aviation texts. (While introducing "Drag," Diamond references feather boas and stiletto heels.) The book is packed with 3-D illustrations created by the author, whose work appears regularly in AOPA Flight Training and AOPA Pilot magazines. Diamond was a founding member of the 1980s rock group Berlin. Purchase the book through the author's Web site ( www.airdiamond.com) or any Aviation Supplies & Academics retailer.
J. Michael McMillan, AOPA 1002441, has been named president of Meggitt/S-Tec avionics company located in Mineral Wells, Texas. He is a former vice president of Piaggio America, where he helped launch that company's Avanti P.180 in North America, and he spent 21 years with Raytheon Aircraft, rising to vice president for sales of the company's jet division. He got his private certificate in 1972 and has 7,000 hours of flight time, including turboprop and jet experience. He holds airline transport pilot and flight instructor certificates. He has a degree in aeronautical science from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University and a Master of Business Administration degree from Wichita State University.
Frank Robinson, AOPA 1171282, has received the prestigious Howard Hughes Memorial Award (HHMA) from the Southern California Aeronautic Association for his "significant contributions to the advancement of aviation or space technology." Robinson, who is the president and founder of the Robinson Helicopter Company, is the twenty-sixth recipient of the award. The HHMA medallion is cast from silver mined at Hughes' Nevada mines. Early in his career Robinson worked for Hughes Helicopter Company and as the 2005 HHMA recipient, Robinson commemorated Hughes' 100th birthday.
Henri Lubatti, AOPA 4461451, is perhaps the Homeland Security Department's worst nightmare, at least on the screen. The actor has joined the cast of the new Showtime Original Series The Cell. Lubatti portrays a Bosnian national U.S.-based terrorist. Lubatti has had a busy year with guest appearances on the television series CSI, House, The Inside, Medical Investigation, and General Hospital. When he's not portraying a variety of heroes, kooks, killers, lovers, and psychotics, the mild-mannered private pilot is an avid Cessna 172 and Piper Cherokee renter in Southern California, working on his instrument rating.
Lou Thole, AOPA 1183651, has published Forgotten Fields of America, Volume III, about World War II training bases then and now. Third in a series, the 178-page hardcover book covers 11 bases including Tuskegee, Alabama, Tonopah, Nevada, and Page, Arizona. It also provides an index of more than 700 World War II training fields and their locations in America. Published by Pictorial Histories Publishing Company, the book sells for $17.95.
Coming up in the May issue of AOPA Flight Training
- The student experience. Our new series on one pilot's path to the private pilot certificate begins with a quest for consistent landings.
- Which flight school, which instructor? All schools are not created equal. Use our tips to find the training environment that works best for you.
- Steppingstones to the sky. The recreational and sport pilot certificates offer an alternative entry to aviation.
- Talking the talk. Radio Communications 101: Wait your turn; keep it short.
The May issue mailed on March 30. Current AOPA members can add a subscription to AOPA Flight Training for $18 per year. For more information, call 800/872-2672.
Maiden flight nears for Citation Mustang
The Citation Mustang is expected to make its first flight sometime this spring, according to Cessna. The company successfully completed mating the wing to the fuselage of the Citation Mustang prototype in February. Cessna has been testing the engine, avionics and autopilot, environmental system, flight controls, and landing gear. The next milestone for the jet will be a full-power engine run on the aircraft. It is the last major test before the maiden flight. — Alyssa J. Miller
GA market watch
Values for piston single-engine complex airplanes are not as strong as their fixed-gear counterparts. Airplanes such as Beechcraft Bonanzas, Cessna 210s, and Piper Saratogas have lost 9.5 percent of their collective value since 2001, according to the Vref Complex Single Index. But the valuation guide predicts that the prices are at the bottom and activity is improving. Perform your own aircraft valuations using AOPA's free service on AOPA Online ( www.aopa.org/members/vref/). Also, see Vref's Web site ( www.vrefpub.com).
U.S. aerobatic team scrambles for funds
With the military transport needs of soldiers in Iraq a top priority, U.S. aerobatic team members have been told they will have to get themselves and their airplanes to Spain any way they can for world competition beginning June 22. About 80 pilots will compete in an Olympics-style competition that in the past has been dominated by Russian and French pilots. Without the military airlift they've had in the past, the cost of transporting the team's aircraft is estimated at $20,000 to $30,000 each. For more information on the team, see the Web site ( www.usaerobaticteam.com). — AKM
Giant glider to storm Europe this year
Glider pilots racing in the Open Class in Europe will have a rather intimidating foe this year. A group of famous, race-winning glider pilots commissioned German designers to develop a giant ship, capable of a new level of cross-country performance. It's called the eta after the seventh letter in the Greek alphabet. The glider has a 31-meter (102-foot) wingspan, making it the largest sailplane in the world. The eta will be flying in national and international competitions throughout the 2005 season. The first eta made its maiden flight in 2000. The glider syndicate behind the project is about to start production on serial number 7 and plans to pursue European type certification. Officials said they would pursue FAA certification if there is sufficient interest in the United States.
Squawk sheet
An emergency airworthiness directive (AD) was originally issued March 4 for a handful of recently produced Cessna singles. Cessna found control and rigging discrepancies on several aircraft at the production facility in Independence, Kansas, during inspections and notified the FAA. The AD requires a one-time detailed inspection of the flight control system, correction of any installations that don't conform to the type design, and rectification of any damage. Some of the problems have included missing nuts on a flap assembly, misrouting of elevator trim cables and other control cables, chafing of elevator cables near the fuel selector, and missing or incorrect safety pins on control cables.
The FAA on March 2 revised the emergency airworthiness directive for Cessna 402C and 414A airplanes. The new AD (2005-05-52) effectively increases the time between required wing-spar inspections from as little as 15 hours to 110 hours. The AD replaces the visual inspection of the forward wing spars with an eddy-current inspection and continued visual inspection of the aft and auxiliary wing spars. That first AD was considered an interim measure to discover any existing large cracks in the Cessna twins' wing spars. The new AD exempts aircraft that have a spar-strap modification following Cessna Service Bulletin MEB02-5, dated June 24, 2002, and Cessna Service Kit SK402-47, dated June 24, 2002. AOPA is continuing to work closely with the FAA and Cessna owner groups to address fatigue cracking in wing spars on Cessna 400-series aircraft.
Links to the full text of this proposal can be found on AOPA Online ( www.aopa.org/pilot/links.shtml).
Related Articles
