Pilot Products

Oshkosh products

The AOPA Pilot staff was out in full force at Oshkosh surveying a new crop of products. Here's a summary of our findings. See additional coverage of Oshkosh on AOPA Online.

Arinc eFlyBook

Arinc, a company that has served mostly airlines and the military, has teamed with MyAirplane.com to offer to the general aviation community a new electronic document viewer that holds all FAA terminal procedures, airport diagrams, low- and high-altitude IFR charts, the Aeronautical Information Manual, and the FAA airport/facility directory. The eFlyBook by Arinc is actually the result of collaboration between Arinc, iRex Technologies (the manufacturer of the document viewer, based in the Netherlands), and MyAirplane.com, which will sell the device. Arinc and MyAirplane.com will process the updates and make them available over the Internet; the price includes a subscription to the data. The viewer uses an electronic paper technology that is as readable in daylight as is normal paper. At night an external source of light is required. The screen is 4.8 inches by 6.4 inches. — Alton K. Marsh
Price: $1,100
Contact: www.eflybook.com; www.myairplane.com

Honeywell KDR 610

Honeywell announced its KDR 610 datalink satellite weather receiver, which will offer real-time weather data to GA aircraft. The KDR 610 interfaces with the Bendix/King KMD 250, KMD 550, and KMD 850 multifunction displays (MFDs), and it should be available by the end of 2006. The KDR 610 is Honeywell's foray into the satellite weather arena, delivering XM WX satellite weather to the cockpit in a continuous stream — no need to request data. The 610 requires an MFD for display and a dedicated antenna. Several weather products will be available, including composite Nexrad radar, graphical and textual airmets and sigmets, and METARs and TAFs.
Price: $4,295, not including antenna and installation
Contact: www.bendixking.com/KDR610

FlightPrep ChartCase Express

FlightPrep, maker of the ChartCase Professional EFB that we reviewed in July's "Pilot Products," introduced a significant upgrade to its electronic flight bag offerings, the ChartCase Express. The Express takes the in-flight mode of the ChartCase Professional EFB and builds an entire EFB based on that functionality. This change creates an EFB that moves seamlessly from desktop to cockpit. Large buttons access basic functions in flight routing and waypoint information, and you can set up the screen quickly to different views, depending on the segment of flight you are on. Chart organization makes much more sense, with charts relevant to your route easily accessed. The ChartCase Express software can be loaded on any of the company's tablet PCs. FlightPrep also offers an interface to WxWorx's XM WX satellite weather, providing Nexrad radar data to overlay on the screen.
Price: $265 for software; from $1,394 with Samsung Q1 PC; package with WxWorx is $1,995
Contact: 503/678-4360; www.flightprep.com

SMA diesel installation for Cessna 182s

Luc Pelon, chairman and chief executive officer of SMA, a division of the Safran Group, celebrated the FAA's granting a supplemental type certificate (STC) for the installation of the SMA SR305-230 diesel-fuel engine in some Cessna 182 models. Pelon said the STC was the first diesel-fuel engine STC granted by the FAA. The STC was carried through by Tule River Aero-Industries, of Porterville, California. Pelon said work by Aero Diesel Propulsion, of Vero Beach, Florida, is in progress for an STC to install the engine on Piper Dakotas. Plans also are in place to retrofit the engine on Piper Seneca II and Aztec twin-engine airplanes. At press time, pricing was still to be determined. — Steven W. Ells
Contact: www.smaengines.com

Hartzell composite propeller

Hartzell Propeller introduced its first new composite general aviation propeller in many years. The ASC-II propeller received FAA certification in July. In an effort to make a less expensive composite propeller for general aviation, Hartzell adapted modern manufacturing processes to bring more value to the market, according to Hartzell's Mike Disbrow, senior vice president of marketing and customer services. Hartzell has been making composite propellers since the 1970s, but earlier versions were not cost competitive with those from other manufacturers. The new ASC-II is the first FAA-certified advanced structural composite propeller developed specifically for GA, with Cirrus being the launch customer on the turbocharged SR22, also announced at AirVenture this year. Using proprietary new manufacturing processes, Hartzell was able to achieve several advantages over old-style composite props, including about 30-percent lower weight per blade (resulting in about a 12-pound savings over the standard prop on a Cirrus); low inertia, which translates to less vibration; and lower life-cycle costs. Although the new composite prop is still more expensive than a conventional metal prop, the lifetime cost can be lower because the prop is highly repairable and any erosion can be replaced, providing virtually unlimited blade life. — Thomas B. Haines
Contact: www.hartzellprop.com

Aerosim Cirrus Systems Trainer

Aerosim Technologies introduced its computer-based training software package for Cirrus SR20 and SR22 aircraft with Avidyne Entegra, S-Tec, and Garmin avionics. The software features lessons combined with simulation exercises to create a ground school experience for pilots transitioning to the Cirrus or requiring refresher or proficiency training. The software includes training flight scenarios, evaluation flights, and free-play flights.
Price: $495
Contact: 866/373-5065; www.flyaerosim.com

HotSeat Flight Sim chassis

In the FlyMarket at AirVenture, pilots could try the HotSeat Flight Sim chassis for desktop flight simulator programs that made its GA debut at the AOPA Fly-In and Open House in June. Earlier this summer AOPA staff took an extended test flight of the chassis, which provides enhanced audio to flight sim users for a more realistic experience — and we were impressed. The simple addition of a better, padded seat and six-speaker Dolby Digital Surround Sound, plus the platforms to hold your PC, control consoles, and display, pumped up the flight sim experience several notches. And the more realistic the sim experience, the better it translates into the cockpit. The chassis also works with other game software.
Price: $899, including shipping
Contact: 877/426-3879; www.hotseatinc.com

100LL.com cell-phone access

Control Vision has extended its online flight data program, 100LL.com, to pilots who happen to be away from their Internet connection. Through the Flight Data Access Card, pilots can use their cell phones to receive text messages regarding current fuel prices and weather information for thousands of airports. The service is offered by subscription.
Price: $49.95 per year; $29.95 for six months; $19.95 for three months
Contact: www.100LL.com

AEA's 2006/2007 Pilot's Guide to Avionics

The Aircraft Electronics Association began producing its directory of avionics manufacturers, repair facilities, and user information in the Pilot's Guide to Avionics in 2003. The latest guide was made available at AirVenture. The free guide offers, in addition to commercial listings, a series of articles written by aviation journalists.
Contact: www.aea.net/pilot

Unless otherwise stated, products listed herein have not been evaluated by AOPA Pilot editors. AOPA assumes no responsibility for products or services listed or for claims or actions by manufacturers or vendors. However, members unable to get satisfaction regarding products listed should advise AOPA. To submit products for evaluation, contact: New Products Editor, AOPA Pilot , 421 Aviation Way, Frederick, Maryland 21701; telephone 301/695-2350. Links to all Web sites referenced in this issue can be found on AOPA Online.