NEW DIESEL PASSES VIBRATION TESTS
A Wisconsin company said its new high-performance geared diesel aircraft engine reached a development milestone this week when it passed vibration tests done by propeller manufacturer Hartzell. Induced vibration through a gear reduction system eats props but Engineered Propulsion Systems (EPS) spokesman Steven Weinzierl said the integrated counter-vibration systems in the engine work and the engine runs more smoothly than many gasoline engines. "It's a distinct departure from prior engine designs, and we believe what Hartzell has now confirmed: induced vibration is no longer an issue," Weinzierl said. Hartzell said Engineered Propulsion Systems' Vision 350 easily met is durability standards when tested with traditional aluminum props, a carbon fiber model and its new five-bladed graphite/composite propeller. "We were very encouraged to see that the stresses on the propellers were acceptable and lower than most engines we have surveyed," said Hartzell spokesman Bruce Hanke. "We look forward to continuing to work with EPS on this innovative new product." As we reported in 2010, EPS is developing the engine as a direct replacement for high-horsepower gas engines that need leaded fuel to achieve full performance. More...

GAMA REPORT: AIRPLANE SALES FLAT, HELICOPTERS BOOMING
The 2012 shipment report from the General Aviation Manufacturers Association, released on Tuesday, was mixed, with deliveries of piston aircraft down by 2 percent compared to 2011, business jets down 3.4 percent, and turboprops up 10 percent, with growth of 0.6 percent overall for airplanes. Helicopter sales rose 21 percent, reflecting a growing global market. GAMA chairman Brad Mottier said what the numbers don't show is the intense amount of development work now under way across the industry. "The general aviation segment is poised for resurgence in the next few years as these new technologies certify and enter the market," he said. More...

AEROSTATS BASED 70 MILES FROM WASHINGTON
The Army will test a tethered airship-based missile defense system at a military restricted area near Baltimore starting next year and that has prompted safety concerns for aviation operations. As we reported last week two aerostats packed with sophisticated radar and other gear will be tethered anywhere up to 10,000 feet and stay there for up to 30 days. Rep. Dutch Ruppersberger, D-Md., announced the location later in the week. The tests will be done at the Aberdeen Proving Grounds on Chesapeake Bay. The vast military preserve is already designated as restricted airspace but concerns linger about the tests. More...

HELO CRASH KILLS 3 DURING TV FILMING
All three men on board died when a Bell 206 helicopter crashed during filming for a Discovery Channel reality show near Los Angeles on Sunday. The crew was working with Eyeworks USA, a production company, on a new, unnamed series with a military theme. The incident is the worst film-set accident in California since 1982, when actor Vic Morrow and two child actors were killed when a helicopter crashed into them, according to the Los Angeles Times. The Times said it found in a recent investigative report that some reality-TV productions have cut corners on safety, and this weekend's accident may bring more scrutiny to the industry. More...

BAT STRIKE INJURES PILOT
Every pilot is wary of bird strikes but an Australian cropduster pilot has new respect for bat strikes. Josh Liddle was on final for Ingham Airport in north Queesnsland when his aircraft went through a colony of bats. It was just after dark and the bats were headed out hunting when the big single went through the middle of them. One went through the windshield and hit Liddle in the face. "I felt a big smack on my face," he said. Although he was immediately treated for the related injuries, the nature of the mishap has added some medical complications for Liddle. More...

AVWEB INSIDER BLOG: ECLIPSE HITS THE ROAD
With new production getting underway soon in Poland, Eclipse is finally pulling together the variables to make an airplane that ought to sell. On the AVweb Insider blog, Paul Bertorelli explains why the time may be right for a global personal jet. Read more and join the conversation. More...

VIA JOINS AEROCOMPUTERS

Mikael Via

Mikael Via is the new chief operating officer of AeroComputers Inc. He was formerly CEO of Glasair.
More...

WHO'S WHERE? YOU TELL US
Get a promotion or a new job? Your colleagues want to know about it, and AVwebBiz can get the word out. Drop us a line about the staff appointment, with a nice recent photo, and we'll do our best to include it in our new section, "Who's Where." The items will be permanently archived on AVweb for future reference, too. More...

VIDEO: YVES ROSSY'S JETMAN SCHOOL (WITHOUT THE JETS)
A video released Feb. 8, 2013, by Jetman Yves Rossy suggests the skydiving innovator may be on the verge of marketing an unpowered version of his strapped-on wing and opening a school to teach people how to fly it. Rossy has piloted another version of the wing with four micro-turbines attached to its underside delivering power. He has flown that version across the English Channel and a section of the Grand Canyon. Rossy describes the unpowered version by saying it can achieve a "glide angle" of 4.5. English is not Rossy's first language and a glide angle of 4.5 would translate to a glide ratio of roughly 13:1 -- substantially better than a Cessna 172. It's possible that Rossy's use of the term instead indicates the wing's glide ratio. Rossy says he's flown his gliding wing in excess of 150 mph, he has demonstrated aerobatics while flying it and believes there is much more potential for his unique brand of flight. Rossy is meticulous in his flight preparations, studying terrain, angles of flight and walking portions of the route when able. It is not yet known if his apparently proposed school will train the same pre-flight planning. More...

VIDEO: AUDIO AUTHORITY'S FLEXIBLE POWER UNIT
More owners and pilots would probably invest in ground power units for starting and running avionics in the hangar if the things were just more flexible. One that is comes from Audio Authority, which, besides being a GPU, also doubles as a battery tender. In this video, Aviation Consumer's Larry Anglisano gives us the lowdown on this versatile unit. More...

AVWEB'S NEWSTIPS ADDRESS ...
Our best stories start with you. If you've heard something 255,000 pilots might want to know about, tell us. Submit news tips via email to newstips@avweb.com. What have you heard? More...

MEET THE AVWEBBIZ TEAM

AVwebBiz is a weekly summary of the latest business aviation news, articles, products, features, and events featured on AVweb, the world's premier independent aviation news resource.

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Tom Bliss

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Paul Bertorelli

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Russ Niles

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Glenn Pew

Contributors
Kevin Lane-Cummings

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Karen Lund

Avionics Editor
Larry Anglisano

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