CESSNA HINTS AT CHANGE IN NGP PROJECT
Cessna has stopped calling its NGP design project a next-generation piston, and this week instead identified it as a "next generation propeller" aircraft. With the addition of the former Columbia single-engine airplanes, now the Cessna 350 and 400, Cessna said it is working on re-positioning the NGP to "fit logically" into its product lineup. “Our team is working on finalizing the configuration,” said Van Abel, Cessna’s project engineer for the NGP. “We continue to evaluate features and materials that will produce a new, unique aircraft family with a potential for multiple powerplants.” Cessna has displayed the NGP concept at numerous air shows to gather customer feedback, while a cross-functional team continues to assess the business case for adding what Cessna calls "a family of innovative airplanes." Cessna added that it will not release any performance data or specifications until a launch decision is made. More...

CIRRUS UPDATES JET PROGRESS
Cirrus Design has leased extra space in Duluth, Minn., to work on its jet prototype, CEO Alan Klapmeier said at Sun 'n Fun on Tuesday. The jet now under construction will be used for aerodynamic flight testing, and Klapmeier says he hopes it will be very close to the final conforming prototype that can be used for certification. The engineers have done extensive computer design and testing, and wind tunnel tests will soon be underway at Langley, he said. Progress is also being made on the aircraft parachute system, he said. He wouldn't estimate when first flight would take place, but said as soon as it flies, they will announce it. Klapmeier also said the company is making progress on its SRS, the light sport design it bought from FK GmbH. The airplane is being redesigned to take advantage of the U.S. light sport rules, he said. Gross weight will go up closer to the 1,320-pound limit. He added that the new SRS will have a glass panel, it will burn auto fuel, it will be quiet to help make it more neighbor-friendly for training, and it will be built in the United States. He hopes that the SRS will prove popular as a trainer to entice new pilots in the 18-to-25-year-old range. More...

MOONEY OFFERS RETROFITS FOR OLDER ACCLAIMS
Mooney brought the first customer copy of its new Acclaim Type S to the show this week, just a week after it was certified and delivered. The airplane will replace the earlier version of the Acclaim, so all Acclaims going forward will have the Type S speed enhancements, which boost the aircraft's top cruise speed to 242 knots. The enhancements will also be made available as a retrofit package later this year, so all Acclaims can achieve the same speed gains, the company said. Pete Wallach, of customer service, also said that the company is extending its three-year warranty on new aircraft to cover up to 1,000 hours of service, a boost from the 600 hours that were covered before. More owners are using the airplane for business and the hours pile up faster, Wallach said, so it was time for an adjustment. Further, from here on, the company will handle all warranty claims for any component of its airplanes, he said. More...

EAA: INSURANCE NOW AVAILABLE FOR MORE SPORT AIRCRAFT
Insurance options for those who fly powered parachutes and weight-shift aircraft (trikes) have long been scarce, but new plans now available should cover most needs, EAA announced at Sun 'n Fun on Tuesday. Bob Mackey, lead representative for the EAA Aircraft Insurance Plan, said the new plan is very flexible, and will cover pilots from student all the way up to ATP. Passengers can also be covered, as well as dual flight instruction. Both liability and hull insurance are available, Mackey said, at prices that are similar to rates offered for more traditional fixed-wing aircraft. A selection of makes and models are on the EAA's "approved list," and more models may be added as new information is collected, EAA said. "Insurance options are part of the necessary infrastructure to make Light Sport Aircraft viable," Mackey said. More...

LOPRESTI CHOOSES NEW SITE IN FLORIDA
Since getting its program underway to build the long-awaited LoPresti Fury a few years ago, the LoPresti company has been looking for just the right place to build a new facility. This Tuesday, at Sun 'n Fun, CEO Curt LoPresti announced the company will move to the airport in Sebastian, Fla., by the first quarter of 2009. Development and flight testing will be done there, LoPresti said, and once the conforming prototype is completed -- which should take about 18 months -- manufacturing will be done at the company's facility in Belen, Mexico. First deliveries are estimated at 2010. The company will also maintain a presence in its current home in Vero Beach. LoPresti has orders in hand for 60 copies of the airplane, said R.J. Siegel, vice president of operations. Those were sold at a special price of $275,000 to pilots who had placed deposits for an earlier version of the Fury that never came to pass. Once those orders are fulfilled, new copies will be sold for $355,000. More...

U.S. COMPANIES TEAM UP TO SELL SPANISH AMPHIBIAN
The Colyaer Freedom amphibious light sport aircraft, designed and built in Spain, will be marketed in the U.S. by Waterbirds LC and LSA Aero, of Little Rock, Ark., the companies announced at Sun 'n Fun this week. Waterbirds will provide sales and marketing support, and LSA will import the aircraft and provide customer service. The Freedom, a tricycle-gear pusher, is a brand-new design based on the Martin airplane built by Colyaer in the mid-1990s. It has seats for two, with a useful load of 576 pounds. The wing and tail are both removable. The airplane is constructed of carbon fiber, Nomex, Kevlar, and stainless steel, for resistance to corrosion. With wheels down, the Freedom can safely land in rough fields. More...

JEPPESEN VIA CELL PHONE OR PDA
Jeppesen is putting its prodigious database at the fingertips of clients who need flight information on the go. With technology partner Hilton Software, which has figured out how to make all that information available to your personal communicator. And it’s an impressive array of information that can be displayed on that little screen. From DUATS supported legal weather and flight plan filing, to real-time depictions of weather, airport information, and even weight and balance calculations for more than 400 aircraft stored in the database. The system is available for Windows-based mobile applications and Iphone and Blackberry versions are in the works. Jepp has also made learning (and teaching) the G1000 easier than ever. More...

GLASS FOR YOUR CONQUEST
Avidyne has introduced an integrated flight deck and retrofit for the Cessna 441 Conquest II that brings all the modern avionics conveniences to the venerable twin turboprop. The Alliant Retrofit was introduced at Sun 'n Fun on Tuesday and puts Avidyne's Envision Integrated Flight Deck System and S-TEC 2100 digital autopilot on two large-screen displays. It's also available with RVSM for operators who fly above 29,000 feet. Avidyne also introduced a new weather detection system. More...

CESSNA UPDATES SKYCATCHER PROGRESS
The second SkyCatcher, Cessna's light sport aircraft model, is now nearing completion and will soon join the flight-test program, Cessna announced at Sun ‘n Fun this week. The airplane will be designated as the production prototype, and will be equipped with a full interior in time to fly in to EAA AirVenture later this summer. Meanwhile, the first SkyCatcher, which flew for the first time last month, has undergone extensive testing. The flight test team thoroughly explored the aircraft's handling qualities and stall characteristics, and an extensive ground vibration test was conducted. A third airframe is in the works that will be used a structural test article for the ASTM (American Society for Testing and Materials) protocol. Cessna also announced this week it will offer an autopilot from TruTrak Flight Systems as an option on the SkyCatcher. More...

EXCLUSIVE VIDEO FROM SUN 'N FUN 2008:
ESSAY CONTEST WINNER CHRISTA MABRY FLIES THE HERPA DC-3 IN WARBIRD FORMATION
Thanks to Dan Gryder and our friends at Herpa Wings, "Why I Want to Fly the DC-3" essay contest winner Christa Mabry kicked off Sun 'n Fun in style. Dan and his crew had planned a very special surprise, allowing our contest winners to take the controls of the their DC-3 and lead a morning formation of warbirds over the show grounds, welcoming everyone to the 2008 fly-in. We took up a couple of spots in the DC-3 and another plane — what, you thought we were going to watch this from the ground? — and brought back this video of an unforgettable experience, courtesy of AVweb video editor Glenn Pew. (Click through to watch.)

This video brought to you by WxWorx XM WX Satellite Weather and Bose Corporation. More...

LIGHTNING AHEAD! AVIDYNE BRINGS SFERICS BACK TO THE COCKPIT IN 21ST CENTURY STYLE
(RECORDED LIVE AT SUN 'N FUN 2008)
For the past five years, Sferics technology has taken a backseat to datalinked weather as a means of skirting convective weather. But Avidyne hopes to change that with the introduction of a new state-of-the-art lightning detector system called TWX670. Like Stormscope and Strike Finder technology, it detects and plots distant lightning strikes, but unlike earlier equipment, it paints strikes in cell-like patterns color-coded by threat level. AVweb's Paul Bertorelli talked to Tom Harper from Avidyne about this new product.

This podcast brought to you by Bose Corporation and WxWorx XM WX Satellite Weather. More...

RETURN OF THE KING — THE BENDIX/KING GLASS PANEL
(RECORDED LIVE AT SUN 'N FUN 2008)
Aviydne and Garmin have largely owned the market for light aircraft electronic flight display systems in recent year, while Bendix/King has been dormant. But later this year, the company will begin delivering its new Apex Edge glass system, a combination PFD/MFD integrated package suitable for retrofit in older aircraft. In this podcast, Bendix/King's Dan Barks gives an update on this major product line.

This podcast brought to you by Bose Corporation and WxWorx XM WX Satellite Weather. More...

AVWEB'S SUN 'N FUN 2008 GALLERIES: OFF WE GO!
Sights and sounds from our first full day at Sun 'n Fun. More...

AVWEB'S NEWSTIPS ADDRESS ...
Our best stories start with you. If you've heard something 200,000 pilots might want to know about, tell us. Submit news tips via email to newstips@avweb.com. What have you heard? More...

GOT CYLINDERS? TELL US ABOUT YOUR SERVICE HISTORY
Our sister publication, Aviation Consumer, is conducting a survey on aircraft engine cylinder products. If you've done an overhaul during the past several years, the magazine's editors would like to hear from you on how the cylinders have performed. Just click on this link to take the survey.

The results will appear in a future issue of Aviation Consumer. For subscription information, click here. More...

MEET THE AVWEBFLASH TEAM

AVwebFlash is a weekly summary of the latest news, articles, products, features, and events featured on AVweb, the internet's aviation magazine and news service.

The AVwebFlash team is:

Publisher
Timothy Cole

Editorial Director, Aviation Publications
Paul Bertorelli

Editor-in-Chief
Russ Niles

Contributing Editors
Mary Grady
Glenn Pew

Features Editor
Kevin Lane-Cummings

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