|
|||||||||||
| PiperJet Flies in Vero Beach | back to top |  |
||
PiperJet Makes First Flight
Hundreds of Piper workers and others crowded the ramp at Vero Beach Airport Wednesday to watch the long-awaited first flight of the PiperJet. Randy Brennan, a Vero Beach resident who got a heads-up on the flight from friends that work at the plant, said the proof-of-concept aircraft used only about 2,000 feet of runway as it lifted off on a 60-minute maiden flight about 11 a.m. "It was really cool," he said. "It's a beautiful aircraft. It's really quiet." Test pilots Dave Schwartz and Buddy Sessoms took the aircraft to 10,000 feet and a speed of 160 knots to check basic handling and the pitch trim characteristics that can be a concern with a tail-mounted engine. The pitch issues were "easy to overcome" according to Schwartz and the aircraft generally behaved as expected.
Piper President Jim Bass said there's a lot riding on the PiperJet. "With this major milestone in the PiperJet's development, we are witnessing our future – one that is built on a strong and lasting heritage and reputation for innovation and excellence," he said. Brennan said people at the airport have gotten used to the aircraft doing high speed taxi tests but word spread quickly that today might be the day for the first flight. He said that the plane did a couple of high speed runs on the runway before lifting off. There has been no official announcement of the flight from Piper but we expect to hear from them soon.
|
|
|||||||||||
| ... While Cirrus Jet Flies at Oshkosh | back to top | |
||
Cirrus Jet Makes Public Debut At EAA AirVenture
Alan Klapmeier said he first considered building a jet over 20 years ago, and added that the aviation world needs to commit to a lot of "missionary work" to convince the world at large that airplanes have value, that flying is fun, and that it's easy enough for most people. The SJ50 first flew July 3 in Duluth, and has been undergoing initial flight testing. The aircraft was announced 13 months ago and has been under development for four years. AVweb will have more to report about the airplane and reaction to it later in the week. |
It was a perfect day in Oshkosh on Wednesday afternoon -- sunny, breezy, and not too hot -- and it was even more perfect for Alan and Dale Klapmeier, who enjoyed the keen pleasure of introducing their
latest product -- the Cirrus Vision SJ50 single-engine jet -- to the huge crowds of EAA faithful. "This is the place to introduce new aviation innovations," said Dale Klapmeier to the crowd as his
sleek red jet rolled off the taxiway into Aeroshell Square, after flying a single low pass over the field. "EAA has always been the home of innovation -- they have kept the dream alive," he said. The
jet is designed to fly at about 300 knots, at a maximum operating altitude of 25,000 feet, with seating for up to seven.
|
|||||||||||
| Watching the Bottom Line While Staying in the Sky | back to top | |
||
Affordable Flying -- Get Aloft For $10K Or Less
EAA's Ron Wagner said response to the Center has been positive. "We're trying to show that you don't have to be wealthy to enjoy flying," he told AVweb. "Folks come by and say they're glad to see us promoting this, and the forums have been well attended. I hope we can continue this next year, and do it even bigger and better."
New Insurance Options For CFIs
Prospective pilots across the country find it difficult to find good instructors, and Avemco hopes its new insurance policy will help to encourage qualified CFIs who own their own aircraft to consider teaching part-time. Such arrangements are difficult and expensive under current insurance options, but Avemco says its new product, announced at EAA AirVenture in Oshkosh on Wednesday, will make it easier and more affordable. The customized CFI insurance is now available in most states, the company said. "Our hope is to facilitate an increase in the number of qualified, experienced flight instructors available to the general aviation community," said Avemco President Jim Lauerman.
The low rate of student starts, the shortage of CFIs, and the overall low level of flying activity across the country, is of concern to Avemco, Lauerman said. |
If you're a creative scrounger -- like Tracy Buttles, an EAA'er from Appleton, Wisconsin -- you might be able to build yourself a sweet little two-seat taildragger for $6,500, like he did. "A friend
of mine had some extra fabric laying around," says Buttles, who has the airplane on display here at EAA AirVenture this week. "The tail feathers I got for $50 apiece, and we have a flat windscreen, so
that was $40." The prop, however, is his only on loan, and a little smaller than would be ideal. But Buttles is proud that he can fly around for fun on under five gallons per hour, and help to keep GA
alive at the little airports around the country. That's the same goal shared by EAA at the nearby Affordable Flying Center, where staffers answer questions all day long about the various affordable
aircraft on display. They're showing an Alatus-M ultralight motorglider, which sells for under $30,000; a Pietenpol Air Camper, that you can build from plans or find used for under $10,000; or a
Sonerai II, which sells for about $15,000. Take on a partner, and your costs are cut in half. The Center, which is new this year, has a full slate of forums this week on topics like fuel efficiency,
FAQ for buying LSA, and how to own an airplane for less than the cost of your cell phone.
|
|||||||||||
| Cool Airplanes We Saw Today | back to top | |
||
Eco Flyer The SUV Of LSA's
The primarily-composite Ecoflyer will be available with either the 100-hp Rotax 912 or the 120 hp Jaribu engine. The company's chief engineer, David Rancourt, says they expect an empty load of about 750 pounds in the final product. With its 30-gallon tanks filled, that still leaves 390 pounds for all your camping gear. Far from vapor-ware, the company flew two prototypes to Oshkosh (one with each engine option) and is progressing on flight testing. They hope to have production models by late next year.
Electraflyer -- Your Airplane Of The Future, Flying Today
Also on Thursday, he will be among the presenters at an Electric Aircraft Forum in Honda Pavilion 7, here at AirVenture, at 2:30 p.m. Other presenters include Pete Buck, John Monnett, Dr. Morton Grosser, Ivo Boscarol, Craig Willan, and David Palombo.
Related Content: |
Five enterprising Québécois have found a bit of a loophole in the LSA rules. The Ecoflyer from 
"It's a magic carpet ride," says inventor Randall Fishman of his electric-powered aircraft, the
|
|||||||||||
| News Briefs | back to top | |
||
Nemesis Sets Speed Record
The speed run took place in front of thousands of people lining the runway and was a prelude to what is hoped to be an even faster run on Saturday. For Wednesday's flight, Nemesis had to be lean and light to fit the weight category. Saturday's flight won't have those restrictions and the team intends to hang every speed modification they can on the aircraft.
TECNAM To Test Gemini Dieses
"We are anticipating the Powerplant Developments' Gemini engines will bring an exceptional level of performance and capability to TECNAM aircraft owners," Paolo Pascale Langer, TECNAM's managing director said in a statement. In response, Archer added, "We couldn't be more excited and proud that such a well-established aircraft manufacturer like TECNAM has shown such a high level of confidence in the Gemini engine program."
During his briefing, Archer admitted he had been "too optimistic" about his company's overall development program schedule, which presently is 6-8 months behind schedule. However, he noted Powerplant Developments this week was shipping a prototype engine to a government/military contractor to be used aboard a long-endurance unpiloted vehicle presently under development. In addition to TECNAM and the unidentified contractor, Archer said his company was in negotiations for future engines with more than one airframe manufacturer.
Powerplant Developments' Gemini 100 and 125 engines are based on the Junkers Jumo series of aircraft diesels first flown in the 1930s. In the 100- to 125-hp output range, the diesels are a three-cylinder, six piston design, using a two-stroke cycle and liquid cooling. The 100-hp version weighs 156.5 lbs ready-to-run on a test stand, while the 125-hp turbocharged version slated for TECNAM's P2006T light-light twin checks in at 201 lbs wet. The company says its 100-hp Gemini 100 is roughly the same height and width as similar-output aircraft powerplants from other manufacturers, but is shorter. The Gemini 100's projected retail price will be around $18,000, with its TBO initially set at 2000 hours. The engine, which turns at 4000 rpm, will be geared down to turn a propeller at 2500 rpm. Its projected brake specific fuel consumption is .38. |
Jon Sharp and his Nemesis NXT have broken a speed record that endured 19 years in a run down runway 36/18 at EAA AirVenture in Oshkosh on Wednesday. The tricked out racer with a Lycoming Thunderbolt
engine shattered the old record of 331 mph in the 3Km C1-b Speed Blast category by covering three kilometers in 18.75 seconds for a speed of 356 mph, according to the preliminary measurements.
Although the final numbers may change, it seems unlikely they'll vary enough to knock Sharp out of the record books.
Italian manufacturer TECNAM will be testing a series of diesel engines on its P92 Eaglet LSA and under-development P2006T light-light twin, Tim Archer, CEO of engine-maker Powerplant Developments' CEO
told EAA AirVenture 2008 attendees Wednesday. Under a memorandum of agreement between the two companies, Powerplant Developments will supply both a 100-hp and a 125-hp turbocharged version of its
Gemini diesel engine platform. The engines will be used for evaluation purposes, with two of the 125-hp turbo versions possibly a part of TECNAM's FAR Part 23 certification process.
|
|||||||||||
| New on AVweb | back to top | |
||
Columns | Features | What's New | Calendar | Brainteasers
AVweb's AirVenture 2008 Galleries: Day Four
Even though our feet are getting a little tired, there's still plenty to see and do around the grounds at EAA AirVenture '08. Fortunately for those who can't be here with us, we've given staff writer and crack photographer Mariano Rosales a camera and reminded him to snap picture whenever we do or see anything that will make people sitting at home jealous. Here's a sampling of how we spent our day, and yes — it's even more fun that looks.
The Savvy Aviator #60: Misfueled!When piston airplanes are fueled with Jet A, people can die.
Click here for the full story.
On March 2, 2008, a turbonormalized Cirrus SR22 was destroyed when it crashed shortly after takeoff in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, killing all four people aboard. Shortly after the aircraft departed from Runway 20, the airplane's engine lost power, and the aircraft hit a building and exploded. Further investigation revealed that the aircraft had been refueled with Jet A instead of 100LL. This report reminded me of an incident 16 years earlier during which my own 1979 Cessna T310R was misfueled with Jet A at San Carlos (Calif.) Airport, a busy GA airport just south of San Francisco. Fortunately, I caught the (mis)fueler in the act, red handed. Had I not been lucky enough to do that, I probably wouldn't be writing this column. Normally, I either fuel my aircraft myself (at a self-serve pump) or watch it being fueled (when avgas is supplied by truck). On this occasion, I'd radioed for the fuel truck and waited patiently for it to arrive. After 10 minutes of waiting, Mother Nature intervened and compelled me to walk into the terminal building in a rather urgent search of a loo. By the time I took care of my pressing business and returned to the ramp, there was a fuel truck parked by my airplane and a lineperson pumping fuel into my right main tank. As I approached the aircraft, I observed to my horror that the truck was labeled "JET A."
Theoretically Impossible
At first, I was not too worried, because I believed that misfueling my airplane with Jet A was physically impossible. That's because in 1987 (the year I purchased my T310R), all turbocharged twin Cessnas became subject to Airworthiness Directive AD 87-21-02, which mandated installation of restrictor ports on all fuel-filler openings. The restrictor ports were designed to make it impossible to insert an industry-standard Jet A nozzle, while accommodating the smaller diameter avgas nozzle. The AD was issued because the FAA became aware that a large number of misfueling incidents and accidents were occurring in turbocharged aircraft. These aircraft typically were prominently decorated by the factory with the word "Turbo" and apparently linepeople were confusing it with "Turbine" and pumping Jet A into the tanks. So the FAA mandated that jet-fuel trucks install a wide, spade-shaped fuel nozzle, and that vulnerable airplanes (like turbocharged twin Cessna) have restrictor ports installed into which the wide jet-fuel nozzle would not fit. This made misfueling of piston aircraft with jet fuel theoretically impossible. (They also say that it's theoretically impossible for bumblebees to fly.) But as I arrived at my airplane, I discovered that, indeed, my left main tank had been topped with Jet A. How was this possible? A subsequent investigation by the local FSDO revealed that the Jet A fuel truck at San Carlos Airport had not been fitted with the correct spade-type nozzle. (I suspect they got in trouble for that.)
Undoing The DamageI spent literally hours trying to find an A&P on the field that would assist me in purging the fuel system of its witches' brew of 100LL and Jet A. That turned out to be surprisingly difficult. The fueling company was falling all over itself to be helpful (because I'm sure they feared a big lawsuit) but they had no mechanics or maintenance capabilities. There were several maintenance shops on the field, but none wanted to go near my contaminated airplane, clearly afraid of the potential liability exposure. Finally, I persuaded one maintenance manager to help me out after writing and signing an omnibus waiver absolving the shop and its mechanics of any liability in connection with their work on my aircraft. The purging process itself was quite an eye opener. We drained the tanks as completely as possible, putting the noxious effluent into a 55-gallon drum provided by the fueling company (who had agreed to deal with the costly disposal of the nasty stuff). We disconnected the fuel line going to the engine-driven fuel pump and drained all the fuel from that as well. Next, five gallons of 100LL (donated gratis by the fueling company) was poured into the main tank, pumped through the system using the electric boost pump, and drained from the disconnected fuel line into a five-gallon bucket. The fuel in the bucket was tested for Jet A contamination using the paper-towel test: A few drops are placed on a paper towel and allowed to evaporate completely. Pure 100LL will not leave an oily ring on the towel, but even small amounts of Jet A contamination will leave an obvious ring. The stuff in the bucket flunked the test. Another five gallons of 100LL were poured into the tank, and the process repeated. Once again, it flunked the paper-towel test. We had to repeat the procedure three more times before we were satisfied that the system was essentially kerosene-free. We reconnected the fuel line, cowled-up the engine, the fueling company then topped off the airplane (again gratis), and I was finally good to go ... fully six hours after the misfueling incident.
Lessons Learned
I learned some important lessons that day. Perhaps the most important is that it's impossible to distinguish pure avgas and a mixture of avgas and Jet A by color alone. My main tanks had been about half-full of avgas, so after the misfueling, they contained roughly a 50-50 mix. If you take a jar full of pure 100LL and another jar full of a 50-50 mix of 100LL and avgas, I guarantee you will not be able to see any difference in color or clarity between the two. I hadn't realized that before. I had always been taught that you sump the tanks and observe the color -- 100LL is blue and Jet A is straw color. What I was not taught is that a mixture of 100LL and Jet A is also blue and that you simply can't tell the difference visually. In retrospect, I shudder to think what would have happened had I not caught that Jet A truck in front of my airplane. I was also taught that since Jet A is significantly heavier than avgas (6.7 lbs./gal. versus 5.85 lbs./gal.), the Jet A and 100LL will separate just like oil and water, with the Jet A at the bottom (where the sump drain is) and the 100LL at the top. That's true, but only if the contaminated fuel is allowed to sit for hours and hours. It turns out that 100LL and Jet A mix quite well, and the mixture takes a surprisingly long time to separate. There are at least two good ways to distinguish pure 100LL from kerosene-contaminated 100LL. One is by odor: Jet A has a very distinctive odor that is detectable even in small concentrations. The other (and probably best) is by using the paper-towel test: Pour a sample on a paper towel (or even a sheet of white copy paper), let it evaporate and see if it leaves an oily ring.
Nasty stuff
What effect does Jet-A contamination have on a piston engine? Enough to ruin your day. You can think of Jet A as being fuel with a zero octane rating. Any piston engine that tries to run on pure Jet A will go into instant destructive detonation. However, in real life, we almost never encounter that situation because the tanks (at least the main tank used for takeoff) is almost never completely dry when the aircraft is misfueled. Therefore, the real-world problem is not running on pure Jet A, but on running on a mixture of 100LL and Jet A. Depending on the mixture-ratio of the two fuels, the effective octane rating can be anything between 0 and 100. A mixture with a lot of Jet A and just a little 100LL might be detectable during runup. A 50-50 mix might not start to detonate until full power is applied, and the engine might fail 30 seconds or three minutes after takeoff. Just a little Jet A contamination might produce only moderate detonation that might not be noticed for hours or even weeks. Like so many other things in aviation, "It all depends." The Cirrus SR22 accident in Rio reminds us that the problem of misfueling is still with us, despite all the efforts of the FAA to eradicate it. We need to be vigilant. Always watch your airplane being fueled if you possibly can. Make sure its fuel filler ports are equipped with restrictor rings. Don't just look at the fuel you drain from your sumps -- sniff it, and when in doubt, pour it on a paper towel. See you next month.
Want to read more from Mike Busch? Check out the rest of his Savvy Aviator columns. // --> |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||
| AVweb Audio — Are You Listening? | back to top | |
||
AVweb's AirVenture 2008 Podcast #7: Garmin's G600 EFIS Glass for the AftermarketFile Size 8.7 MB / Running Time 9:33
Podcast Index | How to Listen | Subscribe Via RSS
So your cockpit doesn't sport a glass panel EFIS, but you're interested in a new display? Very soon you'll have a new option in the form of Garmin's G600, an EFIS system designed primarily for the aftermarket. Garmin's Jim Alpiser sat down with us at Oshkosh to answer our questions about the G600 and when it will be available.
This podcast is brought to you by
Lightspeed
Aviation, makers of the Zulu ANR headset ...
AVweb's AirVenture 2008 Podcast #10: Why Aspen's EFD1000 Is Bigger and Better than EverFile Size 10.4 MB / Running Time 5:41
Podcast Index | How to Listen | Subscribe Via RSS
Aspen Avionics of Albuquerque, N.M. has announced a new weather receiver and wider compatibility for its popular glass-panel retrofit, the EFD1000. Doug Cayne, Aspen's V.P. of Marketing, discusses these new capabilities with AVweb's Jeff Van West.
This podcast is brought to you by
Bose
Corporation's Aviation Headset X™ ...
AVweb's AirVenture 2008 Podcast #13: Fly Anywhere, Anytime with X-Plane Flight SimFile Size 11.7 MB / Running Time 6:26
Podcast Index | How to Listen | Subscribe Via RSS
So much more than a way to fill up a boring Saturday afternoon, X-Plane flight simulation software has set a new standard for home computer-based flight simulators, and the experience doesn't stop at your PC and your $50 copy of X-Plane — you can scale the software up and enjoy a rich training environment inside your own virtual cockpit, right inside your garage. IFR magazine editor Jeff van West talks with X-Plane's Randy Whitman about what makes the software unique.
This podcast is brought to you by
WxWorx XM WX
Satellite Weather, official weather provider of EAA AirVenture ...
|
|
|||||||||||
| AVweb Media: Look, Listen, Laugh and Learn | back to top | |
||
AVweb's AirVenture 2008 Video #7: Our Contest Winner Flies with the AeroShell Aerobatic TeamOriginal, Exclusive Videos from AVweb | Reader-Submitted & Viral Videos
AVweb's AirVenture 2008 Video #8: Meet the ElectraflyerOriginal, Exclusive Videos from AVweb | Reader-Submitted & Viral Videos
|
and
...
and
|
|||||||||||
| The Top Reporter on Our Crack Staff ... Is You! | back to top | |
||
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
|
|||||||||||
| More AVweb for Your Inbox | back to top | |
||
AVwebBiz: AVweb's Business Aviation Newsletter
|
HAVE YOU SIGNED UP yet for AVweb's NO-COST weekly business aviation newsletter, AVwebBiz? Reporting on breaking news,
Business AVflash focuses on the companies, the products and the industry leaders that make headlines in the business aviation industry. Business AVflash is a must read. Sign up today at | Names Behind the News | back to top | |
||
Meet the AVwebFlash TeamAVwebFlash 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:
Click here to send a letter to the editor. (Please let us know if your letter is not intended for publication.)
Comments or questions about the news should be sent here.
Have a product or service to advertise on AVweb? A question on marketing? Send it to AVweb's sales team.
If you're having trouble reading this newsletter in its HTML-rich format (or if you'd prefer a lighter, simpler format for your PDA or handheld device), there's also a text-only version of AVwebFlash. For complete instructions on making the switch, click here.
Aviate. Navigate. Communicate. |
