May 31, 2010

By The AVweb Editorial Staff

Land a Great Deal When You Bring Your Engine Home For Lycoming® customers, loyalty pays. For a limited time, bring your original Lycoming factory engine back home and get a fantastic deal on any factory exchange engine as a reward for supporting Lycoming. Trust your engine to the people who know it best — the people who designed it and built it. Certain restrictions apply. To find a distributor near you, call 1 (800) 258-3279 or visit Lycoming.com. AVflash! USAF Goes Hypersonic back to top  X-51A Scramjet Flight Good, Not Perfect (With Video) Don't see a video screen? Try disabling ad blockers and refreshing this page. If that doesn't work, click here to download the video directly. The Air Force's scramjet, the Boeing X-51A Waverider, set a new world record, Wednesday, when it ran for 200 seconds, burned JP-7, and reached a speed of about Mach 5 (roughly 1 mile per second). In 2004, NASA's X-43 flew much faster (Mach 9.7) but burned hydrogen and managed that for about 12 seconds before it melted. Early data show the unmanned X-51A suffered from some temperature problems of its own, though not as severe. It had been scheduled for a 300-second run topping out at Mach 6 near 70,000 feet. But temperatures at the rear of the engine bay grew higher than expected. After the vehicle reached roughly Mach 5, it began to slow down for reasons yet to be determined and the vehicle was destroyed by its operators. In theory, the X-51A scramjet engine should be able to operate indefinitely -- so long as there is an indefinite supply of fuel. The engine has no moving parts but must be accelerated to very high speeds to work. In the case of the X-51A, it was launched from a B-52 mother ship at about 0.8 Mach and 50,000 feet. A booster then accelerated the vehicle to about Mach 5 where ethylene was used to ignite the scramjet before it transitioned to JP-7. A scramjet uses fuel to cool the engine which in turn heats the fuel that ignites when injected into the engine's supersonic flow. Ramjets operate similarly, but the airflow through the engine is subsonic. Aside from its longevity, the X-51A scramjet's flight still operated in the Mach 3 to Mach 6 regime shared by ramjet engines. Find more information in the military's release, here. Which Life Insurance Carrier Offers the Best Premium Rates for Pilots? You can find out with an easy online quote from the Pilot Insurance Center. Don't overpay — get complete coverage for your family or business with no aviation exclusions from the best A+ rated companies. (800) 380-8376 or PICLife.com All About the Engines back to top  NTSB Acts On GE Uncontained Engine Failures Citing four foreign accidents in two years involving uncontained engine failures, the NTSB Thursday issued recommendations that ask the FAA to require GE to redesign a specific engine component. The failures (one each on two Boeing 747s, an Airbus A300 and a DC-10) did not result any injuries or death, but the NTSB believes they presented direct hazards to the aircraft, the passengers and aircraft systems. An uncontained engine event results in fragments of rotating engine parts penetrating and exiting through the engine case. The NTSB would like to see the FAA require operators of CF6-45/50 engines to perform recurrent borescope inspections and recurrent fluorescent penetrant inspections, until GE provides a redesigned substitute low-pressure turbine stage 3 disk and operators have it installed. The NTSB believes the disks can "fail unexpectedly when excited by high pressure rotor unbalance." The board's recommended timeframe for replacement is "at the next maintenance opportunity." According to the NTSB, engine cases are not designed to contain failed turbine disks. "Instead, the risk of uncontained disk failure is mitigated by designating disks as safety-critical parts, defined as the parts of an engine whose failure is likely to present a direct hazard to the aircraft. The four failures noted by the NTSB occurred on aircraft flown by Saudi Arabian Airlines, Arrow Cargo, Jett8 Cargo and ACT Cargo. The timeframe for the incidents extends from July 4, 2008, to April 10, 2010. The full test of the NTSB's safety recommendation letter to the FAA is available here: (PDF). Lycoming Takes Piston Manufacturing Back In-House For the first time since the late 1960s, Lycoming can produce in-house pistons, and the company believes the technology it developed with an English partner company and a Japanese machine tool company puts it well ahead of competitors. The company unveiled its new process and machinery Wednesday. In practice, a billet goes through four individual but connected machines -- with automated quality-control measures built in -- and, two to four minutes later, it comes out as a finished piston. According to the company, each sub-process ends with an automated quality inspection to ensure it meets manufacturing specifications, and every fifth piston is checked manually. "Now we don't have to worry if there is a supplier out there to fill our needs," company spokesman Scott Miller told the SunGazette.com. "We can fill our own needs." To create the machines and process, Lycoming partnered with Cosworth Group of England (a technology company) and Takisawa of Japan (a high-performance machine tool company). Cosworth was a key player in designing the machine line, process and pistons used by Lycoming, and says the system is "far in excess of anything Lycoming's competitors have." According to Lycoming, in-house piston manufacturing for aircraft engines, which it suspended more than 40 years ago, is just one step toward the quality assurance and on-time delivery standards the company is seeking to ensure. Fly with the Acclaimed Aviation Headset X® Enjoy an unmatched combination of full-spectrum noise reduction, clearer audio, and comfortable fit with the Bose® Aviation Headset X. Voted the #1 headset for the ninth consecutive year in Professional Pilot's 2009 Headset Preference Survey. Save $150 when you order by May 31, 2010. Learn more and order. Quote reprinted with permission: Professional Pilot, 2009 Headset Preference Survey, 12/09. Big Event, Big Headaches Among Organizers back to top  DC-3 Reunion Hits Turbulence The structure of a much-anticipated mass arrival of DC-3 aircraft at this year's AirVenture Oshkosh is in question after an apparent rift developed between the owners group organizing the 40-ship formation and EAA. Last week EAA announced that it will "exclusively organize and coordinate all AirVenture activities for the DC-3 75th anniversary." The owners group, which says it's been working for more than a year to organize the gathering independently of EAA under the name The Last Time, has termed the EAA announcement "a hostile takeover" of the event and it calls into question whether a formation flight over Wittman Regional Airport on the opening day of AirVenture will be held. EAA spokesman Dick Knapinski said EAA is not trying to hijack the event; rather, it's trying to ensure it goes smoothly and safely. Knapinski said EAA has been trying to coordinate the AirVenture aspects of the event with The Last Time organizers but EAA officials felt they were unable to effectively communicate the nitty-gritty details, like parking, of the massive undertaking to the individual operators taking part. "We're now 60 days to opening day," Knapinski noted, saying there is a lot to consider in staging an event like this. The Last Time organizers claim it's a naked attempt by EAA to capitalize on their effort. "This is clearly an attempt at ousting the celebration's original organizers," the group said. "It was planned, coordinated, and privately funded without any support from EAA. Now they want to claim it to be theirs." The group is still planning to hold its weekend celebration and gathering at Sterling Rock Falls Airport in Illinois on July 24-25 and a formation flight is still planned, but apparently over that airport. EAA says that regardless of the Illinois event, it's looking to hear from DC-3 operators planning to attend AirVenture and will help organize a mass arrival of the aircraft if one is planned. JA Air Center — When It Comes to Avionics, Go with a Name You Can Trust! Need an avionics repair? Ship your radio in for top-notch repair service. Thinking of an installation? Call our award-winning installation sales department. Shopping for a GPS, radio, or pilot supplies? Call (800) 323-5966 or click here for more info. BUY, SELL, or TRADE your avionics and GPS equipment at JA Air Center Concorde May Carry History Aloft, If Not Passengers back to top  Concorde May Fly Again An Air France Concorde was to have undergone borescope tests Saturday to determine if its four engines can be safely started in advance of a possible return to flight. The aircraft is at a French museum at Le Bourget Airport, where it was mothballed seven years ago when Air France and British Airways ended supersonic service after decades of financial losses and the spectacular crash of a Concorde in Paris in 2000 that killed 113 people. There was no word at our deadline on the outcome of the tests but it's hoped the aircraft can soon be fueled and readied for taxi tests before returning to the air for heritage flights. It's hoped the aircraft can be airworthy in time for a flight over the opening ceremonies of the 2012 Summer Olympics in London. The effort is expected to cost more than $20 million and is being spearheaded by a French group, Olympus593. A British organization, Save Concorde Group, has also been trying to get authorities on that side of the channel to fire up one of the Concordes there but hasn't had as much luck as its French counterparts. Meanwhile, the trial of French and American people charged in the crash that effectively ended the commercial use of the airliner ended on Friday in Paris. A verdict won't be handed down until Dec. 6. Get Flying with Affordable Monthly Payments With today's low rates and terms to 20 years, flying the aircraft of your dreams is made easy with AirFleet Capital. From new and used light-sport to light jet with private and commercial-use terms, we have financing programs to fit your needs. Call (800) 390-4324 to speak with a financing specialist, or visit us online at AirFleetCapital.com. Opinion & Commentary back to top  AVweb Insider Blog: ADS-B Rule — Big Bucks, Paltry Benefit Somewhere out there, someone must be thrilled the with FAA's final rule on the implementation of ADS-B in the NextGen airspace over the U.S. That someone isn't IFR magazine editor-in-chief Jeff Van West, who confesses to more than a little disappointment in the latest installment of the AVweb Insider blog. Click here to read his opinions, then chime in with your own in our comments section. AVweb Insider Blog: Ghosts of Merlins Past — A V-Block Engine As the season for new engines seems to be in full flight, Paul Bertorelli's latest post to the AVweb Insider blog addresses an intriguing new engine design from Adept Airmotive, a South African startup. The initial numbers sound good but, of course, the company has a long road ahead of it. Click here to read Paul's thoughts and add your own comments — and you'll want to hear this podcast interview with Adept principal Richard Schulz. EAA AirVenture Oshkosh — The World's Greatest Aviation Celebration July 26 - August 1 in Oshkosh, Wisconsin It's a year of firsts and once-in-a-lifetimes! 75th anniversary of the DC-3 (50+ attending!) and B-17; "Salute to Veterans" week-long celebration; opening day concert by Chicago; and Saturday, July 31 — first mass balloon launch, first Spirit of Aviation Auction, and night air show with fireworks to follow! Save time and money when you buy your tickets online now. 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 newstips@avweb.com. You're a part of our team ... often, the best part. Eur-Avia Cannes Is Southern Europe's Leading Exhibition in General and Business Aviation The exhibition brings together the leading proponents in general and business aviation to allow a demanding clientéle to discover the latest developments and industry innovations in a geographically logical and appealing setting. This professional exhibition is designed for owners and pilots, whether passionate fans or professionals, in general and business aviation throughout Europe — offering visitors a large and representative palette of the aeronautics industry. Click here for more details. Have a Moment to Help Us Out? back to top  Got a Turbonormalized Cirrus? Aviation Consumer Wants You Actually, Aviation Consumer wants a little bit of your engine data for a research product we're doing. If you don't mind sending us a sample data file, contact Paul Bertorelli at avconsumer@comcast.net. Contact us before sending anything. Thanks. (The results will appear in a future issue of Aviation Consumer. For subscription information, click here.) Aviation Consumer's LSA Durability Survey p>Do you have an LSA at a flight school? Do you rent one? Aviation Consumer needs to hear from you. Aviation Consumer is looking at the long-term durability of these aircraft when subjected to the rigors of flight training, as well as their cost and ease of repair. Whether you run a flight school with LSAs, own an LSA that you lease back, or just rent them for your flight training, you voice matters. Click here to participate in our quick LSA durability survey. (The results will appear in a future issue of Aviation Consumer. For subscription information, click here.) WingX GPS-Enabled Terrain-Aware Moving Map for iPhone! New Version 3.7 of WingX Moving Map for iPhone now includes SmartTaxi; Class B, C, and D airspaces; animated DUATS weather images showing your route of flight; NACO charts and airport diagrams (entire USA stored right on your phone); A/FD; AOPA Directory with Yelp integration; route planning with altitude optimization; FARs, METARS, TAFS, winds, adn temperatures aloft; TFRs' text and graphics; an E6B; and more. WingX is also available for Windows Mobile, Blackberry, and Android. Click here for more information. AVweb Media: Look, Listen, Laugh and Learn back to top  Adept Airmotive's New V-6 Engines: The Details File Size 11.4 MB / Running Time 11:07 Podcast Index | How to Listen | Subscribe Via RSS Adept Airmotive surprised us this week by announcing that it's launching a new general aviation engine line. The powerplants will be V-6s available in turbocharged and normally aspirated versions and up to 320hp. In this podcast, AVweb's Paul Bertorelli got some interesting details on the engines from Adept's Richard Schulz. Aviation Consumer's Diamond Motor Glider Gliding Trial Original, Exclusive Videos from AVweb | Reader-Submitted & Viral Videos At Sun 'n Fun, AVweb took a look at Diamond's reintroduced HK36 motor glider. In this follow-up video, we tried it out in extended glider operation, and (no suprise) it's a great performer. If you want to learn soaring and still want a powered airplane, the HK36 is a remarkably well-executed compromise. If you enjoy this video, be sure to look for the print review of the FX8 in the June issue of our sister publication, Aviation Consumer. Don't see a video screen? Try disabling ad blockers and refreshing this page. If that doesn't work, click here to download the video directly. IFR Magazine Shares GPS Tricks for VOR Clearances Original, Exclusive Videos from AVweb | Reader-Submitted & Viral Videos Handling clearances with that panel-mount GPS is a snap — until they throw some rogue radial off a VOR into the mix. IFR editor Jeff Van West unlocks the insider techniques that make clearances like this just another day plying the airways. If you enjoy this video, be sure to check out our sister publication, IFR magazine. Don't see a video screen? Try disabling ad blockers and refreshing this page. If that doesn't work, click here to download the video directly. JP Instruments — Don't Leave the Ground Without Us! JPI is the leader in innovative, precise EDM and fuel flow monitors. Fly with confidence, knowing your engine is scanned over 4-6 times a second. Download in-flight data to your computer using JPI's no-cost graphing program EZTrends to spot any problems. From the traditional EDM 700 gauges to the bright-LCD EDM 830, nothing else compares to the accuracy and quick response of JPI Systems. Click here for more info. Your Favorite FBOs back to top  FBO of the Week: Craig Air Center (KCRG, Jacksonville, Florida) Nominate an FBO | Rules | Tips | Questions | Winning FBOs Here at AVweb, we love a good "above and beyond" story — and this week's spotlight FBO, Craig Air Center at Craig Municipal Airport (KCRG) in Jacksonville, Florida, has made "above and beyond" their motto. Dan Karney tells the tale: I stayed at Craig for a week visiting family in the area. While taxiing to depart, we noticed one of our main tires was flat. The linemen came out and happily towed us back to their FBO. (Where we stopped was literally the farthest point from their FBO.) ... [S]ince it was Sunday, there were no maintenance facilities open that day. They inflated the tire for me ... [but] when it would not hold any air, they called every maintenance facility on the field ... [then started] calling flight schools on the field. Their last option came through: A mechanic was reached that worked at Criag Air Center, and it was fixed at a reasonable price, in a reasonable ammount of time. I was extremely pleased with their service and helpfulness. I will definitely be back if I am in the area. ... And given last week's top FBO, we'd say KCRG is looking good as a summer stopover! Keep those nominations coming. For complete contest rules, click here. AVweb is actively seeking out the best FBOs in the country and another one, submitted by you, will be spotlighted here next Monday! Get Them While They're Hot! Order the Light Plane Maintenance Toolbox CD now and get over two years of issues in searchable PDF format! Find out how much money you can save on annuals and overhauls! Click here to order now! Help Us Celebrate AVweb's 15th Anniversary back to top  15 Years and Now 15 Grand Giveaways ... It's Your Chance to Win an AV8OR Handheld GPS Win an AV8OR handheld GPS (from Bendix/King by Honeywell) as we celebrate our 15th Anniversary! All you have to do is click here to enter your name and e-mail address. (You only have to enter once, and you'll be entered in our prize drawings for the entire year — so if you've already entered, you're all set.) And no, we're not going to rent or sell your name, ever. Tell your friends, and invite them to sign up for AVweb so they can qualify for our 15 Grand Giveaways prize drawings, too. (We won't spam them, either — but we hope they will sign up for our newsletters.) Deadline for entries is 11:59pm Zulu time June 18, 2010. Click here to read the contest rules and enter. Traditional Tactics Need a Fresh Approach Doing the same thing and expecting different results is the definition of insanity. Isn't it time to initiate a digital marketing program with AVweb that will deliver traffic and orders directly to your web site? Discover several new and highly successful marketing options to use in lieu of static print or banner campaigns. Click now for details. The Lighter Side of Flight back to top  Short Final Overheard on the radio: Piper 1234W: "Chattanooga tower, Piper 1234W with you at 2,000." Chattanooga Tower: "Piper 1234W — cleared to land, runway 20." Piper 1234W: "Roger. Cleared to land, runway 20." [after a pause] Chattanooga Tower: "Piper 1234W, you just flew past runway 20." Piper 1234W: "Yep, too much giddyup and not enough whoa. I'll do a 180 and catch it on the turn." Chattanooga Tower: "Roger. Cleared to land, runway 20." Bob Jones via e-mail Names Behind the News back to top  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 Webmaster Scott Simmons Contributors Jeff van West Mariano Rosales 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.