X-51A SCRAMJET FLIGHT GOOD, NOT PERFECT (WITH VIDEO)
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. More...

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." More...

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 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." More...

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. More...

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. More...

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. More...

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. 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 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. More...

AVIATION CONSUMER'S LSA DURABILITY SURVEY
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.) More...

ADEPT AIRMOTIVE'S NEW V-6 ENGINES: THE DETAILS
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. More...

AVIATION CONSUMER'S DIAMOND MOTOR GLIDER GLIDING TRIAL
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. More...

IFR MAGAZINE SHARES GPS TRICKS FOR VOR CLEARANCES
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. More...

FBO OF THE WEEK: CRAIG AIR CENTER (KCRG, JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA)

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.

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!

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.

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

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

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