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| AVflash! Aerostar High-Speed Jet at Oshkosh | back to top |  |
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Aerostar Jet
Aerostar Aircraft Corporation has taken two Pratt & Whitney 615 FADEC engines and slung them under the wings of an Aerostar to create what Aerostar's Jim Christy says will be a 400-plus knot capable jet. Christy flew the jet to AirVenture Oshkosh for the jet's first major public debut and says he's testing the market with eyes on certification. The engines improve performance in every way but fuel flow, and take advantage of the Aerostar's aerodynamics and strength. Christy says a new Aerostar Jet could come to market at a price point near $2.4 million and Aerostar Aircraft can offer more than just more speed -- it can also offer more room.
The Aerostar's big windows make the interior of the plane seem a lot larger than aircraft that actually offer more interior space, but Christy says that illusion could be complimented real added square footage. The company offers a stretched version that extends the jet's fuselage by nearly three feet. For more information, see our video coverage collected at AirVenture 2011. |
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| These Guys Sing the Body Electric | back to top | |
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Electric Aircraft Advocates Share Ideas At AirVenture
Anyone who thinks that electric aircraft are just for dreamers and tinkerers might think twice after seeing the lineup of speakers at EAA's Electric Aircraft World Symposium, held on Friday and Saturday during AirVenture. The event, sponsored by GE Aviation, brought in experts from the U.S. Air Force, NASA Langley, Sikorsky Aircraft, Argonne National Labs, the FAA, and more. Mark Maybury, chief scientist for the USAF, told AVweb the military is interested in creating fully electric aircraft, both manned and unmanned. "This is important not only from an energy-management perspective but also for acoustic properties, to create a much quieter vehicle -- as much as 15 to 20 decibels quieter than current vehicles," he said. "Acoustic stealth offers a military advantage." Maybury said the military is also interested in electric technology as a means to help reduce complexity, improve thermal management, reduce carbon emissions, and conserve fuel. He sent a copy of his very interesting PowerPoint presentation to AVweb; click here to download it (PDF).
The Symposium, held at EAA's Museum, attracted about 200 or so attendees, who participated in lively Q & A's with each of the speakers and crowded around them to pursue further conversations during the breaks. EAA had also planned to host an Electric Aircraft Prize during AirVenture, with a $60,000 prize, but postponed it till next year. Too many of the prospective entrants hadn't been flying long enough to meet the 40-hour minimum flight test requirement in time to appear at the show. At the Symposium on Friday, AVweb's Mary Grady spoke with Don Hillebrand, of Argonne National Labs, about his work and why he thinks it's important to pursue research into new energy technologies; click here for that podcast. |
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| Flight School — On the Sim? | back to top | |
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Redbird Plans Simulator-Based Flight School
Redbird Flight Simulations makes tabletop and full-motion flight simulators for flight schools all over the world and this November will open a simulator-centric flight school. The company is opening what it's calling an aviation laboratory in San Markos, Texas to study the effectiveness of simulation in flight training. Jerry Gergoire, president of Redbird, says that creating "a lab environment with a high volume of students coming through will allow us to objectively measure the impact of these tools and correct and refine as we go." At the core of the lab is a Part 141 flight school promising a $9500 private pilot license using new Cessna 172s and the Redbird simulators.
King Schools is developing the curriculum specifically around the simulators. The student will see the maneuver or item demonstrated by the Kings played on the simulator's visual screen and then the simulator will place the students in the exact location and configuration they just saw to practice. They get an immediate critique at the end. The hope is that practicing on the sim will make the overall training more effective, satisfying and cheaper. The larger hope is that programs like this will decrease the student pilot drop out rate and convince the FAA to allow simulation to play a greater role in flight training. |
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Google Sponsoring Green Flight Challenge
Google has thrown its considerable weight behind the Green Flight Challenge, a competition aimed at spurring the development of energy efficient personal aircraft. NASA has already put up $1.65 million in prize money for the the competition and the minimum qualification is a top speed of at least 100 mph and overall energy efficiency of at least the equivalent of 200 passenger miles per gallon. The competition will be held Sept. 25-Oct.3 at Charles M. Shultz Airport in Sonoma, California but the Google Green Flight Challenge Exposition, hosted by NASA, at Moffet Field on Oct. 3 where the competing aircraft and related technologies will be on display. The aircraft will compete on a closed course and scored on their performance.
There are 13 teams vying for the prize money and propulsion systems include hybrids, bio-fuel and hydrogen. By far the most popular pick is pure electric, however, and Google is helping out with that. It's sponsoring the first "emissions-free" charging station for the aircraft by sourcing electricity from a geothermal generating station. Erik Lindbergh is presenting the prize for the quietest aircraft in the competition. |
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| Guyanan Overrun Update | back to top | |
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No Fatalities In Guyana Overrun
All 163 people aboard a Caribbean Airlines Boeing 737-800 survived after the aircraft overran the runway at Cheddi Jagan Airport in Guyana early July 30. The aircraft fuselage broke at about the 10th row of passenger seats ahead of the wing. There was no post-crash fire and the aircraft came to rest near a 200-foot-deep ravine. About 100 people were treated for mostly minor injuries but some remain in hospital with broken bones. Weather at the time (1:32 a.m.) of the accident was reported as calm winds in light rain.
The flight originated in New York and may have stopped in Port of Spain, Trinidad, the home country of the airline, which has an unremarkable safety record and clearly uses newer equipment. The accident does raise some issues about the airport, however. Initial reports suggest there was little in the way of emergency response and pax initially had to fend for themselves. An unconfirmed report by Associated Press |
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| Aviation Safety Reports from Outside Oshkosh | back to top | |
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Unusual Accidents: Mid-Air, Wright Flyer, 18-Hour Swim
The last few days have produced some GA accidents that are gaining national attention. July 30, a float-equipped Cessna 206 was able to fly 100 miles to Anchorage and land safely after colliding with a Cessna 180. The 180 crashed and both occupants died. A few hours before that, a replica of a Wright Model B crashed near Springfield, Ohio, killing volunteer pilots Don Gum, 73, and Mitchell Cary, 65. The aircraft was owned by the Wright "B" Flyer Corp. of Dayton, which built the aircraft as link to the past but with a modern engine and controls. The happy story in all this comes from the miraculous survival of Michael Trapp, an upstate New York mechanic who survived a ditching and 18 hours in the chilly waters of Lake Huron.
Trapp was on his way to Eau Claire in his Cessna 150 when he had engine problems and put the aircraft in the lake about 20 miles from shore. He swam for 18 hours, getting tantalizingly close to land before being turned back by currents. He finally managed to flag down a passing boat by putting a sock on his hand to make it more noticeable. |
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| Wrapping Up Our Daily Photo Galleries | back to top | |
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EAA AirVenture 2011: Photo Gallery — Day Seven
As AirVenture 2011 begins to wind down, we look back over a week of airplanes, camaraderie, and new product roll-outs that appeal to the gadget geek lurking inside every pilot. Our AirVenture intern Adam is already home by now, but he left behind this exciting batch of photos centered on the afternoon air shows to help us look back on a terrific show.
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| Opinion & Commentary | back to top | |
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AVweb Insider Blog: Note to Tower — Talk Less, Talk Slower
And use fewer words while you're at it. That applies to both ATC and pilots in busy airspace like AirVenture. In his latest post to the AVweb Insider — a video blog post — Paul Bertorelli offers some suggestions on the tower's performance after an F-16 crumped runway 36 on Thursday morning.
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| AVweb Audio — Are You Listening? | back to top | |
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Podcast: Pipistrel's 200/200File Size 6.7 MB / Running Time 7:21
Podcast Index | How to Listen | Subscribe Via RSS
Pipistrel says its four-seat Panthera will pull a 200-knot cruise from a 200 hp engine over 1,000 nautical miles with full seats in a certified airframe — before 2014. We asked them why people should believe they can do it.
This podcast is brought to you by Phillips 66
Aviation
Podcast: Don Hillebrand, Argonne National LabsFile Size 5.5 MB / Running Time 5:58
Podcast Index | How to Listen | Subscribe Via RSS
Don Hillebrand of the U.S. Department of Energy's Argonne National Labs spoke with AVweb's Mary Grady at EAA AirVenture about the potential of electric flight, as well as other new propulsion alternatives that his lab is studying.
This podcast is brought to you by Lightspeed
Aviation
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| AVweb Media: Look, Listen, Laugh and Learn | back to top | |
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Video: Aerostar 340-Knot Jet Debut at AirVenture Oshkosh
Original, Exclusive Videos from AVweb | Reader-Submitted & Viral Videos The Aerostar jet cruises at 340 knots at 85 percent power; climbs at 5,000 feet per minute at 160 knots; and burns 80 gallons per hour. The standard piston-engine driven Aerostar carries 210 gallons with auxiliary fuel aboard, which would give the jet an endurance (with required reserves) of about two hours and a range near 780 miles. But the jet may be capable of carrying more fuel still. This aircraft made its public debut at AirVenture Oshkosh 2011.
This video is brought to you by Lightspeed
Aviation
Video: Mitsubishi A6M3 Model 22 Zero WWII Fighter
Original, Exclusive Videos from AVweb | Reader-Submitted & Viral Videos One of three flying examples left in the world, this rebuilt Mitsubishi A6M3 Model 22 Zero WWII Japanese fighter on display at the AirVenture air and trade show in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. This aircraft is owned and operated by the Commemorative Air Force's (CAF) Southern California Wing, based at Camarillo.
This video is brought to you by Bose
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| The Top Reporter on Our Crack Staff ... Is You! | back to top | |
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Survey: Have You Had Your Airplane Painted Recently?
If so, Aviation Consumer would like to hear about the results. Did the shop do a good job? Did it deliver on time? And what about the price?
To take our survey, just click here, and it will take you right to our survey page.
The results will appear in a future issue of Aviation Consumer. For subscription information, click here.
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. You're a part of our team ... often, the best part. |
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| Names Behind the News | back to top | |
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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:
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