ECLIPSE GOES SOLO WITH CONCEPT JET
On Monday morning at EAA AirVenture, Eclipse Aviation President and CEO Vern Raburn stunned the press corps when he taxied up to the company's exhibit in the V-tail, single-engine Eclipse Concept Jet (ECJ) prototype just minutes after the airplane project itself was announced by COO Peg Bilson. The four-set very light jet single, which shares about 60-percent commonality with its larger Eclipse 500 sibling, was built in complete secrecy at the NASA Wallops Island facility in Virginia by contractors Swift Engineering and Basis. It features a V-tail and pod-mounted Pratt & Whitney Canada PW610F, along with the Avio NG integrated avionics suite. According to the company, the all-aluminum ECJ prototype has logged about 30 hours since its first flight on July 2, and the airplane has reached speeds of 250 knots and altitudes up to 25,000 feet. Ultimately, the small jet is expected to attain 345 knots and FL410 during testing; NBAA IFR range is predicted to be 1,250 nm. Preliminary weights include a 4,800-pound mtow, 2,480-pound empty weight, 2,000-pound useful load and 1,261-pound fuel capacity. Eclipse stresses, however, that the airplane is only a concept model and is not a product launch. More...

CIRRUS IS LATEST TO SOAR INTO LSA MARKET
Cirrus Design on Monday at EAA AirVenture announced a partnership with Fk Lightplanes of Speyer, Germany to produce the Cirrus SRS (or SR Sport) light sport aircraft. According to Duluth, Minn.-based Cirrus, the SRS will be an extension of the company's current product line for people who would like a Cirrus but are more interested in sporty, recreational or entry-level missions. Cirrus said the all-composite SRS will be equipped with the Cirrus Airframe Parachute System and glass avionics (system to be determined). First deliveries are expected next summer, but the pricing has not yet been firmed up but should be in the neighborhood of $100,000. "For years we have talked about how we, as an industry, needed to introduce more people to flying," said Cirrus Chairman and CEO Alan Klapmeier. "The SRS is yet another example of [us] providing a high customer value product that is easier to fly, more comfortable, loaded with safety features – all at an extremely affordable cost." The company said the SRS is based on the Fk14 Polaris, which is "the best in class." More...

EXCLUSIVE VIDEO: ECLIPSE CONCEPT JET AT AIRVENTURE OSHKOSH 2007
A first look at the Eclipse Concept Jet unveiled Monday at AirVenture. Hear Eclipse president and CEO Vern Rayburn's comments and have a close look at the jet -- inside and out. (Click through to watch.) More...

DIAMOND SHOWS OFF ITS NEW SUPERSTAR
Diamond Aircraft formally introduced its DA50 SuperStar at EAA AirVenture on Monday, saying it's intended to fill the niche between the plethora of four-place high-performance singles and the in-development personal jets. The SuperStar will fit three on its rear bench seat, allowing the whole family to fly. "We saw a gap in the market," said company spokeswoman Heike Larson. "This is different from what's out there." With a 52-inch-wide cabin and a full range of creature comforts, including seatback entertainment screens for the backseat passengers, Larson said the SuperStar is aimed at those that want a big, high-performance load hauler. Ice protection and a BRS parachute will be available options. First versions will be powered by a Continental TSIOF-550J engine with FADEC, with a 200-knot cruise (true) and a 900-nm range. The aircraft is projected to cost in the $600,000 range. More...

SYMPHONY WILL RISE AGAIN, SAYS INVESTOR
The so-called angel investor whose money funded the second incarnation of Symphony Aircraft vows the slick two-seater will have a third chance at a market that has become increasingly crowded and less defined than it was when the plane was first produced early in this century. The aircraft was first made in Germany by OMF. It restructured in Canada with American investor Lou Simons providing most of the capital, but it went under again earlier this year. Simons, speaking at a news conference at EAA AirVenture said the combination of a weak American dollar, delays in certifying the Symphony's glass cockpit model and higher-than-expected start-up costs all led to the second bankruptcy. The third incarnation will be in the U.S., Simons said, and he predicted resuming production in 2008. More...

IT'S 'MY WAY OR THE HIGHWAY' FOR T-6 PILOT
On Sunday, a World War II-era North American T-6G made an emergency landing on a Wisconsin highway on the way to EAA AirVenture in Oshkosh, Wis. Engine problems forced the airplane to land on Highway 41 near Fond du Lac Airport, and a state trooper caught the off-field touchdown on video. Neither pilot William J. Leff of Dayton, Ohio, nor his son suffered injuries, but the right wing of their airplane suffered damage after hitting highway signs. (Click through to watch the Associated Press video.) More...

EPIC FLIES TWIN, SINGLE JETS TO OSHKOSH
Epic unveiled two prototype jets at EAA AirVenture on Monday, proving its development schedule is as agressive as its marketing campaign. Not only did the Victory single and Elite twin arrive as scheduled for a 10:30 a.m. press conference, but they took to the air a few hours later in demo flights for the airshow crowd. Not bad considering the Victory wasn't even on the virtual drawing board until last December. Epic President Rick Schrameck told the assembled media the approximately 200-day timeline from the first autocad entry to a flying jet is a tribute to the design and production team. The jets are officially kits for now and at least five Victories will be built in the coming year, according to the script read by the airshow announcer as the Victory was landing. More...

COMP AIR 12 PROGRESS REPORT
Comp Air owner and president Ron Lueck provided an update on his latest project, the Comp Air 12 turboprop, at AirVenture. He is now working on a conforming prototype, which has evolved a bit from the earlier version that was shown at Sun 'n Fun back in April. According to Lueck, the cabin of the current Model 12 is 42 inches longer than the earlier version and about four inches wider. The tail surfaces have been made larger to accommodate the power of the Honeywell TPE331-14GR turboprop engine, he said. It will have a ceiling of 29,000 feet, a 310 knot cruise, 2,800-fpm climb and an NBAA IFR range of 2,535 nm. "It can go nonstop anywhere in North America," he said. The eight to 10-seat Comp Air 12 will have a lavatory on board to ensure comfort on longer flights. Lueck expects the design to achieve certification in the first quarter of 2010 and sell for under $3 million. More...

ROTORWAY DEBUTS NEW HELICOPTER KIT
RotorWay debuted the prototype of its new A600 Talon two-seat helicopter at EAA AirVenture on Monday morning. Company CEO Grant Norwitz said the new model is a top-to-bottom upgrade of the company's previous design, incorporating a glass cockpit, FADEC, a wider and taller cabin and a new drive system. "It's a quantum leap forward," he said. The kit version of the aircraft will sell for $95,700, with everything, in a quick-build kit that the company says can be completed in 450 hours. "I know it's too cheap," Norwitz said, but he then added that a ready-to-fly version can be imported from a South African factory for $135,000, prompting more than a few gasps and wows even from the press corps attending the event. "One of our goals is to provide affordable rotary-wing flying," Norwitz said. He added that the company will work toward certification of the A600, first in Europe and then in the U.S., and plans to develop a turbine version. More...

AVIAT OFFERS ENHANCED VISION SYSTEM
Aviat Aircraft said it will offer Forward Vision's EVS-100 both as a factory-installed option on new Huskies and as a retrofit on older models. The company said it is the first GA manufacturer to offer the infrared enhanced-vision system. Stu Horn, president of Aviat, said the EVS-100 "turns night into day" and can see through light fog and clouds. "This is not a virtual image, but actual," he said. That is, the pilot sees a real-time image derived from the actual landscape, not from a database. The EVS-100 can reveal obstacles on a dark runway, aid emergency night landings and prevent midair collisions in low visibility conditions, Horn said. The system includes an infrared sensor weighing 1.2 pounds that is installed on the fuselage like an antenna and a cockpit display. Cost for the system, whether as a new option or a retrofit, is $22,000, Horn said. More...

EXCLUSIVE VIDEO: AIRVENTURE OSHKOSH 2007, DAY ONE TOUR
During our first day at AirVenture Oshkosh 2007, we looked into aircraft innovations from Cessna, Eclipse, Cirrus, and Epic and sampled a mixed bag of everything aviation. Click through to join us for a video "walking tour" of the show. More...

AVWEB'S AIRVENTURE 2007 PODCAST #2: BEHIND THE SCENES OF ECLIPSE'S CONCEPT SURPRISE, WITH VERN RABURN
Eclipse CEO Vern Raburn talks with AVweb's Mary Grady about the new Eclipse single-engine "concept jet," which made its surprise debut on Monday at EAA AirVenture in Oshkosh. He talks about his opinions regarding composite versus aluminum; the advantages of a "go-home button" versus a parachute; his take on the safety of flying at 41,000 or 25,000 feet; and more. Click here to listen. More...

AVMAIL: JUL. 23, 2007
Reader mail this week about FSS vs. Duats, Congressional oversight and more. More...

AVWEB'S NEWSTIPS ADDRESS ...
Our best stories start with you. If you've heard something that 130,000 pilots might want to know about, tell us. Submit news tips via email to newstips@avweb.com. What have you heard? More...

AVWEBBIZ: AVWEB'S BUSINESS AVIATION NEWSLETTER
HAVE YOU SIGNED UP yet for AVweb's NO-COST weekly business newsletter, AVwebBiz? Reporting on breaking news, Business AVflash also focuses on the companies, the products and the industry leaders that make headlines in the Business of Aviation. Business AVflash is a must read. Sign up today at http://www.avweb.com/profile/. More...

MEET THE AVWEBFLASH TEAM