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Volume 25, Number 11b

March 14, 2018

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Textron Reports On SkyCourier Progress

Mary Grady

The initial wind-tunnel testing of the new twin-engine Cessna SkyCourier turboprop is now complete, Textron announced on Tuesday. Engineers will analyze the results from the tests to develop performance and aerodynamic characteristics and structural load data.

“We’re making outstanding progress in the development of this clean-sheet aircraft and are eager to continue defining the details that will allow us to start creating tools and parts,” said Brad Thress, senior vice president for engineering. “For the initial wind tunnel testing, we use a custom, precision model with electric motors and scaled propellers calibrated to represent the thrust produced by the real aircraft.”

East River Crash: A High Price For Cool Photos

Paul Bertorelli

I'd be the last guy to go all Uncle Melvin on dangling outside an open airplane door. But counting on a knife to cut yourself free during a ditching is a terrible idea.

How To Get A Light Sport Seaplane Rating

Paul Bertorelli

The sport pilot rule allows anyone who wants a seaplane rating to do it with five or so hours of training and then an endorsement from an evaluating CFI. AVweb's Paul Bertorelli recently did the rating at Jones Brothers Air and Sea Adventures in Tavares, Florida. Here's his report.

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NASA Flies RC Cub For UAS Research

Mary Grady

With so many companies working on electric-powered VTOLs and other airplanes of the future, it may seem odd that NASA is experimenting with what is essentially a big RC model of a Cub. Yet the recent tests conducted at NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in California are “leading a critical phase for UAS integration into the National Airspace System, by educating engineers and validating key technologies that will directly apply to the next generation of large-scale unmanned vehicles,” NASA said.

Kitty Hawk Unveils VTOL Prototype

Mary Grady

Kitty Hawk, the California company that has been working on a “flying car” funded by Alphabet CEO Larry Page, has released a video of its newest autonomous VTOL prototype, which is now flying in New Zealand. The electric-powered aircraft, dubbed “Cora,” is driven by 12 rotors mounted fore and aft of the wing, plus a propeller at the tail. After taking off vertically, it transitions to horizontal flight. Each of the rotors can operate independently, the company says, for redundant safety, and the aircraft will also be equipped with a ballistic parachute.

Berlin Airlift: Plus Fifty

J. B. McLaughlin

With needle, ball and a hell of a lot of guts, a bunch of guys flying beat-up C-47s won the first round of the cold war. It was the most challenging IFR flying imaginable with equipment generously described as primitive. On this classic reprint from IFR magazine, two veterans of the lift tell their stories.

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East River Accident: Luggage May Have Bumped Fuel Shutoff

AVweb Staff

The pilot of a helicopter that autorotated into New York's East River Sunday evening told investigators that one of the passenger's bags may have inadvertently bumped the emergency fuel shutoff. The AS350 reported engine failure before it autorotated into the river, appearing to touch down on skid-mounted floats. The pilot, 33-year-old Richard Vance, was the only survivor. Five passengers who had booked the aircraft for a photo flight were killed in the mishap.

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Voom Launches In Mexico City

Mary Grady

Voom, the urban helicopter service operated by Airbus, now has launched operations at a second site, Mexico City. Voom has been flying in Sao Paulo, Brazil, since last April. “We couldn’t be more excited to bring an urgently needed, alternative transportation option to Mexico City,” said Uma Subramanian, CEO of Voom. Mexico City was chosen because it’s one of the most congested cities in the world, with a population of 23.9 million, and significant helicopter infrastructure is already in place, the company said.

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Joy Finnegan Joins AVweb as Editor-in-Chief

Paul Bertorelli

Effective with this week’s editions, longtime aviation journalist and editor Joy Finnegan joins the staff as editor-in-chief of AVweb. Prior to coming aboard, Finnegan has been—and will remain—editor of Aviation Maintenance Magazine and she served as editor at Rotor & Wing Magazine. She also has experience in the industry in contract administration, flight training and airline and charter flying.

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