Oshkosh 1998 Coverage:
Day Three – Thursday, July 30

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AVweb's OSH '98 Coverage - Day 3

Latest OSH News | Articlesand Features | Day Three Photo Gallery

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From EAA AirVenture ’98

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Latest EAA AirVenture
News & Highlights

Warbirds Grounded By Misfueling Scare

Fuel contamination conferenceThe usual warbirds show didn’t come offon Thursday at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh. The reason – concerns about possibly contaminatedavgas. Apparently, an unidentified warbird pilot checked his fuel and alerted warbirdoperations of a possible problem. “We were within 30 seconds of starting,” saidone T-6 pilot.

According to Joe Schumacher, Director of Aircraft Maintenance for EAA, it was notcertain that the fuel was contaminated, but rather than take any chances, the warbirdsstood down and the show was scrubbed. A joint statement from Phillips Petroleum and BaslerFlight Service was issued late on Thursday saying that in response to “concernexpressed by several aircraft operators concerning coloration and aroma of fuel,”samples were “collected from the aircraft in question and the trucks that servicedthese airplanes. Samples were sent to the Wisconsin Bureau of Retail Petroleum Services inFond du Lac, Wisc. Tests showed the fuel in question meets the specifications of Avgas andproves that it is not contaminated with either Jet A or diesel fuel.”

At least one warbird owner/pilot was initially convinced that the fuel wascontaminated. T-34 pilot Richard Russell told AVweb, “I’m sure it wasbad.” Russell said that he had topped off with 31 gallons of fuel. He said that thefuel smelled and felt suspicious.

AlliedSignal Unveils World’s Priciest GPS Portable

Skyforce IIICForget anything you’ve ever heard about Oshkosh, thebiggest reasons pilots come here are to “see” new toys and to “buy”new toys, and the manufacturers never disappoint. Thursday AlliedSignal and recentlyacquired Skyforce gave assembled reporters the skinny on the new Skyforce IIIC portableGPS moving map display. With a list price of just under $2,500 dollars, it’s going to bethe most expensive portable on the market, but AlliedSignal/Skyforce is convinced it willbe the best.

Using the Skyforce IIIC is a breeze. If you have one working finger, it can get youwhere you want to go, and with an incredibly high quality 16-color moving map, all it willtake is one good eye to see it. According to Skyforce’s John Prior, “There is simplyno competition.” Big words, but the Skyforce IIIC may just live up to them. Move thesmall joystick to a location on the map, hit a single “go to” button, and wait acouple of seconds for the heading and distance to appear on the screen. There’s no denyingit’s a sweet set-up, but $2,500 dollars is an expensive option for something you unplugfrom the cigarette lighter and stick in your flight bag. How will AlliedSignal/Skyforceovercome that perception? Easy. Instead of thinking of it as an expensive portable GPS,Allied/Signal will tell you to consider it an “inexpensive” panel-mount.Skyforce Managing Director Mel White: “One of the benefits is being able to put it inthe panel, because people are willing to spend more for a panel. When you view it as apanel- mounted GPS, it’s outstanding product for the money…when you look at it as aportable product, yes it’s a top end product.”

If you plan to panel mount the IIIC, be prepared to get a Form 337 STC, but once youhave it, mount away. You have the choice of four different mounting options depending onwhere you want to place it and how much space your panel has left. For folks who claimtheir current GPS systems are unreadable in direct sunlight, the Skyforce IIIC promisesclarity in all lighting situations, and will angle 45 degrees side to side for yourviewing pleasure. The Skyforce IIIC will go into production soon, and will be availablefor purchase by the end of September.

Get Your Jepp NavData Via The Net

JeppesenInternet-savvy Jeppesen NavData users can now get their GPSdatabase updates via their computer. Jeppesen customers will initially have to buy adatawriter that will give them the power to download digital information and transfer thatdata to a data card which can then be inserted into Garmin, Trimble, Magellan, andNorthstar GPS units. After the first year of service, Jeppesen is promising thesubscription price will be cut in half. Prices will vary depending on what type of GPS youhave, but with, say, the current annual upgrade price of $950 for a Garmin GNC 250, youcan figure on quite a savings. Since the datawriter will also lower the expenses involvedwith sending NavData cards through the mail, Jeppesen says it will be able to reduce theoverall cost accordingly. Jeppesen expects to begin taking orders for the datawriterduring the last part of 1998.

NBAA, EAA Join Vowels For AirVenture ’98

NBAAWhat do a $46 million dollar Gulfstream bizjet and a $46,000Piper Super Cub have in common? They’ll both take wing and they’ll both get you whereyou’re going – granted in different levels of style. But National Business AviationAssociation president John W. Olcott says they have more in common than just the obvious.Olcott argues one type of flying supports the other. As proof of this “synergy”,EAA AirVenture ’98 is saluting seven decades of corporate aviation. What role doescorporate/business aviation play in general aviation? Olcott’s conversation is sprinkledliberally with the word “continuum” as he talks about how many of his corporatepilot members are also EAA members, and how what happens to business aviation is importantto G.A. as a whole.

If all of G.A. goes the way of business aviation, then all should go well. Corporatenumbers are good and getting better. Olcott rattles off the figures as if he’s done it afew times before: business aviation is growing at a rate of 5% each year, about 10,000U.S. companies fly 17,000 turbine and 35,000 piston-engine aircraft. Olcott says businessowners are learning corporate airplanes and helicopters maximize their two most importantassets: people and time.

What’s the benefit of corporate flying over airlines? Olcott says it becomes veryobvious when companies try to make travel plans. “Business jets can go toapproximately ten times the locations that have any type of commercial service and 100times the locations that really have convenient service. Airlines serve 500 airports butconcentrate that service on only 50 locations. Business can go to 5,000.” Unlike therest of G.A., the business of bizjets actually started trending “up” during therecession of the late 80’s and part of it was due to downsizing. What was bad foremployees was good for corporate flight departments. According to Olcott, “Downsizingrequired employees to be more productive-one area that had to increase in productivity wasin travel.” Despite what you might think, it’s not just the Warren Buffets and BillGates who fly corporate-a recent Lou Harris poll showed 50% of those flying biz are middlemanagers, 20% are professional and technical people, 15% are senior management, and 15%are top management.

Will the information age change that? It’s too easy nowadays to fax, teleconference,e-mail, and phone. Olcott argues we’ll still need to fly. “Has using the fax machinereduced your need to travel and meet face to face with customers?” To Olcott, thefuture of biz is bright.

Feel The Need For Speed?

Michael Maya Charles in the LegendThe Legend, a high performance, V-8powered composite tandem aircraft that appeared on the market a short time ago now lookseven more like a miniature JPATS military trainer: it’s got a new turboprop engine.

The Legend airframe was designed originally for up to 1000 horse power and 500 mph sothe engine swap wasn’t a major feat of engineering. In the process of replacing the V-8and it’s associated water cooling system, the airframe lost 330 pounds. With the newturboprop installation, the new empty weight is less than 2000 pounds.

The free-shaft Walter M601D turboprop engine, similar in design to the Pratt andWhitney PT-6, is manufactured in the Czech Republic, and is rated at 657 horse power, 724horses for takeoff. It is used mostly in an eastern European commuter aircraft called theLet 410, which strongly resembles the Beech 1900. There is another model of the engine, adifferent dash number actually, which is FAA certified for retrofit on Beech King Airs.The prop is also from the Let 410 commuter aircraft, but was designed to operate in awhole different performance environment than the speedy Legend.

As you would expect, the combination small airframe-big engine of the Legend performslike a rocket. Though the Legend’s turboprop engine was installed just this past April,before Sun & Fun, there are still things that need to be optimized with the newcombination, especially the propeller. When cruising in the mid teens, arguably lower thanoptimum altitude for the Legend, speeds of 300-335 knots are quite common. With some proptweaking, the company hopes to see normal cruise numbers in the 350 knot range.

Lengend motive endJeff Aukland, president of Legend Aircraft, told ofa recent takeoff from Legend Aircraft’s home airport, Johnson County, near Kansas City:”I’ve got a hobbs meter that works on the master switch in this aircraft. On a recentflight, I jumped in, did my usual start and warm up, then taxied out and was cleared fortakeoff. From the time I turned the master switch on until I reached 17,500 feet was just8 minutes! Fuel burn was only 6 gallons.” Now that’s a rocket ship.

What’s the price of all this speed and performance? The complete kit less engine fromLegend is $79,850; the firewall forward package, including engine, prop, engine mount,wire harness, engine gauges, and power levers is $45,000. The company estimates that abuilder could have a flying airplane for $160,000 to 170,000. Where would you like to gofor lunch?

Very, Very Young Eagles

U-Control flyingCirclemasters of Brookfield, Wisconsin are conductingintroductory u-control model airplane sessions at Oshkosh’s Pioneer Field during EAAAirVenture ’98. Their whole purpose for conducting the dual sessions is to introduce morekids to aviation, since many pilots were captivated by flying u-control or radio controlmodels when they were young. The group set up two 60 foot and one 40 foot flying ring nearthe north edge of the beautiful grass runway at Pioneer Field, and would be glad to showanyone how to fly a u-control model during the convention.

New Wittman Hanger

Also at Pioneer Field is the new Steve Wittman Hangar, a memorial to Wittman field’snamesake. The hangar resembles the FBO where Wittman once operated in his glory days. Avisit is like stepping back in time, with airplanes chronicling Wittman’s years as amechanic, homebuilder and air racing legend. His tool bench is even a part of the display,with tools scattered across the top as if the master craftsman will return after a shorttest flight.

Several important airplanes occupy the hangar, including Steve’s first homebuilt, theHardly Ableson. This crude airplane was scrapped together from parts and pieces at thetime, and included a Harley Davidson V-twin motorcycle engine which produced 12-14horsepower. Wittman taught himself to fly in the simple craft.

The Pheasant H10 biplane, in which Steve made many transcontinental racing flights inthe late 20’s also sits in the hangar doorway, beckoning visitors inside. Buttercup, thepredecesor of Wittman’s Tailwind, and the prototype Tailwind is there, too, a reminder ofhow visionary this man was back when his light, efficient designs were the talk of EAAconventions in the sixties. Worth a visit.

Poberenzy, Schmoberezny…You Can’t Park There!

Connie, Chuck, and PaulAnyone who has driven to AirVentureOshkosh knows how serious the EAA’s volunteers are about directing traffic. EAA founderPaul Poberezny discovered today just how serious. Paul was demonstrating a couple ofnon-standard items in his P-51 to Chuck Yeager, who was about to fire it up and goformation flying with Connie Bowlin in Glamorous Glennis. As these two icons of aviationleaned into the cockpit, a volunteer walked over and announced “Sir, I’m sorry butyou’re gonna have to move that car.” Someone in the stunned crowd said “Hey,lady! Do you know who that is?” Paul and Chuck handled the interruption with aplomb,finished the briefing, and Paul moved his car. Just goes to show you that PIC time doesn’tmean a thing when you’re driving on the grounds at EAA AirVenture.

ICOMAVweb’s OSH ’98 communications radios provided courtesy of ICOM America.

OSH ’98 Articles and Features

“Keep It In Tight, Cherokee…
Put It Down On The Green Dot”

OSH TowerIt’s the world’s most prestigious ATC job: working OSHduring EAA. From the ranks of Great Lakes Region, 168 of the most senior controllersapplied, but just 48 were chosen to wear the pink shirts, and those are the best of thebest. AVwebs Rick Durden spent a few hours in the tower cab watching these talentedmen and women doing their separation stuff. Whew! These folks sure as heck earn their payduring AirVenture week!


Gunfight at the OSH Corral

Patty and SeanPatty Wagstaff and Sean D. Tucker held their firstcombined airshow at OSH Thursday. The ersatz competition provides AVweb contributor BillScherer an opportunity to poke some good-natured (but wry) fun at the two close friends.If this doesnt tickle your funny-bone, were not sure what will. AVweb alsoprovides you with our review of this staged competition, probably not acontest true-blue lovers of aerobatics will be enthused about, but those who enjoyprofessional wrestling matches may well find it entertaining.


It’s Not Just A Fly-In

It was fun!Tom Gresham concludes his first-timers adventure toEAA AirVenture Oshkosh with more exploration and discoveries in the markets and buildingsthat populated OSH. Along the way he earned his first painful OSH blister and emptied thecontents of his wallet into the cash registers of a few exhibitors. Toms insightsinto what he learned this first time around give a good sense of why this place keepsattracting enthusiasts year after year. Will Tom be back next year? What do you think?


OSH ’98 Photo Gallery – Day Three

Tons of great photos ofThursdays thrilling airshow, plus dozens of our staffers discoveries of theunique, exotic, beautiful, weird and wonderful at EAA AirVenture 98. The PhotoGallery is proving to be one of the most popular portions of AVwebs special Oshkoshcoverage. Truly the next best thing to being here yourself.

Don’t forget to visit AVweb again tomorrow for more OSH ’98 coverage!

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