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December 3, 2010 Volume
10, Number 55
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FW
190A-5/U3 FLIES AGAIN
 On
Wednesday afternoon, December 1, the Flying Heritage Collection's (FHC)
reported on its Facebook page that its Fw 190A-5/U3 fighter made its
first post-restorative flight, marking the first time it's been airborne
since 1943 when it was shot down near Leningrad during World War II.
Veteran test pilot Steve Hinton was at the controls as the aircraft took
off in Tehachapi, California, and tested all major systems during a
20-minute flight. The pilot reported that the aircraft passed its trial
flight with flying colors, stating, "The plane is very light, fast,
and responsive…This lived up to the history books." Read
more
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3/4-SCALE
DE HAVILLAND MOSQUITO PROJECT TO FLY SOON
 There
is another effort to build and fly a de Havilland Mosquito
fighter-bomber, this time in Luçon, France (near the Atlantic coast),
where a team of retired aviators is building a 3/4-scale reproduction of
the Mosquito with hopes to fly it in the next three months. The Mosquito
75 project was started by members of the RRAA (Reconstructions &
Répliques Avions Anciens), the mission of which is to safeguard the
heritage of aviation models of historical interest through reproductions
and restorations. The group also uses its activities to preserve and
pass on the aviation knowledge of retired aviators and technicians. Read
more,
see photos and video
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TERRAFUGIA
TAPPED FOR DARPA PROJECT
 The
Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) announced this week
that Terrafugia Inc. will help develop a four-place roadable aircraft
called the Transformer. Terrafugia is the largest subcontractor to one
of two winning teams, led by AAI Corporation and comprised of other
Textron companies, for the $65-million program. Read
more
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SPORT
AIR RACING LEAGUE CROWNS 2010 SEASON CHAMPIONS
 There
are only a few opportunities for the average aircraft owner to
participate in racing his or her own aircraft. The EAA AirVenture Cup
provides one such opportunity for experimental-aircraft owners to put
their project to the test, but its only once a year. EAA Radio's Fareed
Guyot talks with Mike Thompson about the Sport
Air Racing League, which since 2006 has been slowly building a
year-round racing circuit for both experimental- and production-category
aircraft. Listen
to the interview
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EAAER
BUILDS 300 MPH CAR
 Dan
Marcotte, EAA 9014538 IAC 432358, is a busy man with many talents:
master welder, fabricator, welding instructor, A&P mechanic - oh,
and air show pilot. He tours the country performing in an Ultimate
Biplane and an EAA Super AcroSport, but his entry into motorsports began
at 16 years old, when he built his first stock car in Bakersfield,
Vermont. By 2003 Dan was also make noise in the air by winning a 4th
place Bronze at Reno in his Cassut Racer. Dan's speed has been building
since he became involved in land speed racing, culminating in an October
attempt in his Streamliner, which achieved 300 mph at the 2010 World
Finals at the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah. Read
more and see the video | See
photos
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WANT
TO BUY AN AIRCRAFT CARRIER?
 The
British Royal Navy Aircraft Carrier HMS Invincible, the seventh British
ship to carry the name, has been offered for sale by the British
government. Commissioned in 1980, the ship was nearly sold to Australia
in 1982 before the Falklands War required its services. The ship remained active
through support missions related to conflicts in the Balkans and Iraq.
Decommissioned in 2005, the Invincible sat in the reserve fleet until
this year. With a 560-foot runway (with ski jump) and 18,700-ton
displacement, this boat is perfect gift for the naval aviation
enthusiast in your life. The full complement of 12 Westland SeaKings and
nine Harriers are not included, nor are the engines, which have been
removed. No price was listed; bidding closes January 5, 2011. View
offering
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DIVING
INTO THE RECORD BOOKS
Forty-one women shatter the world record
 A
group of 41 women jumped head-first into the record books November 26 in
the Arizona desert when they successfully doubled the old mark set two
years ago for the largest women’s head-down freefly formation. They
jumped from 16,500 feet, then linked arms for 50 seconds as they joined
to hold formation and set the new world record. Read
more
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STEVE'S
AIRVENTURE BLOG: DIGGING IN BEFORE THE DEEP FREEZE
 Repairing
and improving drainage on the AirVenture grounds is the No. 1 priority
for AirVenture 2011 and Steve Taylor and his staff have spent much of
their time since the end of AirVenture 2010 on this task. Three major
areas around the grounds have been targeted for drainage work, then the
staff will turn their focus to smaller areas that also have caused
problems. As work goes on until winter weather takes hold, the battle
against last summer's rushing waters will get an assist from a
surprising discovery underground. Read
Steve's Blog
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FAA
EXTENDS COMMENT PERIOD FOR PROPOSED A&P-IA POLICY CHANGE
 Addressing
EAA and the Vintage Aircraft Association (VAA) concerns over the FAA's
proposed policy change regarding inspection authorizations for part-time
mechanics, the agency granted a request from EAA to extend the
comment period to January 17, 2011. The concern is that the revised
policy would allow an FAA air safety inspector (ASI) to subjectively
reject an IA application/renewal if the ASI deems the level of
mechanic's work does not meet the standard for "actively
engaged." Read
more
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EAA'S
CULTURE KEY TO GROWING AVIATION
Hightower Part of GA Panel in Wichita
 There's
no city in America more committed to aviation than Wichita, Kansas,
because of its many aviation manufacturing and supplier companies. EAA
president Rod Hightower saw that firsthand on Tuesday, November 30, and
heard the message clearly: The aviation industry is looking to the
unique culture and abilities of EAA to help grow and revitalize general
aviation. Read
more
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WHAT
GOES AROUND…
Former Young Eagle Flies His First
 ...Gwinnett tower, Cessna N53069 at the EAA hangar would like
clearance to depart to the north..." That message is
often heard at the Briscoe Field (LZU) tower in suburban Atlanta,
Georgia, but it held a special significance on November 20, 2010.
Seventeen-year-old Robert Bruce, EAA 766558, flew his first Young Eagle,
8-year-old Karson Jarrett, that day. The pilot, a senior at Collins Hill
High School, met the Gwinnett County third-grader Karson moments before
the flight, and as they soared into the air, Karson declared to Robert,
"I like flying!" Read
more
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YOUNG
EAGLES PILOTS: HELP GROW AVIATION WITH '10 FOR 2010'
 As
the end of the year approaches, the Young Eagles office reminds all
pilots that there's still time to qualify in the annual "10 for
2010" promotion. Pilots who fly and register at least 10 Young
Eagles in a calendar year earn credits that can be used to help youths
further their interest in aviation. Each credit, valued at $5, can be
used by your local chapter to send a young person to one of EAA's Air
Academy sessions or to support local chapter youth outreach efforts. Read
more
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 Okay,
we admit it: Last week's poll was kind of a loaded question. When we
asked whether you thought vintage warbirds like Jerry
Yagen's Mosquito should be flown or safely retired to museums, we
figured a majority of you would vote to keep 'em flying. We didn't know
how right we were - more than 94 percent said you'd rather see airplanes
like that in the air! I think it's safe to call this one…
THIS WEEK'S QUESTION: It's just
been announced that Terrafugia will be working with DARPA on the
Transformer flying armored vehicle project. This sort of thing has been
attempted before, with designs like the Hafner Rotabuggy and the
Piasecki Airgeep proving various concepts but never being put into
production. What do you think - will our soldiers and Marines be riding
around in flying jeeps anytime soon? Vote
now!
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ORDER
TICKETS TO EAA WRIGHT BROTHERS MEMORIAL DINNER ONLINE
 On
December 17, EAA will celebrate the 107th anniversary of the first
successful powered flight at the 8th annual Wright Brothers Memorial
Dinner. The evening's keynote speaker is most famous for making perhaps
the most incredible unpowered flight; Joe Kittinger, Jr. Read
more and listen to an EAA Radio interview with Joe Kittinger
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WEBINARS:
BECOME AN A&P! WATCH THIS WEBINAR!
Learn how to document your aircraft building and/or repair experience
for the purpose of satisfying the practical experience requirements to
earn your airframe & powerplant certificate.
All webinars begin at 7 p.m. CDT. To find
out more about upcoming EAA Webinars and to register, visit the webinars
page.
EAA gratefully acknowledges the
support of Aircraft Spruce and Specialty Co. for their generous
sponsorship of our webinar programs.
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EAA'S
CHRISTMAS IN THE AIR IS NEXT WEEK
 A
lively holiday atmosphere awaits visitors to EAA's 27th annual Christmas
in the Air next Tuesday, December 7, from 2:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the EAA
AirVenture Museum. This free Oshkosh community holiday tradition
features festive music performed by more than 20 local musical groups,
along with special guests "Those Funny Little People" and a
visit from Santa in true EAA style - by helicopter! Visitors can enjoy
free cookies and milk and indulge in "Just Plane Chocolate," a
chocolate tasting by local vendors. Find
out more
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EAA MERCHANDISE: SAVE $10 ON ORDERS $50 OR MORE
 Save
on EAA merchandise like this EAA jacket. It's easy, just enter coupon
code Save10 on page 2 of the checkout process. Valid on web
orders only.  But
hurry, offer good through December 7, 2010.
Great gift add-on: save $4 on your
World of Flight 2011 calendar, regularly priced at $12.99.
Order online
at EAA's web store or by calling toll-free 800-564-6322.
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EAA Sport Aviation
Magazine
Can you help?
Join the Discussions!
Post of the Week!
As you've read elsewhere in this issue,
some EAA staffers celebrated a happy milestone recently with the first
flight of their newly completed Sonex. We posted some supplemental
photos on our Facebook page, and we had such a good laugh at one
of the comments that we decided it just had to be "post of the
week." Al Bormuth of North Carolina congratulated the builders on
their success, and added, "So which of you guys are going to put
your tent and sleeping bag in it, fly it over to Ripon, turn around, and
bring it to AirVenture for the last week in July?"
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If you have suggestions or
submissions for EAA’s weekly AeroInnovations column, please send them to
AeroInnovations editor Bob Waldron.
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Body Scanner May Help Aircraft Land |
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Technology from the terahertz radiation body scanners in U.S. airports is being researched for use in difficult aircraft landing situations, such as seeing through the dust when landing a helicopter. The terahertz radiation can help in poor visibility by creating a 3-D model of the landing zone, which is something traditional radar signals can’t do. |
Ultra-High-Efficiency Solar Cells Ready for Mass Production |
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Spectrolab, a Boeing subsidiary, supplies ultra-high-efficiency, low-production-rate solar cells for demanding situations like the international space station and satellites. This cutting edge Boeing technology is now being scaled up for mass production, which will drop the costs for generating solar power on aircraft. |
New
Aircraft Chute Features Autodeploy |
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The TriChute Safe Landing System basics were first tested in the 1960s, but the ASR safety system for in-flight catastrophes is only now nearing final development. The Aviation Safety Resources system monitors the aircraft for serious safety and operation problems, alerts the pilot of an emergency, and, if the pilot doesn’t respond, can deploy three parachutes for safe landing of the aircraft. |
Nanotech
Gyroscopes |
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Israeli researchers have developed nanotech optical gyroscopes so small they fit on the head of a pin. These tiny instruments can give us higher accuracy for aircraft navigation, in addition to being much smaller and lighter than conventional gyroscopes. |
FAA Credits Pilots for Improved Wall
Chart |
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The FAA has created a VFR wall planning chart designed to meet the needs of general aviation pilots. Pilots at air shows and pilot forums over the past year told the FAA AeroNav Products team what VFR information is needed for a wall chart, and the new chart was developed based on that input. |
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| AeroInnovations aims to highlight developments that have potential to impact the future of aviation. EAA does not necessarily endorse the ideas, products, services, or views contained therein. |
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HINTS FOR HOMEBUILDERS: TESTING
DACRON SAILCLOTH
 Brian
Carpenter of Rainbow Aviation Services demonstrates how to test the
condition of Dacron sailcloth. Brian is an A&P aircraft mechanic
with an Inspection Authorization rating (IA), a DAR for light sport and
amateur built, a Sport Pilot Instructor Examiner, an FAA Certified
Flight Instructor, and an EAA Technical Counselor and Flight Advisor. Watch
the video
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TIMELESS VOICES OF
AVIATION: DR. WILLIS HAWKINS
 Willis
Hawkins (1913 – 2004) graduated with an engineering degree from the
University of Michigan in 1937 and immediately went to work for Lockheed
in Burbank, California. His first assignment was to design the flap
tracks for the Lockheed Model 14 Super Electra, the first airplane to be
equipped with Fowler flaps. He would go on to work on the designs of the
prototype XP-38 Lightning, all of the Hudson bomber types, the
experimental XP-58 Chain Lightning long range fighter, and the
Constellation airliner. He was an integral part of the original Lockheed
Skunk Works design team led by Kelly Johnson that developed an
experimental jet fighter called the Model L-133 and the XP-80 prototype
jet “Lulu Belle.” In 1947 he led development of the experimental X-7
ramjet, and in 1951, Dr. Hawkins led the team that designed the Lockheed
Model 82, better known by its government designation of C-130 Hercules,
which would become one of the most successful and important airplanes in
American aviation history. Dr. Hawkins started the Lockheed Missiles and
Space Company, serving as its first president and overseeing the
development of America’s first spy satellite under the codename
Operation CORONA in the early 1960s. In 1963, he briefly left Lockheed
to serve as Assistant Secretary of the Army, and he started development
of what became today’s M1 Abrams main battle tank. Dr. Hawkins
returned to Lockheed and served as a director on the corporation board,
as well as President of the Lockheed-California Company until retiring
in 1986. He shared his amazing memories with the Timeless Voices program
during AirVenture 2004. Watch
the video
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Where
Are You Flying This Weekend?
There are 18
fly-ins and events this weekend in the EAA
Events Calendar. Find one near you or add your event! |
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Correction
In the AeroInnovations section last week, we misidentified the
NASA Methane rocket engine as a jet engine. The source we linked to was
a post on Military.com,
where the headline was also incorrect. You can read about the engine
from NASA
here.
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Q
& A: I am
purchasing a two-year-old kit from the original
owner, who has already done some of the assembly.
It's a 51-percent-compliant kit (Rans S-12 Airaile),
but my concern is whether the work done by the
previous owner would disqualify me as the 51-percent
builder of the airplane per the FARs. Is combined
building like this allowed?
Answer: Good
question. Yes, "combined effort" as you
describe is fine; in fact, the eligibility statement
you sign has language accounting for this: "builder(s)."
The FAA realizes that projects get sold before
completion all the time.
Have a question?
To ask a question regarding government issues,
e-mail EAA Government Relations.
For questions about registration, airmen, aircraft
and medical certification, safety records,
performance, or any other matter, e-mail EAA
Member Services.
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EAA
Desktop Calendar
December
2010
Hot air balloons rise above their ultralight
brethren as the fog lifts over the ultralight area
during AirVenture 2010 Sunday morning. Photo by
Steve Cukierski.
Download
this wallpaper image from the EAA
website, where you can choose among several different
resolutions to suit
your screen - including three wide-screen
sizes...or select an image from the archive.
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FAA APPROVES ADDITIONAL AIRCRAFT FOR BOGERT CABLE
KITS
The FAA approved additional aircraft models for Bogert Aviation’s line of Low-Loss Copper Cable Kits. Richard Bogert, president of Bogert Aviation, says he also has several STC applications awaiting approval on products for Cessna, Piper, and other models. These products include battery boxes, replacement P-Leads, regulator wiring harnesses, and relay diode boards. For more information, click here.
MGL AVIONICS ANNOUNCES THE MGL-880 AVIATION HEADSET
MGL Avionics announced the MGL-880 Aviation Headset, which includes a metal frame, operation as mono or stereo with separate volume control for each ear, gel ear seals, passive noise suppression, a noise-canceling microphone, reversible microphone boom, and more. The MGL-880 sells for $125. For more information, click here.
NAFI AND FAA TO DISCUSS FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR RENEWAL PROCESS
The National Association of Flight Instructors (NAFI) will attend a public meeting hosted by the FAA concerning "Updating the Flight instructor Renewal Process to Enhance Safety of Flight" on December 6-7, 2010, in Washington, D.C. The meeting is the result of the FAA's indication that it has been “reviewing indicators that suggest that the process currently in place (by which flight instructors renew their certificates) may lack sufficient effectiveness in ensuring that CFIs are being provided the best information in the most useful manner." This effort was initially to focus on the operation of CFI Flight Instructor Renewal Courses (FIRC), but it has been expanded to address general issues relating to the overall instructor-certificate renewal process. For more information, click here.
BELITE ELECTRONICS OFFERS NEW AVIONICS
Belite Electronics has added several solid-state, lightweight avionic instruments to its inventory. New avionics include a turn-rate indicator with a backup battery, airspeed indicator with calibrations for 35-135 knots, above-ground-level altimeter, cylinder head/exhaust gas temperature gauge, and volt minimeter. These instruments work with experimental and Part 103 aircraft. For more information, click here.
UV LED FLASHLIGHT FOR AVIATION LEAK DETECTION
Spectronics Corporation has unveiled the Spectroline OPTIMAX 365 - a cordless, rechargeable, UV LED flashlight. The flashlight features a high-intensity UV LED, which makes leaks in fuel, lubrication, and hydraulic aviations systems glow brightly. It is four times brighter than other high-intensity leak detection lamps and has an inspection range of as much as 20 feet (6.1 m), the company says. Powered by a rechargeable NiMH battery, the flashlight provides 90 minutes of continuous inspection time. The LED lifetime is 30,000 hours. For more information, click here. |
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