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July
27, 2011 Volume 11,
Number 34 |
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BURT REVEALS BIPOD DETAILS
 Burt
Rutan took the lid of his latest project, the BiPod, at a
homebuilders chat this morning, and it looks different than
images released last week by Scaled Composites, Burt's former
company that owns the design. "I didn't ask Scaled if I
could give this talk, but since I read about it in Aviation
Week, I think it's okay," Burt said. The
first images of the BiPod included CAD drawings with four
propellers - one on each wing and two on the horizontal
stabilizer between the tails of the twin-fuselage,
hybrid-electric roadable aircraft. Read
more
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"FIFI":
AN OLD WARRIOR'S TRIUMPHANT RETURN
 She's
back and as stunning as ever: "FIFI" the Boeing B-29 is
by far the biggest warbird at AirVenture 2011 or any show. The big
bomber was flown here by the Commemorative Air Force (CAF). In 1971, a
forlorn batch of B-29s sat in general disarray in the Mojave Desert at
the Navy's China Lake weapons test facility. Negotiations with the
government completed, a CAF team selected the best-looking candidate for
restoration and flew it to Harlingen, Texas, after a nine-week desert
refurbishment. Four decades later, after some ups and downs, the CAF's
B-29 is still the only Superfortress flying. Read
more |
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OSHKOSH IS THE PLACE FOR
EMBRAER JETS
 When
Embraer launched its first clean sheet business jet design it
came to AirVenture. That was six years ago, and the Brazilian
airplane manufacturer has returned to Oshkosh every summer since
to show off its growing line of business jets.
From the start, Embraer knew that
the world's biggest aviation event was the place to display its
technology and innovation. In fact, the very first flight of the
light jet Phenom 100 was broadcast live here at AirVenture. The
Phenom 100 was in Brazil but a live satellite feed showed the
thousands of aviation enthusiasts here the first Phenom takeoff,
and landing, in real time. I still have the T-shirt Embraer
created to celebrate that first flight here.
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STILL
A SHOWMAN: HOOVER DELIGHTS OVERFLOW AUDIENCE
 A
crowd estimated at more than 1,000 friends of Bob Hoover gathered around
the famed aviator Tuesday to hear him regale them with thrilling and
humorous vignettes from his remarkable flying career. Bob's
philosophical, often self-deprecating style, showed why he remains so
beloved. Hoover explained that the Shrike Commander showed promise, but
sales were stagnant. Hoover decided to see what he could do in a
business plane like the Shrike. "Energy management is the
trick," Bob said. The result: a smooth aerial demonstration that
astounded viewers. Read
more |
CURTISS
PUSHER WAS DIFFICULT TO FLY
 In
1911 Eugene Ely had to know the technical performance details about his
Curtiss Model D airplane before making the first ever arrested landing
on a U.S. Navy ship. And his survival indicates a good understanding of
parameters like stall speed, approach speeds, and descent performance.
In Ely's case the knowledge likely came from experience in the airplane,
and not from an organized test program. According to Coolbaugh,
"The airplane has proven to be very difficult to fly, just because
it is a 100-year-old airplane. It's not because there are any design
flaws or mechanical flaws; it's just hard to fly because that's the way
it was 100 years ago. "It was different and difficult." Read
more |
AIRVENTURE
TIME-LAPSE TRAVEL IN A GATOR
 The
AirVenture grounds are a vast expanse of people, planes, unique
equipment, and the temporary homes of thousands of aviation enthusiasts.
It would take a long time to cross the grounds by foot for sure, but
even a vehicle may take you a few hours. AirVenture Today
photographer Mariano Rosales did just that with his time-lapse camera,
covering the grounds at one frame per second on a vehicle traveling at 5
mph. In one trip he started at a campsite nearly along U.S. Highway 41
and drove all the way to the Main Admissions Gate, with a few detours.
His next circuit took him the long way through the North 40 Aircraft
Camping area. Stay tuned for a trip up and down the flightline.
Drive the
Campground | Drive
the North 40 | Fly
above in a Lazair |
READ
TODAY'S ISSUE OF AIRVENTURE TODAY ONLINE
 The
official newspaper of EAA AirVenture, as found around the grounds. Check
the highlights of the day with this interactive
online edition.
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FW
190 HAUNTS AIRVENTURE LIKE A GHOST FROM THE PAST
 There's
a menacing ghost of the Second World War haunting Warbird Alley, a
deadly machine nicknamed the Butcher Bird. But this Fw 190
fighter parked is a kit-built replica. Really. Dreams, old blueprints,
computer technology, and modern materials coalesced to produce a dozen
full-size Fw 190 clones for the warbird market. In the 400-mile-per-hour
class, Germany's Focke-Wulf Fw 190 was arguably that nation's best
piston-engine fighter in World War II. And Germany's kit maker Flug Werk
says its re-creation is even better. Read
more |
P-51
FIRES RESTORED .50-CALIBER GUNS
 Stefan
Hokuf concentrates on applying some very special nose art at AirVenture
2011, re-creating an event that took place originally at Duxford,
England, during World War II. Recently completed, Twilight Tear is not
just painted in the colors of the original 78th Fighter Group Mustang,
it is the original. Owner Ron Fagen asked Stefan to paint the name on
the side, just as he did on Fagan's P-38 Ruff Stuff in 2007. Read
more |
NOT
ALL CANARDS ARE RUTAN CANARDS
 It's
nice to see so many canards at this year's AirVenture. By Wednesday
morning, the count of all Rutan designed (or inspired) aircraft on the
field was approaching 200. But to the casual observer, any or all of the
canard aircraft on the field seem to have a common source, that being
the fertile mind of Burt Rutan. It's a logical assumption since Burt was
seemingly the first EAAer to arrive at AirVenture with this unique
canard design, the VariViggen, named after the Swedish fighter plane,
the Saab 37 Viggen. Read
more |
THE
WANDERING WENCH ARRIVES IN THE ULTRALIGHT AREA
 Arty
Trost (aka The Wandering Wench) arrived Monday in the Ultralight area at
AirVenture 2011 after a 2,000-mile flight from Oregon in an open
cockpit. Her aircraft was a Talon, a design that is a descendent of the
Drifter she flew from Oregon to Lakeland, Florida, in 2008. The Talon is
a heavier, more powerful, and slightly faster (65 mph) version of the
Drifter. Arty decided on the Talon because, though her flight to Florida
was longer, it was in the early spring. This flight to Oshkosh would
cross the central Plains states in the bumpy weather of mid-summer. Read
more |
FUTURE
GPS UTILITY, QUALITY AT RISK
Today it's increasingly rare to find an airplane, automobile, or
even a modern cellphone without GPS technology. But if a well-funded and
politically connected company has its way, most existing GPS navigators
could be rendered useless by the land-based broadband network it seeks
to create. LightSquared plans to install some 40,000 ground-based
transmitters using a frequency spectrum immediately adjacent to that
used by the far weaker GPS signal. EAA is urging members to contact
their congressional representatives and request they act to protect the
GPS system's integrity by communicating the impact interference would
have on the safe operation of their aircraft. Read
more
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'WEI
AROUND THE WORLD' MAKES OSHKOSH STOP
 Sometimes
dreams do come true. Just ask Wei Chen. Chen dreamed of becoming a pilot
as a high school student in China. But he wasn't chosen for the military
training, and he gave up that dream. More than 20 years later, however,
that dream of flight was revived when Chen, now living in the United
States, was offered a ride in a friend's plane in 2006. "As soon as
we landed, I knew I wanted to be a pilot," he said. Chen started
flight training, earning his private pilot certificate in November 2007.
In 2008, he added his instrument rating. And in 2009, he decided to
become the first Chinese citizen to fly around the world in a
single-engine airplane. Read
more |
HIGHLIGHTS
FOR THURSDAY, JULY 28
- Warbirds in Review: F4F Wildcat
with Michael Gillian (10 a.m.)
- ASIMO demonstrations: HondaJet
exhibit (11 a.m. & 2 p.m.)
- Warbirds in Review: F4U Corsair
with Lenny DeFranco (1 p.m.)
- Afternoon air show featuring
Burt Rutan-designed aircraft (approx. 3:30 p.m.)
- Theater in the Woods: A Tribute
to Burt Rutan (8 p.m.)
- Fly-In Theater feature film: Airplane!
introduced by Robert Hays, who played "Striker" (8:30
p.m.)
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IT'S
A SNAP! AND LIGHT-SPORT, TOO
 It's
a light-sport aircraft made to do aerobatics. It's called the Dallair
FR-100 Snap, and the production prototype made its debut outside the IAC
building at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2011 Tuesday. American distributor
Sportair says it's being marketed as a lightweight alternative in the
(aerobatic) market. While it is flyable by any certificated pilot, with
or without a current medical certificate, the Snap can easily be flown
to, during, and from an aerobatic competition, according to Sportair's
Bill Canino. Read
more |
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WARBIRD
RESTORER HAS YOUNG EAGLES ROOTS
 He
may be only 28 years old, but since his years at the EAA Air Academy,
Patrick Mihalek's had his eyes on the 1940s. One day, Mihalek got a ride
in a PT-17 Stearman biplane. "That's when it struck my love for
warbirds," he said. "My parents say I'm a reincarnated World
War II mechanic." After graduating as an A&P from Western
Michigan University with a degree in aviation maintenance, Mihalek
started his own warbird and vintage restoration business-Legend of Aces
Aviation. Read
more |
LOCKHEED
MODEL 12 ELECTRA JUNIOR ONCE FASTEST IN THE AIR
 The
Lockheed Model 12 Electra Junior is a star in all regards. The airplane
has appeared in movies such as 1942's Casablanca with Humphrey Bogart
and Ingrid Bergman; 1947's State of the Union and more recently 2009's
Amelia. In fact, one of the Model 12s at AirVenture this year actually
starred in Amelia, even though Amelia Earhart actually flew the larger
Lockheed Model 10. Owned by Joe Shepherd, he flew the plane for the
movie, shaving off his mustache and wearing a wig, blouse, and scarf
intended to make him look, at least from a distance, like Earhart, he
said. Read
more
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HIGHTOWER
PREVIEWS FUTURE EAA PROGRAMS, PLANS
 A
Young Eagles program for adults and a national network of flying clubs
were among the plans EAA President/CEO Rod Hightower shared with fellow
members at the Meet Rod Hightower forum yesterday. In announcing the
adult eagles program (name TBD, but among the contenders: Gray Eagles,
Bald Eagles, and Old Buzzards), Hightower noted that at 25 out of 26 of
his recent Grassroots Pilot Tour stops. Introducing the plan to
establish flying clubs that provide more pilots and potential pilots
with access to more aircraft at a more affordable cost, model he had
seen work well in Europe. Read
more
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NOAA
DECLARES EAA STORMREADY
On Tuesday the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
declared EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2011 "StormReady." EAA is the
latest in more than 1,775 communities to opt into the agency's program
of severe-weather preparedness. Earning this designation required EAA to
complete a process that required it to meet a strict set of
warning-response criteria to help provide protection from severe
weather. Read
more
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BELITE'S
WIEBE TO RECEIVE RASPET AWARD
 James
Wiebe has created what he describes as a miniature Cub in an ultralight
package. But the lightweight plane is getting big reviews. Wiebe, of
Belite Aircraft, will receive the August Raspet Memorial Award tonight
during the Homebuilders Dinner at the Nature Center. The award has been
given annually since 1960 to a person who has made an outstanding
contribution to the advancement of light aircraft design. Wiebe and his
wife, Kathy, acquired the tooling, existing parts, and manufacturing
rights of an older aircraft in March 2009. He immediately began
improving and reinventing this design, creating the new Belite aircraft.
Read
more
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DEAL
OF THE WEEK: RESERVE YOUR COPY OF THE OFFICIAL EAA AIRVENTURE 2011
DVD AND RECEIVE FREE SHIPPING
 Pre-order
your AirVenture 2011 DVD today and get free shipping (domestic orders
only). International shipping is $3 for the first DVD and $1 for each
additional DVD purchased. Offer good through August 18, 2011. Click
here to find out how you can save on shipping when you order your
AirVenture 2011 DVD.
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EAA MERCHANDISE:
THE EAA HERITAGE COLLECTION. MERCHANDISE THAT HONORS THE HISTORY OF EAA
AND OUR FOUNDER
 Check
out our selection of apparel and collectibles with the cool retro look
that's more popular than ever. And remember, when you shop at the EAA
online store, you support EAA programs that help grow participation in
aviation. Order
online or call us toll-free at 800-564-6322. Going to AirVenture? Stop
by the EAA Wearhouse to see our collection for yourself. And don't forget
to visit Authors' Corner, also at the EAA Wearhouse.
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EAA
Desktop Calendar
August
2011
This
Curtiss-Ely Pusher replica, built by Bob Coolbaugh
(EAA 307903/Vintage 15150) of New Market, Va., with
assistance from Andrew King (EAA 275985/Vintage
10739) of Vienna, Va., resembles the one that made
the first carrier landing on the deck of the U.S.
Navys USS Pennsylvania in the San Francisco Bay
on January 18, 1911 - beginning the era of naval
aviation. It will be on
display at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh.
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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TECNAM
INTRODUCES P2010
Tecnam's P2010 made its U.S. debut at AirVenture earlier this week. The
sleek airplane, first presented at AERO in April, has a carbon fiber
fuselage and a metal wing. It's powered by a Lycoming IO-360-M1A engine,
with 180 hp @ 2,700 rpm, coupled to a fixed-pitch, two-blade propeller
that offers a 1,050 ft./min climb and cruises on 75 percent power at 133
knots. Forty orders have been placed since its introduction in April.
U.S. price is $275,000.
Tecnam also offered an update on the
progress of the P2012 Traveler commuter airplane that was developed in
partnership with Cape Air Airlines. The 11-seat P2012 Traveler features
a constant height passenger compartment and will be powered by two
Lycoming TEO-540-A1A (rated at 350 hp each) engines and will have fixed
landing gear for ease of maintenance. Cape Air will likely get 70 to 100
P2012 aircraft, according to the company president Paolo Pasqual. For
more information, visit Tecnam.com.
AVMAP NOW DELIVERING EKP V
AvMap announced yesterday that its long-awaited EKP V, first presented
at AirVenture last year, is now available from its dealers and online.
The $1,999 device is the latest evolution of its predecessor, the EKP
IV. The company is delivering the EKP V with updated software and with
the Jeppesen database together with Seattle Avionics approach plates and
airport diagrams.
The EKP V electronic kneepad features a
7-inch, sunlight-readable LCD screen, but the device is now much thinner
(0.8 inch) and lighter at 14 ounces. The keyboard is the classic
two-sided keyboard, now with 10 hard keys and a new progressive joystick
and a smart wheel selector located on the corner of the device. One of
interesting features is the F1 key-it can be programmed by each customer
for any desired function.
The most innovative feature is the panel
docking station with two serial, four USB, audio and video ports that
connect the EKP V to the "outside world," converting the
navigation device into a portable multi-functional display. This
interface connects the device to the company's proprietary INCAS, a
collision avoidance system device. In the near future (early 2012) the
company will bring several new capabilities to the EKP V.
For more information, visit AvMap.us.
GIPPSAERO PICKS M250 PROPJET FOR NEW
GA10 AIRCRAFT
Engine maker Rolls-Royce announced Wednesday a development agreement
to supply GippsAERO with Rolls' M250-B17F/2 turboprop engines for the
plane maker's GA10, a new 10-passenger fixed-wing aircraft.
The M250-B17F/2 employs extensive
carbon-fiber components in its construction, giving it a weight of about
210 pounds-less than half that of comparable engines in the 500-shp
class-while keeping power at 450 shp.
Under the agreement, signed at EAA
AirVenture Oshkosh 2011, Rolls-Royce will work with GippsAERO to obtain
certification for the GA10, which is currently in the prototype design
phase. For more information, visit GippsAero.com.
L-3 MARKS AVIONICS MILESTONES, DONATES
TO GATHERING OF EAGLES AUCTION
L-3 Avionics Systems, which produces and markets several
panel-mounted products for personal and corporate aircraft, this week
marked two milestones: the 60,000th sale for its Stormscope line of
airborne lightning detectors and the 15,000th of its collision-avoidance
products, known as Skywatch.
L-3 donated the milestone system to EAA
for the Gathering of Eagles fundraising auction on Thursday evening,
July 28. More information.
FLY COOL IN YOUR LSA WITH AIR
CONDITIONING
Until recently, light-sport aircraft were not equipped with air
conditioning. Enter Ron Corbi and Dan Coffey at Corbi Air Inc., who
teamed with Air Management Technology Inc. (AMT) to bring a lightweight
air conditioning solution to the light-sport and experimental aircraft
market.
According to the company, their modular,
20-pound air conditioning package includes all-electric-driven
compressors, a compact evaporator to fit under tight cowlings and an
efficient condenser/compressor assembly.
The system is powered by a 28VDC, 70-amp
engine-driven alternator and provides an A/C mode for cool air and fan
mode for air re-circulation. The system provides a 20-degree cabin
temperature drop in just 10 minutes. For more information on the system,
visit the Corbi's website, or AMT's
website.
BRS PARTNERS WITH KESTREL
BRS Aerospace has announced an agreement with Kestrel Aircraft to study
technology for a whole-airplane recovery system for its turboprop. In a
press conference Tuesday, Larry Williams, BRS CEO, said the company will
be exploring different options and doing drop tests to find the best
configuration for the aircraft with the goal of the parachute system
being a standard option for the plane. "The size and speed are a
challenge, but it can be done," he said. |
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