After taking a few days off to boat around Lake George, NY and shoot the Red Bull Air Race in New York City, it’s time to catch up on what’s been happening. *** The Transition “Roadable Aircraft” (I can’t help but prefer the chummier “flying car”) just got a weight exemption nod from FAA for an additional 110 pounds of MTOW (max takeoff weight). That nudges the vehicle up to 1,430 pounds. *** Terrafugia‘s request for the bump is meant to provide “…the structure and equipment necessary for compliance with the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS) which are not found in other Light Sport Aircraft.” *** They’re talking about things such as airbags, energy absorbing crumple zone and protective safety cage. *** Interestingly, Transition’s maker Terrafugia initially asked for an MTOW of 1,474 pounds. FAA in effect said “You can have what we gave the amphib makers, but no more.” *** This evokes the ultralight days, when the original 150 lb.
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Predator Powered Parachute… & Immersion Training
Another one managed to slip by my radar. I follow LSA closer than most yet I can barely keep track of all the approvals. No wonder I frequently get calls asking me to unravel the puzzle of LSA makes and models. *** Better late than never, welcome the Predator powered parachute to our SLSA List of 108 models from 72 still-active companies (at least five have left the business). Scott Hughes is the original designer & creator of the Predator. *** New CEO Fredrick Scheffel wrote, “On April 22, 2009, SkyTrails LSA (Predator Powered Parachute LLC) purchased the rights to manufacture the Predator along with the tooling & inventory from Hughes Aero.” SkyTrails LSA moved into the hangar facilities where Hughes Aero had been building the Predator for the past four years. Scheffel further noted, “SkyTrails Ranch, Inc., is a long standing name in powered parachute training, sales, and service that [has now] expanded into powered parachute manufacturing.” *** National powered parachute expert, Roy Beisswenger confirmed the Predator as a Special LSA, “SkyTrails LSA is manufacturing ELSA & SLSA aircraft at the airport in Wharton, Texas.” *** Learning to fly a powered parachute can be challenging.
Learn Airplanes and Engines at Jabiru’s Jamboree
I am not aware of any other airplane company on Earth that builds both airframes and powerplants. Jabiru does. The Australian company has been doing this for years and has supplied approximately 2,000 airframes and more than 6,000 engines to the light aircraft market, according to Jabiru USA boss, Pete Krotje. That’s cool, but if you want to learn more about each, where do you go? One place — this coming weekend — is the Jabiru Jamboree. *** On Friday June 11, 2010, open house and factory tours start at 1 PM with an engine maintenance session at 3 PM followed by a cook-out at 5 PM. On Saturday, the day is full of seminars on Jabiru engines and airframes in the morning with avionics, firewall-forward issues (wiring, cooling), and engine tuning in the afternoon. On Sunday, Jabiru plans, “Wheels up for a Jabiru Adventure to Patti’s 1880’s Settlement at Grand Rivers, Kentucky.” Sound like fun?
PiperSport Taps Into Social Media
If you’ve checked into Facebook since January you may know that PiperSport has its own page that you can become a fan of (I am, along with 9,200 others so far!) *** What you probably don’t know is there’s a fascinating video interview that chronicles why and how Piper decided to add social media such as Facebook and YouTube to its marketing strategy for the already-popular LSA. *** Very very interesting, and likely a sign of future marketing efforts from ad-cash-starved LSA makers. *** To date, the only other company I know that has a Facebook presence is Gobosh, and they’ve been there for some time. *** I won’t reprise the entire video clip (it’s well worth watching), but here are some of the highlights: *** Back in January, Piper’s content creators were tasked with making a video for the imminent launch of the PiperSport (the rebadged, “Piperized” CZAW SportCruiser). They also had to set up a Twitter feed, YouTube channel and the Facebook fan page.
Judging Winners Sun ‘n Fun 2010
I once followed judging at shows like AirVenture and Sun ‘n Fun. In fact, an aircraft I helped inspire — a modernized primary glider called the SuperFloater — won Outstanding New Design at Sun ‘n Fun 1995. Judges closely examined homebuilts, kit or restored vintage airplanes, and warbirds. If they included factory built aircraft, I was not aware of it. *** So, this year I admitted surprise after learning factory-built Light-Sport Aircraft won awards. *** To honor the hundreds or thousands of hours people put into their winners, I want to highlight some LSA and ultralights that judges liked. The Grand Champion LSA was Wayne Spring’s 2010 Predator powered parachute; Reserve Grand Champ was James Jonannes’ 2009 Arion Lightning LS-1; Grand Champion Ultralight was James Wiebe’s 2010 Belite Superlite; and, Reserve Grand Champ was Danny Dezauche’s 2010 CGS Hawk Ultra.
Fuel CellTrike Wins At Aero
French hang glider pilot and light sport innovator/entrepreneur G©rard Thevenot has been a visionary all his life. I’ve profiled him previously re his efforts to create alternative-powered sport aircraft. *** He’s been testing electric trikes for Yuneec, the China company that’s developing several commercial sky-breaking electric aircraft designs. *** And last fall he set an electric trike record for sustained power flight of 1 hour 16 min. *** Today comes word from Aero 2010 International Exhibition for General Aviation, the big European airshow, that Thevenot has been awarded the 2010 E-Flight Award for his hydrogen fuel cell-powered trike. *** His trike is one of three fuel-cell powered aircraft exhibiting at this year’s Aero show. *** A fuel cell is a power source that creates enough electricity to drive an electric motor, using, in Thevenot’s case, only hydrogen fuel and oxygen. *** The exhaust components?
Meanwhile, Back At the Electric Ranch…
The Creative Solutions Alliance (CSA) is a nonprofit organization, founded by Erik Lindbergh, grandson of Charles “Lucky Lindy” Lindbergh, that just announced his creation of the Lindbergh Electric Aircraft Prize (LEAP). *** In stirring language as quoted to AOPA’s Alton K. Marsh, Lindbergh says, “We are literally teaching the next generation to imagine and create their future.” *** The idea, as we’ve seen in the past with similar contests such as the Orteig Prize (1st Atlantic crossing won by Lindbergh) Kremer Prize (human powered flight – Gossamer Condor), and the X-Prize (1st private suborbital space flight), is to “promote the practical development of electric aircraft by recognizing specific advances in this emerging cleantech (sic) industry.” *** Prizes will be awarded for: *** Best Electric Aircraft: keyword in this category is practical, and it can be an Experimental, LSA or Certified aircraft. *** Best Electric Aircraft Sub-System: component systems that advance the field of electric aircraft *** Best Electric Aircraft Component Technology: Individual components such as batteries, motors, power electronics etc.
Meanwhile, Back At the Electric Ranch…
The Creative Solutions Alliance (CSA) is a nonprofit organization, founded by Erik Lindbergh, grandson of Charles “Lucky Lindy” Lindbergh, that just announced his creation of the Lindbergh Electric Aircraft Prize (LEAP). *** In stirring language as quoted to AOPA’s Alton K. Marsh, Lindbergh says, “We are literally teaching the next generation to imagine and create their future.” *** The idea, as we’ve seen in the past with similar contests such as the Orteig Prize (1st Atlantic crossing won by Lindbergh) Kremer Prize (human powered flight – Gossamer Condor), and the X-Prize (1st private suborbital space flight), is to “promote the practical development of electric aircraft by recognizing specific advances in this emerging cleantech (sic) industry.” *** Prizes will be awarded for: ** Best Electric Aircraft: keyword in this category is practical, and it can be an Experimental, LSA or Certified aircraft. ** Best Electric Aircraft Sub-System: component systems that advance the field of electric aircraft ** Best Electric Aircraft Component Technology: Individual components such as batteries, motors, power electronics, etc.
Sun ‘n Fun Countdown
Two items today as we gin up for the 36th annual EAA Sun ‘n Fun Fly-In & Expo (that’s the official handle – it’s Sun ‘n Fun for short). *** The big show runs in Lakeland, FL from April 13-18. *** Like EAA’s Oshkosh AirVenture, you can float your flyin’ boat with enough pure aviation overload to give you a hangover. Samples of everything that flies are there, so rock on, wing crazies! *** Piper wasn’t just blowing smoke when it said it would deliver PiperSports starting in April. The PiperSport Facebook photo page has pix of the first production models coming off the Czech factory assembly line, and U.S.-bound. *** I hope to fly or at least talk to new owners there to see if Piper’s made any mods yet. *** I’m happy to report the LSA Mall will set up again this year.
Spring Be A-coming!
Here’s a few quick hits since I’ve been so long winded the last couple posts. *** We hit almost 70 degrees yesterday here in upstate NY. Wow! Snow’s mostly gone. Flyin’ fever is setting in. *** From Texas comes news that Michael Combs has left on a last warm-up trip in his Remos GX before embarking next month on a 50-state tour. *** He’s dubbed the project, sponsored by Remos and other commercial and private donors, “Flight for the Human Spirit”. *** He intends for the project to serve as a “beacon” to remind us all of the need to never give up on our dreams. For background, here’s my blog piece from last Oct. *** The trip starts from Salina, Kansas on April 5: here’s a map of his route. *** Salina is where the late, great Steve Fossett took off for his successful solo, nonstop globe-girdler in 2005.
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