Question: What looks like two motorgliders flying in really tight formation sharing an engine… er, a motor, literally between them? Can this Burt Rutan-looking aircraft (photo) win the big dough? And I mean seriously big money with a purse of $1,650,000! *** Called the Pipistrel Taurus G4, the prize-seeking aircraft rolled out of the Pipistrel factory in Slovenia for the first time recently. After posing briefly for the camera, G4 taxied away quietly under electric power for the start of the flight testing program. *** Pipistrel previously won a big NASA check with their Virus SW but the company has now taken a wholly different approach, based on rules which give seat-mile advantage to four seater models. *** “This aircraft is the first four-place electric aircraft to be flown in the world,” stated Pipistrel. Their Taurus Electro claimed to be the first two-place electric aircraft to be flown in the world four years earlier.
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Aero 2011: New Single Place Aircraft
While some producers add four seaters (or more) to their LSA line, others have taken a different approach. The number of attractive new single-place models at Aero was surprising as most pilots seem to believe two seats are the minimum. *** However, for years AOPA surveys have shown the average occupancy of a GA aircraft — most of which have four seats and several models have more — is, wait for it… 1.6 persons. Given all those extra seats the 1.6 figure means a significant number of all flying is done solo. So, why pay for the extra seats when you fly solo frequently? Cost of acquisition and operation can be dramatically lower in a single seater, and you have no one else to please (or worry about) except yourself. *** I’m sure I didn’t see them all — Aero features a huge display of aircraft — but here’s a few of the new single seaters I discovered.
Triple Play: Pipistrel Wins SLSA Approvals
After a pause in new SLSA, Pipistrel burst onto the scene with multiple approvals, three at once reports Michael Coates, the importer for Pipistrel USA. We raced to get these placed on the SLSA List because it’s news, but also because FAA uses this list to verify new models before assigning them N-numbers. FAA Registration Branch checks to make sure company names and other info matches incoming applications; we had three calls last week from producers who requested minor changes to our SLSA List after the agency raised questions. *** Now that list swells to 118 models. Pipistrel, which makes long-winged models that soar well, got the Virus approved in both airplane and glider categories, no small achievement. They also gained approval for their Taurus motorglider. The Slovenian company — with production facilities in nearby Italy (partly an effort to adhere to the U.S. government’s bilateral agreement requirement… dull, yes, but important legally) — has been in the news for their electric airplanes and has announced a supersleek four seater, the Panthera.
Up-And-Comer… Remos GX
New Remos GX Rises
An LSA that was 10 years in
the making may aptly be
called a “mature design”
within this nascent sector
of piston aircraft. A few others
share a similarly “ripe, old” heritage,
but most are far newer than the trusty GA
models in which many of us learned the
art of flying.
Designed by engineer Lorenz Kreitmayr,
the first Remos G-3 took to the air
in 1997 (10 years before the upgraded GX
first flew). In 2008, N447RA, the first GX,
arrived in the States for the big summer
flyfest in Oshkosh, and that’s where I had
a chance to update my Remos experience
(previously earned in the G-3). Assisting
and educating me were two Remos reps:
National Technical Service Manager Cris
Ferguson and Managing Director of Sales
and Marketing Michael Meirer.
What’s The Difference?
While G-3 sold more than 250 copies,
performing well for European pilots for
years, the arrival of the U.S.
All-American Revo Sets New Standard
Behold the Revo, a new benchmark in weight-shift trike design.
Look carefully and you’ll see the Revo is not like any weightshift
light-sport aircraft you’ve seen before. The Revo had to
surpass impressive work by larger, more established companies to leap
to the forefront. Any way you look at it, the Revo is simply extraordinary.
I’ve been lucky to fly many trikes over the years. Every few years, one
of the leading producers would make a remarkable step forward in the
design of these flying machines with changes that tended to be evolutionary,
not revolutionary. Among them, I cannot recall a clean sheet of
both carriage and wing debuted as a single aircraft.
Welcome to Revo from Evolution Trikes, an all-new, blazingly fast
American trike like none before it.
The more I examined the Revo and then flew with Larry Mednick of
Evolution (and Tampabay Aerosports), I realized even Air Création’s
beautiful Tanarg trike had been done one better.
Getting a Charge
Well, Thomas, you’ve done it again: gotten me to blather on so long with your as-always thoughtful and knowledgeable comments that I exceeded the comment buffer so have to palaver on here in another post. *** Well, that’s why they call it a weBlog I guess: it’s a place to hang our thoughts out to dry. *** So what’s below is a response to your comment from yesterday’s post, with a couple more pix thrown in to thump the eye candy factor. *** I think we can’t overlook the market factor here. Just as car manufacturers know where the buyers are, it could be what we’re seeing with these projects aiming toward higher/faster/more payload electric are manufacturers figuring that they’re since they’re going to sell more of the expensive, travel-capable airplanes than sailplanes and motorgliders anyway, why concentrate time and resources on a transient, historically tiny share of the market? Leapfrog to the future, expect the tech to come along as needed.
Europe’s Aero 2011 in Full Swing
Aero Friedrichshafen, Europe’s big annual GA convention, has more than 600 exhibitors showing their wares and innovations right now through tomorrow. *** Sub-titled The Global Show for General Aviation, if you want to see what’s happening and what’s coming down the pike, you’ll not find a more intensely focused representation than at Aero. *** The show spreads displays from many big names and newcomers alike, up through bizjets, across its 11 big hangar-style display areas. *** I like this show, although lamentably I’ve yet to go, because it never fails to draw cool new stuff, in particular Microlight/LSA developments and electric and solar powered birds. Thousands of visitors flock to the “e-flight Expo” at Aero, in its third year as part of the show. *** Two big events will highlight the show this year: the Berblinger Flight Competition and the awarding of three LEAP prizes from Erik Lindbergh (Lucky Lindy’s grandson).
Let There Be Light
After the disastrous tornadic storm that blew through the area last Thursday, Lakeland was blessed with warm, then hot, picture book Florida weather and good crowds, right up through final day Sunday, as the fabulous Blue Angels, a stunning demo by the Air Force F22 Raptor, Patty Wagstaff’s always-incredible acro routine, and the Aeroshell T-6 squadron doing its thing: always great to see those (noisy but iconic) big old WWII trainers do such graceful, precision loops and rolls in formation through the sky, leaving billows of white smoke to mark their path.I was a bit under the weather last night so no blog…knew I shouldn’t have eaten that chicken…but back at it today to fly with Bill Cox as he previewed Garmin’s exciting new GTN touch screen technology. *** Then pounding the sneaker rubber to finish up the rounds of the five exhibit hangars and survey new products and gadgets. I even bought myself some oil-filled insoles to calm my throbbing tootsies…one ends up walking miles and miles at these airshows, unless you can pop $60/day or more to rent a small personal electric cart.
Sun ‘n Fun 2011 Takes Off Tomorrow
SUN ‘n FUN 2011 kicks off, even as scores of planes — yours truly included — remain scattered around at airports up to hundreds of miles away, trying to beat the storm system that’s prevented them from making it to Lakeland, FL so far. *** The big airshow’s big boss, John Burton, promises an impressive line up: *** * Blue Angels performances four different days, highlighting the celebration of the 100th anniversary of naval aviation *** * a 20-year retrospective on Desert Storm *** * a 10-year commemoration of September 11, 2001 *** * the formal opening of the new Central Florida Aerospace Academy (CFAA) on the SUN ’n FUN campus. *** * F-22 Raptor flight three different days *** * AvBid Airplane Auctions *** * Hot Air Balloon Launch at dawn, Saturday, April 2 *** * Daily and nightly airshows with fireworks *** * AOPA “Rally GA” Day *** * Lindbergh Foundation Awards for electric-powered flight advances *** * “Green Space” Exhibit of environmentally friendly, aviation-related products and services, anchored by Lindbergh Foundation.
Sun ‘n Fun 2011 Takes Off Tomorrow
Sun ‘n Fun 2011 kicks off, even as scores of planes — yours truly included — remain scattered around at airports up to hundreds of miles away, trying to beat the storm system that’s prevented them from making it to Lakeland, Florida so far. *** The big airshow’s big boss, John Burton, promises an impressive line up: • Blue Angels performances four different days; highlighting the celebration of the 100th anniversary of naval aviation; • a 20-year retrospective on Desert Storm; • a 10-year commemoration of September 11, 2001; • the formal opening of the new Central Florida Aerospace Academy (CFAA) on the Sun ’n Fun campus; • F-22 Raptor flight three different days; • AvBid Airplane Auctions; • Hot air balloon launch at dawn on Saturday, April 2; • Daily and nightly airshows with fireworks; • AOPA “Rally GA” Day; • Lindbergh Foundation Awards for electric-powered flight advances; • “Green Space” exhibit of environmentally friendly, aviation-related products and services, anchored by Lindbergh Foundation; • 75th Anniversary Cub Convoy mass arrival to Sun ’n Fun on Monday, March 28.
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