After nearly a year of restoration work by countless volunteers, the first “reflight” of the VanGrunsven RV-1, N5827N, occurred on February 19, 2012 from Hicks Airfield (T67) near Fort Worth, Texas. Winds were light, favoring Runway 14. The aircraft had been in a non-flying status for several years before being acquired by the nonprofit Friends [...]
Among the special offers that Belite Aircraft continues to promote after AirVenture are the following: $2000 off a new ready to fly aircraft, including the aluminum fuselage design. Prices start at $16,500 ($14,500 with the show special). A deposit of $2500 is required. Kits, both aluminum and steel, start at $6800, and the show special [...]
In appearance, he is the anti Johnny Cash. A shock of white hair and a dapper uniform consisting of a white button-down shirt, white slacks and white suede bucks. Don Wall wants to present himself well to the public in honor of the designer of the one and only kit aircraft he ever built, the [...]
After seven years of development, Peter and Leanne Maloney of Composite Helicopters made their first appearance at AirVenture to promote their five to six place kit helicopter, the KC518 Adventourer. Carbon fiber and Kevlar composite construction with power from a single turbine engine (either the RR250 C20B/J or the RR250 C18/T63) make for a potentially [...]
Garmin has recently announced that it is lowering the price of the G3X glass flight display to make it more affordable to customers. The G3X is a customizable PFD/MFD combination that features one, two or three all-glass displays; magnetometer; ADAHRS (combined air data and AHRS unit) and engine monitoring. Thanks to its building-block design, customers [...]
The Kitfox S7 Super Sport, now in flight and gathering test and performance data, features the new Lycoming 115-horsepower O-233 with a Champion electronic ignition system. Kitfox is one of the first kit aircraft manufacturers to fly the new O-233 powerplant. “We did not want to release information until we were sure we were ready,” [...]
For those who like the idea of a redundant power source, Plane Power has announced the Fly Safe, a 30-amp, less-than-6-pound alternator designed to plug into a standard vacuum pad. It’s available with an internal regulator, panel-mounted warning light and automatic dimmer for $795, or the price is $695 without the internal regulator and monitor [...]
E-Mag, the maker of self-powered electronic ignitions, has announced the pending release of its six-cylinder model for the Lycoming (I)O-540. The six cylinder, self-powered electronic ignition will be available in the fourth quarter of 2010. Priced at $1600, this ignition boasts a significant weight savings over traditional magnetos. It provides all of the advantages of [...]
