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aerokurier 4/1997
Call for help from Magdeburg An urgent call for help from Magdeburg in Eastern Germany reached the aerokurier. A fire at the local airport burned down almost the entire facilities of the Tradition Flying Club Hans Grade. It looks like the fire was started by fire-raisers. This mischief hit a flying community which, after not being allowed to fly in the times of the former German Democratic Republic, had worked very hard for a successful new start since Germany was reunited. Although local companies are helping to alleviate the DM 270000 damage, the club needs further support. In the INTERNATIONAL EXPRESS pages, among other topics, you can read about Fresh air for the Breezy 32 years ago the open-cockpit tandem-seat Breezy showed up for the first time in the homebuilt scene. A kit is now available for the aircraft around which a cult has developed in the past decades. PILOT REPORT Cessna C172R: The familiar classic ... only better Finally the deliveries for the new Cessna 172 (photo) have started. The first export aircraft has arrived in Australia. The aerokurier just recently was given the opportunity to fly a demonstrator (serial number 3) in Wichita. The flying characteristics of the C172R are not different than its predecessor’s, which had been in production until 1986. Pilots can still count on the same good-natured performance and balanced handling qualities. Cessna’s engineers have updated the "Volkswagen in aviation" with several improvements. The aircraft is now powered by a Lycoming IO-360 L2A with fuel-injection, rated with 160 hp at 2400 rpm. The lower peak rpm along with a change muffler system reduce the noise emission significantly. The aircraft’s 76,3 dB(A) underbids the chapter-10 noise limit by a solid 8,4 decibels. The new C172 is available with long-range tanks only. The tanks have a capacity of 200 liters. A power setting of 75 percent gives a cruise speed of 120 KTAS allowing a maximum flight time of almost six hours, leaving a 45 minute reserve. The cabin was significantly updated. Thicker windows and intelligently used sound proofing material reduce the cabin noise considerably. The fully-adjustable seats are dynamically tested for 26 g. All seats are fitted with automatic three-point safety belts. Positive to mention also, the modified and well adjustable ventilation system. The metal instrument panel with annunciator panel and four combi indicators for engine monitoring are convincing. An indirect fluorescent instrument lighting extends underneath the glareshield over its entire width. Furthermore, each instrument has its own lighting. Bendix/King is the sole avionics supplier. The C172R, fully IFR equipped with single-axis autopilot, GPS and mode-C transponder, costs just over $140000. Our opinion: Cessna’s engineers avoided doing one thing – inventing the 172 all over again from scratch. Only necessary modifications that make sense have been done. The updates along with the competitive sales price will make the aircraft an attractive offer to both, flying schools and private customers. BUSINESS AVIATION New horizons for the Horizon Raytheon is rounding out its family of Hawker business jets with the Hawker Horizon. The fuselage of the new super mid-size jet is made out of plastic, the wings are made of aluminium. The Horizon is the largest Hawker jet ever built. According to the current plans, the new jet is supposed to take off for its first flight in this century. The certification is projected for the year 2001. Data: Length: 20,55 meters, wing span: 18,81 m, height: 5,6 m, empty weight: 9493 kg, cruise speed: Mach 0.80, maximum cruise speed: Mach 0.84. The business jet is supposed to have a range of approximately 3100 NM, including NBAA IFR reserve. Round-trip over 12800 kilometers The Gulfstream GV, which was the first of two competing high-end business jets to receive its certification, has proved with a 15-hour flight that it is truly an ultra long-range jet. The record for business jets was set on January 10, 1997. The GV (serial number 505) accomplished a non-stop flight, covering a route of 6951 NM (12870 km), such demonstrating the performance data which were guaranteed by the manufacturer. The aircraft took off at 5.05 local time in Savannah, Georgia, and basically flew along the inner borders of the USA. Two crews of two pilots each took turns during the 14 hour and 48 minute flight. The average speed was Mach 0.80, reaching a maximum altitude of 51000 feet. So far, Gulfstream has logged orders for 67 GVs. Deliveries began after Gulfstream received the preliminary FAA certification in December of last year. SINGLES & TWINS Bonanza: 50 years in production When it comes to superlatives in aviation, only a few people think about the Bonanza as being one of them. Still, this aircraft is holding a record which can’t be broken easily. On December 23, 1945, Beech chief testpilot Vern Carstens took the prototype of the Beech Model 35 for its first flight. The aircraft soon developed into a bestseller: 1500 aircraft left the Beech plant in the first three years of its production. You find a complete Model history in aerokurier issue 4/1997, reaching from the Model 35 to the A36AT, the last Bonanza version which was introduced in 1985. Landing fees Although the final draft of Germany’s new airport regulation has not been fixed yet, some airports have already incorporated the more stringent noise limitations which the Transport Ministry and the Environmental Ministry are still discussing. The current airport regulation does not specify the rules for aircraft which are noise certified according to ICAO Chapter X although this has been the only means for noise certifications since January 1, 1994. Still, an official guideline by the Minister of Transport, dated from April of 1993, states that such aircraft should be handled like other aircraft in the lowest-noise category if they generate 4 or more dB(A) below the national noise limitations. However, some of the smaller airports do not base their landing fees on this valid ministerial guideline. Chapter X aircraft must prove 5 dB(A) below the national limits to be treated in the low-noise category at the airports of Worms and Speyer. Other airports, such as Essen/Mülheim, don’t even grant chapter X aircraft any way to get into the low-noise category. FAA publishes safety data As advertised, the FAA has been publishing safety relevant actions which are accompanied by fines above $50000 since the beginning of February. One of the first cases released was a 52000-dollar fine against Delta Air Lines. The carrier had missed, at its station in Lisbon, Portugal, maintaining proper training documents, and also did not train and check its safety personnel. AOPA supports commercial single-engine IFR The AOPA USA supports a proposed change to the rules concerning commercial passenger transport with single-engine aircraft under instrument flight rules. After studying accidents in this aircraft category, AOPA found out that controlled flight into the ground in bad visibility was an accident cause more often than engine failure under IFR conditions was. Liese silencer for BN Islander A new silencer from German supplier Liese reduces the noise level of the twin-engine BN Islander up to 5,8 dB(A). The air taxi carrier Luftverkehr Ostfriesland was the first operator to equip its fleet with the new muffler system. From Belgium: Ultralight helicopter Masquito The airport Moorsele close to Gent is the homebase for the first two-seat ultralight helicopter that was developed in Belgium. The Masquito R 58 has a take-off mass of only 350 kg (empty weight 170 kg). The helicopter is powered by a vertically installed Rotax 528 two-cycle engine (64 hp), giving the ultralight aircraft a cruise speed of 150 km/h. The helicopter features extremely short rotor blades, turning almost twice as fast as conventional two-blade systems in cruise flight, along with a control rotor with cyclic blade control (Hiller system) and a hydraulically driven tail rotor. The flying controls are unconventional also: The pilot "lays" in the cockpit and operators an overhead stick. All other flight controls are designed conventionally. The Masquito R 58 is to be certified in the VLR category (Very Light Rotorcraft). According to its designers (the brothers Stefaan and Paul Masschelein), the costs per flight hour will be below 200 Marks. Accident analysis: Cessna collided with trees The flight into a solid cloud layer at Heppenheim an der Bergstraße had fatal consequences for the pilot of a Cessna 172. The pilot had taken off for a short flight from Mannheim to Egelsbach (55 km). The flight was conducted according to visual flight rules. According to the accident report, the pilot chose a route along two parallel highways which are normally good navigational aids even in less than ideal visual conditions. Shortly past Heppenheim the aircraft entered a solid cloud layer. The pilot continued the flight in rising terrain. Out of a right-hand turn, the aircraft collided with a group of trees and crashed. Landing without fees Our action for more and safer flying continues. This month, when purchasing the aerokurier, you will again get coupons for four free landings. The airports Zweibrücken, Bad Dürkheim, Rechlin-Lärz and Böhlen invite you for a visit. Pilot Report: Wild Thing – tame plane As the first aviation magazine worldwide, aerokurier was allowed to fly the new ultralight aircraft Wild Thing. We found out that the all-metal high-wing aircraft is everything but a wild thing. The aircraft showed to be a really uncomplicated airplane with good handling characteristics. High speeds are not the favored territory of the Wild Thing which is the first ultralight aircraft in Germany to use the Australian Jabiru four-cylinder engine. The air-cooled engine impressed with its excellent running qualities. However, with the current propeller adjustment, which is not yet optimized, the engine did not seem to be able to deliver its full power. Until the aircraft’s certification, which is scheduled for spring of this year, there is still a lot of detail work waiting for the team from the Heroldsberg based manufacturer Air-light. The sales price for the Wild Thing, which is made in Romania, seems to be relatively cheap. The aircraft is for sale for a complete price of DM75000 offering an excellent value for the price in this aircraft category. On tour in the Western USA Henning von Perbandt and his father, an experienced aviator (former German Air Force transport pilot), toured the Western USA in a chartered Cessna 172. The 13-day trip took them from Arizona over California, Oregon, Washington, Utah, and Nevada back to Prescott in Arizona. Father and son not only witnessed spectacles of nature, such as the Grand Canyon, Death Valley, Salt Lake City, and Mount St. Helens. If one complies with the regulations, flying in the US is like paradise. The same applies to flight and charter costs, as well as, the service and the hotels. The farm of the records: Bitterwasser in Namibia Deep blue sky with impressive white cumulus clouds over a desert-like but still colourful landscape – the dream of many glider pilots. In Namibia, Africa, this dream is reality, although not always. Angelika Machinek, who had set ten world records in the season 96/97, has documented her impressions from Southern Africa. Fascinating photos (photo) show how different Africa can be. Idaflieg meeting: new safety cockpits from the Formula 1 Several new gliders are being developed in the workshops of the Akaflieg groups (academical flying associations). The various groups had a chance to present their aircraft at the Idaflieg winter meeting in Aachen. Martin Sperber from TÜV-Rheinland showed where the development of the cockpit designs is going. Cockpit designs similar to the ones used in Formula 1 racing cars are significantly increasing the passive safety. The building regulations will probably be changed accordingly. New two-seater: fs-33 from Stuttgart The new two-seater from the Stuttgart Akaflieg will be presented to the public for the first time at the Idaflieg exhibition booth at the AERO in Friedrichshafen. The first flight is reportedly to be conducted at the end of April, if the weather is favorable. The fs-33 was designed from the beginning as a technology bench. Due to this fact it will probably not go into series production but will remain an odd piece. The goal of the design was to go new ways in various aspects. The students from the Akaflieg Stuttgart began the work on the fs-33 in 1992. They had planned the development and construction of a two-seat glider with a wingspan of 20 meters. Off course, it was supposed to offer more than the current gliders in this category do. Cross Country flight symposium: The express routes through the Alps Getting out of the four boxes into which Jochen von Kalkreuth had divided the Alps for gliding! This was the motto for the symposium "Future perspectives of route flights in the Alps" in January in Innsbruck. The objective was to find a basis for flights from Wiener Neustadt to South Western France and back. Of the 23 participants, who were more than willing to pass on their knowledge, 13 were members of the pilot’s club with 1000-kilometer diploma. The only question unanswered was, in which way the detailed experiences can be mediated best. The search for other ways goes on. With the South Foehn to a long flight: 1000-km weekend in Trieben Are you planning for long route flight in the Alps? The airport Trieben is an excellent starting point for such an endeavor. Five of nine 1000-km flights which were logged in Austria last year had their starting point in Trieben. Gerhard Tomani describes an exemplary good weekend with these super routes. Polish tow aircraft GM-1 Gniady Gniady means red fox. It’s the name for a new Polish tow aircraft developed by the small Warsaw based design bureau Aviata. The single-seat all-metal low-wing aircraft stands on a fixed towed gear with a tail wheel and is powered by a powerful radial engine. The design for the aircraft began in 1989. Its looks remind one of the Wilga. The Gniady prototype was built by Yalo, funded by the Polish gliding community. Scheibe SF-34B now flies as Alliance 34 The glass-reinforced plastic two-seater SF-34B from Scheibe Flugzeugbau, Dachau, designed for training and advanced training, has been revitalized as Alliance 34 (photo). The two-seater will be built by SN Centrair in Le Blanc as a German-French "alliance". The German construction was revised by the French partner and has just received the French certification. The trainer has a wingspan of 15,80 meters and an empty weight of 350 kg, giving it good handling qualities. The aircraft also features a ergonomically designed cockpit which can be accessed through a large side-hinged canopy. Like its competitors, the Alliance 34 stands on a "three-wheeled landing gear" with a small nose wheel and a tail wheel for easier ground handling. Centrair reports the following performance data for the Alliance 34: a glide ratio of 35 at a speed of 95 km/h and minimum descent of 0,7 m/s at a speed of 75 km/h. The Alliance will be presented at a joint exhibition booth of Centrair and Scheibe at the AERO in Friedrichshafen. Heading to Friedrichshafen The AERO ’97 in Friedrichshafen is opening its gates for visitors from Germany and abroad from April 23 to 27, 1997. Visitors who would like to come with their own airplane are required to request a slot from the airport company. PPR requests can only be submitted via telephone (+49/7541/284124 or /284125). The lines will be open from April 17 through April 27, 1997, from 0900 to 2000 local time. There will be no landings allowed on the weekend (April 26 and 27) between 1130 and 1330 (UTC) due to the flying display. Flights according to visual flight rules are asked to fly via the reporting points "N" or "S". First radio contact should be attempted at the town of Stockach, located near the north-west corner of the lake Bodensee, or passing the highway bridge near Wangen respectively. Whomever wants to be independent from weather and slots can book one of the special charter flights to Friedrichshafen. Aerokurier is offering a special flight on Saturday April 26, 1997, from Hamburg to Friedrichshafen with Hamburg Airlines (Return flight). Price: DM 449,-, registration at the Deutsches Reisebüro, Tel.: +49/69/230911, Fax: +49/69/235009. Further information about the AERO can be retrieved from the homepage of the Messe Friedrichshafen (http://www.messe-fn.de). Market survey Ultralights The ultralight aircraft category is characterized by a strong competition. It is not easy to overview the product scale of this market. The customers profit from the competitive market. We have evaluated the market for you. You will find a survey of the 32 most current ultralight aircraft which are relevant for the German market. All of them with photo, short description, important data and prices. New Gemini 3 from Remos The Eschelbach based Remos Aircraft GmbH will lift the cover of the new Gemini 3 at the AERO in Friedrichshafen. We have the first facts about the new model already available for you. Many components of Gemini 3 come from its predecessor. Still, the new version has better performance and is much more attractive. New SF-40 version The new SF-40, just presented by Scheibe Flugzeugbau in Dachau, is supposed to be faster than its not very successful predecessor. Less wingspan and a Rotax 912 instead of the old version’s Sauer engine have reportedly sped up the new version to a cruise speed of 160 km/h. The aircraft’s wings were fitted with trailing edge flaps in order to comply with the required minimum airspeed of 65 km/h. Glider manufacture: Movement in the branch? Gliding may be a niche sport – measured in absolute numbers. Still, the glider industry which is concentrated in Germany is not a niche industry. On the occasion of the AERO in Friedrichshafen we will take a look at the future of this sport and also give a definition of the position of this branch which offers more than 1000 work places and turns over approximately DM250 million per year. Aero art at the AERO What would the General Aviation trade fair AERO in Friedrichshafen be without the small but fine Aerokunst (aero art) exhibition? Sylvia Henseler-Trinkhaus, in the name of aerokurier as the host of the exhibition, has again invited artists to Friedrichshafen whose works are related to aviation. The exhibition covers an ample scale ranging from a Zeppelin watercolor to mobile aviation sculptures. The exhibition will be open to the AERO visitors for the entire length of the show. AERO supporting program More exhibitors than ever (360 from 21 countries) have registered for the AERO ’97 in Friedrichshafen (April 23 to 27, 1997). They will present their products and services in the ten exhibition halls, as well as, in the static display at the airport. The daily supporting program includes seminars and workshops which are organized among others by the German Aero Club, AOPA Germany and the German Aerospace Society DGLR. A flying display will be the highlight on the weekend. |
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Last updated April 3, 1997
