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aerokurier 2/1998
Would you please open the trunk? There is also another side to Europe’s growing together. Just imagine you are flying within the European Union. After landing, two uniformed gentlemen from customs approach the aircraft and ask where you came from and where you are going. You would be mistaken if you start laughing or look for a hidden camera (because you think you are on TV). Customs has discovered General Aviation. Boeing MD 600N: Power for eight aerokurier’s helicopter editor, Renate Strecker, wanted to find out how agile and powerful the new eight-seat MD 600N is. In Arizona, where low-flying is legal and out-landings are no problem, she took a closer look at the helicopter together with Boeing test-pilot Rich Lee. The MD 600N is equipped with a NOTAR system instead of the conventional torque counter-balance. The helicopter is fast, extremely agile, turns corners quick and has a high performance reserve. Raytheon Premier I: On course to roll-out In 1998, the air in the market niche of the entry-level jets will become thinner. Raytheon’s Premier I is on the way to settle in this segment of Business Aviation. In the manufacturers product line, the jet is placed between the Super King Air 350 and the Beechjet 400. The first flight is scheduled for the second quarter of 1998 which is approximately seven months later than originally announced at the NBAA 1995. As of now, the test and certification program will include 1400 flight hours, flown by prototypes in just over twelve months. Cessna singles: new prices, better equipment Cessna’s single-engine aircraft production is still not up to the planned speed. Still, the rate at which the plant in Independence is putting out the new singles is breathtaking. aerokurier took a closer look at the location in Independence, and brought back the new prices and the equipment list. Furthermore, Cessna opened a window into the future development of the product line. Airfield regulation: Is General Aviation facing a night-flight hammer? The pending new airfield regulations are shocking once more with grotesque appearances. Just recently, the German environmental ministry (BMU) wanted to implement a general night-flight restriction for all General Aviation aircraft under 9 tons MTOW that don’t have a noise certification. The plan was going to preclude these aircraft from flying in the time from sunset +30 until sunrise -30. The implementation of such a regulation would exclude 66 percent of the General Aviation aircraft from night operations. A BMU representative confirmed such a plan to aerokurier. However, he said that this is just a "drawing". Protests from the AOPA, as well as, economical considerations have lead to a reconsideration of the plan. Nevertheless, to give the all-clear signal now would be wrong. The BMU will most probably reveal a new plan soon. The General Aviation associations are well advised to be alert and ready to do their part in steering the events in the right direction. High-tech for tomorrow’s helicopter Experts met for a status seminar titled "pilot study for the new helicopters" at Eurocopter in Ottobrunn. They were extensively briefed on the newest developments and innovations in the area of rotor-aircraft, including such topics as direct blade control, new and less-noisy rotor blades, as well as, cabin noise reduction and thermal relief for pilots and passengers. Kitplane Atlantis: double fun If you are looking for a fully-aerobatic two-seater which has both, aerobatic and cruise qualities, Atlantis might just be what you are looking for. However, one can’t buy the aircraft from stock. It is only available as kitplane. In aerokurier’s February issue you will find a fascinating report about this unique aircraft. Flying the Boeing 777 Bob Grimstead knows several Boeing aircraft from his experience as an airline pilot. Just recently in an extensive simulator session, he had the opportunity to take a closer look at the world’s largest twin, the Boeing 777. On nine pages and illustrated with attractive photos, Bob describes how to fly the Triple-Seven. Comparitively he looked at those corners of the flight envelope that one should stay out of in a real flight. He also describes in a detailed and comprehensible way how redundant these aircraft’s systems are. However, the author does not spare critics in his report. Up until today, Boeing has not managed to standardize the position of the important switches on the throttles of the different Boeing aircraft types. This sometimes presents a real problem to pilots who are alternately flying different Boeing models. Cross-country downunder 9000 kilometers through the outback. Astrid Herz from Bonn was only 18 and had just received her private pilot licence when she visited her sister Laura who studies in Australia. Together, they chartered a Piper Warrior in Bankstown close by Sidney and experienced 50 adventurous flight hours, including a delicate stopover landing at a military airfield, a safety landing on a country road and the world’s probably most unusual traffic pattern in Yulara at Ayers Rock. Non-flying can be costly too When Bob Grimstead (who is well known to aerokurier readers from many pilot reports) wanted to buy a 180-hp Maule everything looked good in the beginning. The aircraft made a good appearance and, since the aircraft had not been flown for a while, the seller had operated the aircraft’s engine at regular intervals and documented this in the log-book. A conscientious owner, Grimstead thought, and decided to buy the aircraft, especially since the price was right. In the first year of flying with the four-seater, the British Airways captain had a lot of fun with his new aircraft. The bad awaking came when the tail-wheel aircraft was inspected for its annual check-up. The engine showed significant rust bubbles on the outside of the cylinder heads. The problem could not be solved by just changing the cylinder heads. After dismounting the heads, the inside of the engine revealed the real damage that had been done by not using the aircraft. The cam of the camshaft and the crankshaft showed definite signs of early wear. The engine needed a complete overhaul although it had not reached its TBO by many hours. Meanwhile the work is done and Grimstead enjoys flying the aircraft again. He learned a lesson for himself: If at all possible, he flies the aircraft at least once a week. Only what rests can rust. Tips for selling and buying an aircraft Only few of us are talented sales people. To do everything right when selling or buying an aircraft, one must follow specific rules. Roland Straub has compiled these rules for the aerokurier. He covers the pricing as well as the contents of sales ads. Sellers will be interested in what he has to say about test flights: which rules apply when the potential buyer wants to fly the aircraft before the contract is signed? What do the insurances and the aviation administration have to say to this topic? Roland Straub also gives tips concerning the auctioning of aircraft. Accident analysis: Picked the wrong valley and crashed into a mountain In bad visual meteorological conditions, the pilot of a Cessna T 210 (Turbo Centurion), on his way from Innsbruck to Samedan, flew into the Trisann valley instead of the Inn valley. Due to the low clouds the pilot reduced his altitude, a reverse turn was too risky for him. The Cessna was seen flying by the Silvretta dam at low altitude and then disappearing in fog and snow direction south. In rising terrain, the aircraft collided only a little later with a hill in the Silvretta mountain range. The pilot died, his passenger was severely injured. The accident analysis revealed that both occupants could have survived the accident with only minor injuries if they had buckled the lap and shoulder harnesses. The pilot had taken off his belts completely, probably in his effort to watch the airspace; the second person on-board was only buckled with the lap belt. Remos G-3 Mirage: one for all With the new G-3 Mirage, Eschelbach-based Remos Aircraft is becoming a serious competitor not only in the ultralight market. The plastic two-seater received its type certification on 15 January. We have flown the high-wing aircraft for you. The G-3 is tempting with excellent flight characteristics and good comfort in a very professionally designed cockpit. The aircraft has a cruise speed of approximately 190 km/h. aerokurier’s flight report revealed only few points to criticize. Will the LBA manage the ultralights in the future? The authorization of the German Aero Club to manage the three-axis ultralights and the permission of the German Ultralight Association to manage the weight-controlled ultralight aircraft are being newly negotiated The last meeting of the Government-State Aviation Committee revealed an indication for possible tendencies. It seems as that engine-powered ultralights will be managed by the German aviation administration LBA in the future. Grob trainer reaches the 20-meter class The large twin is not entirely new. It has been sighted on more than one occasion since April 1996: a Twin III with slightly V-shaped wingtip extensions and a wingspan of 20 meters. It reportedly has a significantly better performance than the 18-meter Twin, including a better glide number (41) and a lower value for the smallest sink-rate. Professor Richard Eppler, the initiator of the prototype, describes the performance and the handling of the large twin. The wingtip extensions are meanwhile LBA certified and will be built by Fiberglastechnik Rudolf Lindner. Growing basis for aerobatic gliding The Kopps-Über (upside down) meeting, a small glider pilots day of the aerobatic pilots in Oppenheim at the end of last year, was used to exchange information and to do define their standing. As a positive result, the meeting showed that the number of aerobatic glider pilots who participate in competitions is continuously growing and, that the availability of gliders for this kind of flying is becoming more attractive. One example is the double-seater Fox that will be offered with plug wings, such expanding its operating spectrum into basic training. The Fox, which satisfies the highest competitive demands, will be more versatile and can be used more economicaly in the future. Aerobatics with trainers At the season end of 1997, 37 teams met in Blumberg for the 10th gliding aerobatics competition of the two-seaters. With guests from Austria and Switzerland, the event acquired an international touch. The Blumberg competition is the only gliding aerobatics competition that is exclusively flown with two-seat trainer aircraft and is laid out as a team event. The majority of the teams used the trainer ASK 21 in the half and fully aerobatic classes. Only the unknown compulsory was graded, which was flown in three rounds. Cross-country to northern Finland Whomever wants to be sure about his gliding vacation heads south. Not so with Uwe Klimek and Jürgen Strunk. With their DG-400, they flew all the way up to the northern tip of Finland and were lucky with the weather. Up North the weather was particularly good. The two pilots are describing their adventure of cross-country flying in Finland. Their hot tip: Europe’s refrigerating room. In 60 flight hours, in five of which the engine was used for take-offs and to cover lull times, they flew to Ivalo at Lake Inari. Due to the good thermal conditions, they only needed five days for the trip. It took the rest of their three-week vacation to return to Germany. The flight finished with another highlight: a low fly-by of the Bremen airport before returning to the home field of Varrelbusch. New functions for VP calculators The introduction of modern processor structures in avionics facilitates the upgrade with new functions. In time for the new season, Peschges VP6 and VP9 are offered with new features. The highlights include an optimized compass coupling for a permanent wind calculation (direction and speed), as well as, the option to integrate the VP8 logger. The VP9 additionally offers an optical alignment. Crash-test: what the cockpit needs to hold Crash-test at the TÜV Rheinland in Cologne: A glider cockpit hits the container with 70 km/h. In a conventional cockpit, the pilot would probably not look too good. The new technology cockpit, however, which was developed by TÜV Rheinland in the frame of a research contract, has survived the final crash evaluation. The test simulated the impact of a glider (weight: 525 kg) with 70 km/h in an angle of 45 degrees on grass/airfield underground. The cockpit held up the crash. Still, Martin Sperber, who is heading this research project, was not entirely satisfied. The small damage in the forward fuselage should not have occurred. The new safety cockpit is designed with a fibre-mix of Dyneema and Carbon, which is already proven in Formula-1 car racing. The final report will show what a cockpit will have to withstand in the future an how a simple static certification procedure could be accomplished. Around Germany in one day Taking off with the rising sun and coming back to the take-off location in the last sunlight was accomplished by Helmut Ried and Hubert Weißenhorn from the gliding group Nordstern. The record flight for the internal Guiness Book of the club cost them lots of stamina but, gave them a very unique flying experience. The goal of the two pilots was to cover at least 2000 kilometers with the club-owned Dimona H 36. Following a thorough preparation and after being allowed to take off before the official opening time of the airfield (at 5.23 local time) they succeeded with their flight. They logged exactly 2031 kilometers in 13 flight hours. Traffic controllers learn gliding The best way to learn more about the essentials of a certain airsport, is to do it yourself in practice. Based on this motto, the gliding commission of Lower Saxony together with the aeroclub Delmenhorst, for the second time, organized a trial course especially tailored to employees of the German air navigation services (DFS). This time, a total of ten controllers from the DFS regional station in Bremen participated in the course. After two evenings of academics, the weekend was reserved for practical flying. Due to the good weather, each of the participants got six to eight take-offs, therefore being able to get a good idea about gliding. The course was a success and has generated more interest. Another course will be offered during this season. Further gliding news, for example concerning the European championships of the women and the German championships of the juniors, can be found under airSPORT and NEWS Gliding. |
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Last updated January 23, 1998
