aerokurier 12/2000
Editiorial Not a question of age / Feature Balloons for as far as the eye could see / Pilot Report Slepcev Storch SS4 /  Magazine Mini-turbines, diesel and Wankel engines, Will the German PPLA be kept on?, Avgas substitute: the way clear for Super Plus?, Diary / Air Shows NBAA Convention: gold fever on the Mississippi, AOPA Show 2000 in Long Beach / Travel Cross-country IFR / Flying Red Bell / Practice Tips for trips: Venice, Technology: leaning correctly, Flight planning over the Internet, Accident analysis: The tanks were already empty on approach / Ultralight The Pelican Sport 450S and P92-S Echo compared, Burger engine undergoing flight trials / Gliding The future of gliding: is the solar glider on its way?, Extended wing panels for the Glasflügel 304CZ, PW-6 has a new big sister for training, OLC Gliding Symposium

EDITORIAL

Not a question of age

New pilots are the elixir of life to aviation, and not just to General Aviation, whether they are 25, 55 or 75 years old. If one compares the numbers of new aircraft sold with the number of student pilots, the results are hardly surprising: when the number of student pilots declines, within a few years the number of single-and twin-engined aircraft declines as well.
     Without new pilots aviation has little future. Which aircraft the new pilots start on is irrelevant here. And it is never too late to realise one’s dream of flying.
     But the regulatory framework must be right. Entry must not be obstructed by excessive training requirements. For private pilots who only wish to fly VFR and do not plan to ever fly anything bigger than a typical single-engined aircraft the new European JAR-FCL licence is over the top. Training to the level of proficiency embodied in the JAR-FCL licence is so expensive that it will deter many would-be private pilots from taking up flying. On the other hand, as the basis for the commercial pilot’s licence (CPL) or the Air Transport Pilot’s Licence (ATPL) the JAR-FCL does make a lot of sense. The efforts of the Deutscher Aero Club (DAeC) to introduce a national licence below the JAR-FCL and similar to the model of the British NPPL are only to be welcomed.

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FEATURE

Balloons for as far as the eye could see

We report from the world’s biggest ballooning event in Albuquerque, New Mexico, where the balloons took off en masse in the grey morning light. Space shuttle, mail-coaches and floating cows: an array of unusual balloon shapes provided a feast for the eyes of spectators at the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta in New Mexico. The huge balloon festival in Albuquerque provides the occasion for pilots from all around the world to meet.

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PILOT REPORT

Slepcev Storch SS4

The two-seater Storch SS4 from Nestor Slepcev has to fight – against high drag. The green sector of the air speed indicator extends over the modest range from 31 to 77kt. White runs from 30 to 61kt. On this aircraft the red line is just at the point where many other planes are just beginning to get going, at just under 100kt. The SS4 Storch, like its historic predecessor, the WW2 Fieseler Storch, likes to move at a leisurely pace. The pilot and his passenger can enjoy an excellent view of the countryside thanks to the glazing, which is similar to a Wintergarten. The tandem seat aircraft is powered by a 100hp Rotax 912S.
     The kit (without engine, propeller and instruments) costs DM 46,000 plus tax and transportation. The Storch is already flying in 19 countries, including Germany, where the first aircraft is currently going through the licensing procedure.

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AIR SHOWS

NBAA Convention: gold fever on the Mississippi

The annual NBAA Convention is one of the most important trade fairs in the Business Aviation sector. It is viewed by manufacturers as a good showcase in which to unveil their new aircraft. Three members of the aerokurier editorial team went to New Orleans to hear and see what’s new.
    Ibis Ae270: Ibis Aerospace of the Czech Republic believes the market prospects are good for its Ae270 single-engine turboprop, which can seat up to ten. Piaggio P180 Avanti: Piaggio is returning to the US market. This year it expects to deliver 12 Avanti’s, with another 21 to follow in 2001. Piper Meridian: Piper Aircraft is optimistic about the Meridian, which was recently type-certificated by the FAA. Sino-Swearingen SJ30-2: in July the first series-standard prototype made its debut.
     Dassault Falcon 2000EX: the French manufacturer of high-quality corporate Jets, Dassault, is pitting its Falcon 2000 against Bombardier’s Challenger 604. In the 2000EX version, the twin-jet will offer 25% more range. Galaxy: the twin-engined Galaxy, which received FAA type certification in December 1998, is overcoming some teething problems as it quietly begins the task of gaining market share. Ayres: FedEx is to be the launch customer for the huge single-engine Loadmaster LM200 cargo plane. Its maiden flight is expected to take place at the beginning of 2001, with certification a year later. Three prototypes will be take part in the test programme. The price tag for the single-engined aircraft, whose maximum take-off weight is 8,618kg, is currently around $4.5 million.

AOPA Show 2000 in Long Beach

After Oshkosh and Sun `n Fun, AOPA Expo is the third most important US trade show for General Aviation. The fact that it is held in the last quarter of the year enables exhibitors to take provisional stock of their results for the year. Around 500 exhibitors and nearly 10,000 visitors found their way to southern California, where they were surprised by some of the new products on show. Cirrus Design from Duluth, Minnesota, took the opportunity of AOPA Expo to announce the long-awaited programme launch for the uprated version of the SR20, which received its FAA certification two years ago.

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MAGAZINE

Mini-turbines, diesel and Wankel engines

All around the world work is under way to develop new forms of propulsion for General Aviation. When they will be ready for the market is not clear. All that is certain is that they are on their way.
     For example, Williams International is now trying to gain a foothold in the turboprop market. The company recently unveiled its TSX-2 turboshaft engine. At the same time NASA and Teledyne Continental Motors (TCM) are heading development of a 200hp two-stroke cycle diesel engine under the GAP programme. Its designation is CSD 283.
     DeltaHawk of Racine, Wisconsin is also pinning its hopes on the two-stroke diesel engine as the powerplant of the future. Its EagleHawk V-4, whose two cylinder banks are arranged in a 90º configuration, will also develop 200hp. Another player who has been firmly in the camp of the two-stroke diesel right from the beginning is Michael Zoche. For 15 years his company, Zoche Aero-Diesels, has been developing two engine versions, the ZO 01A, an 84kg, 150hp four-cylinder radial engine with 2.66 litre cc and two-stage charging (turbocharger and supercharger), and the 5.33 litre ZO 02A, a 300hp, 123kg eight-cylinder engine, also with a radial engine design. A 70hp, 55kg ZO 03A with 1.33 litre cc is under development.
    The French company SMA and Textron Lycoming from the USA have gone for the four-stroke diesel engine. Since SNECMA came on board, the engine’s designation at SMA has changed from the MR 200 to the SR 305. Its takeoff rating is 230hp. Surprising though it may be, European certification may be complete by the end of the year.
    Lycoming is developing a four-cylinder, four-stroke engine with turbocharging and a power output of 205hp. The basic concept for the engine originated in Italy, having then been purchased by the Detroit Diesel Corporation (DDC).
   Since 13 October the new Zöllner aircraft engine has been on the test rig at HK Aircraft in Hassfurt. The air-cooled two-litre 120hp, dual ignition boxer engine is to be installed in a Vega Ex.

Will the German PPLA be kept on?

The Deutscher Aero Club (DAeC) is asking for a national PPL to be retained as well as the JAR-FCL licence. It sees this as a means of stopping the cost of aerosports from spiralling further when the new European licence comes in.
    If it were to introduce or retain a national PPL, Germany would be following the example of other JAA states which have already taken this step on the basis of experience with the European licence. The Federal Ministry for Transport, Public Works and Housing (BMVBW) is keeping a low profile. The Ministry’s view is that the proposal raises a number of questions which need to be clarified jointly with the DAeC before a decision can be taken.

Avgas substitute: the way clear for Super Plus?

Avgas, the fuel used for aircraft engines, is threatening to paralyse General Aviation: a litre now costs over three marks, payment methods are inconvenient to customers, and no alternatives are yet certified.

Diary

The new illustrated calendars for the year 2001 are now on sale. They are unveiled in aerokurier.

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TRAVEL

Cross-country IFR

After many positive experiences of flying in the USA, Dr. Herman Dietrich decided to get his IFR licence there as well. He chartered a Beech Bonanza in Florida, including a German-speaking instructor, and took off on a 2-week tour around the country. This was to be followed by the IFR check-out flight.

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FLYING

Red Bell

From the crash scrap of an elderly Bell 47 G-2, which his father had accepted in payment for the repair of a rotor head, Peter Haiml of Offenburg succeeded over a period of more than 1,000 hours of work in building an airworthy new helicopter, which he painted red and baptised with the name Red Bell.

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PRACTICE

Tips for trips: Venice

Paradise is so close and yet so far away. It is only a few hundred kilometres from the south of Germany to Venice, but along the way are the Alps, making the city of lagoons recede into the distance. But with good preparation it moves back within reach.
    For many pilots in Germany, Italy, the country which otherwise attracts so many Germans, appears unattainable due to problems which include coping with a different language, the Alps and an admittedly confusing aeronautical chart which appears to consist of only LI-Rs and LI-Ps. Simply taking off, without worrying about the various restrictions, is – fortunately – not to everyone’s taste. In particular, the chart covering the area around Venice with the control zone of Venezia Tessera airport is a mass of lines which are very difficult to assign and interpret.

Technology: leaning correctly

For many pilots the red lever on the instrument panel is mainly used to shut down the engine. But if you know how to regulate the mix of fuel and air correctly, the engine will reward you with optimal performance, lower fuel consumption and less wear and tear. In the practical section of this month’s aerokurier you can find out what factors to consider for when leaning the engine

Flight planning over the Internet

The French company Easy Flying now offers a VFR/IFR flight plan preparation service for General Aviation over its Internet portal "Sky Alliance". You enter your departure and arrival aerodromes, plus at least one alternative as well if it is an IFR flight, and the planned flight rules (IFR/VFR) and flight level. The programme then asks you to enter the waypoints, following which it produces the Notams and the weather (with considerable restrictions). If you then click on the Flight Plan button, the official flight plan form appears completed with all the information which the pilot has entered on his route.

Accident analysis:
The tanks were already empty on approach

Unprofessional flight preparation and incorrect fuel management led to the demise of a Cessna 414 in the vicinity of Zurich. The aircraft owner had been instructing a young pilot on the aircraft type without proper authorisation.
    The Cessna crashed into a residential building directly in front of the runway in Zurich. The owner died, while his young colleague survived with serious injuries. No flight plan had been filed for the night flight. Moreover, the accident investigators established that the aircraft had taken off in Basle with insufficient fuel on board.

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ULTRALIGHT

The Pelican Sport 450S and P92-S Echo compared

Two candidates, a single objective. The Pelican Sport and its rival the P92-S Echo are aimed at ultralight pilots who are looking for a problem-free all-rounder. When one compares the two aircraft directly, they both have individual strengths but also weaknesses. These planes are for pilots who want good performance from a UL, but for whom straightforward handling and a reasonable amount of comfort are more important decision criteria than optimal aerodynamics.

Burger engine undergoing flight trials

There is a lot going on in the ultralight engine field. Flight trials have begun on the "Burger" engine, which is based on the ultra-economy two-cylinder engine for an environmentally friendly car. The 73hp boxer engine weighs only 52kg. This performance is possible thanks to its exhaust turbocharger, its 4-valve technology and suction pipe injection. However, it should be some time before the new engine is really ready to enter full production.

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GLIDING

The future of gliding: is the solar glider on its way?

In its "Future 2000 plus" series aerokurier is taking a look into the future of General Aviation at the start of the new millennium. In part 4 Professor Rudolf Voit-Nitschmann demonstrates the development potential for solar- and electrically-powered gliders. He describes the historical development and, based on the technology available today, he surveys the vision of the wholeheartedly environmentally friendly, self-launch-capable, multi-function solar glider. On the one hand this will be able to fly for hours using only an in-built solar generator, while on the other hand, with its engine shut down, its performance will be comparable to today’s performance-type gliders.

Extended wing panels for the Glasflügel 304CZ

The revived production run of the Glasflügel 304CZ at HpH in Kutna Hora, Czech Republic, is proving to be quite a hit. HpH has already delivered around 30 of these racing class aircraft. And now the 304CZ is being offered with winglets for the 18m class.
     The 304CZ is a very attractive aircraft which has scored another victory with the new add-on wing extensions. Today it costs DM 64,500, a very competitive price even when compared with a second-hand but 20-year old 304. The winglets cost just DM 6,200 extra.

PW-6 has a new big sister for training

The world class PW-5 aircraft has acquired a big sister: the two-seater PW-6 trainer. There is currently a special offer of DM 100,000 for the two aircraft together.
    Two gliders for a price at which one would be hard pushed to buy a single plane - what club would not be tempted? The cut-throat price being offered by PZL Swidnik on the launch of the PW-6 trainer gives a much welcome opportunity to renew one’s training fleet. This makes it possible to convert to low-maintenance GRP aircraft without the purchase and resulting high insurance costs at the same time forcing one to raise flying charges through the roof. With the PW-6 trainer it would be possible to practise flying the world class PW-5, to which students would then be able to convert without major problems due to the high degree of commonality between the aircraft. Another consideration is that the one-seater high-performance world-class plane is often used to fight out world championships and achieve new records. This bargain price is of course limited to orders placed before the end of the year.
    Why are they offering such a price? Does the new trainer from the Polish manufacturer actually offer an alternative to its significantly more expensive rivals in workmanship, spaciousness, flight characteristics and handling? In October the aerokurier editorial team got the opportunity to take a closer look at the PW-6 and fly it.

OLC Gliding Symposium

Continue flying, experience more and learn effectively from it. These were the major topics at the Gliding Symposium held at the conclusion of the aerokurier Online Contest 2000 at the end of October in the Rhön.
    How did the season go, what should be the format of future aerokurier On-line Contests (OLC)? The idea was that the Gliding Symposium held at the end of the season on 28 October in Gersfeld would answer these questions. But the OLC was by no means the only subject under consideration in the Rhön. Reiner Rose, initiator and contest manager, had gathered together a top-class set of speakers - Dr. Hermann Trimmel, longhaul specialist Klaus Ohlmann and Dr. Herbert Pirker - who expanded the range of topics in a series of interesting talks.