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Aviation History
1989
1989 - 2181.PDF
TECHNICAL: GENERAL Norton flies light rotary engine Norton Motors of the UK aims to offer its lightweight 68kW NR642 engine, now un dergoing pre-certification trials, as a replacement for engines in elderly Cessna 150 and Cessna 152 aircraft. It will also offer it for installation in new aircraft. The company believes that the engine's mechanical simplicity (it has fewer parts than a recip rocating engine) and expected low price tag of about £6,000 will win it a niche in the market dominated by US companies. To speed flight experience Norton is testing two of the engines in an adapted Rutan LongEz, called a TwinEz. Each unit is mounted pusher-style at the wing trailing edge. The TwinEz, built by Ivan Shaw of Aviation Composites, made its first flight on June 29, and was demonstrated days later at the UK Popular Flying Association's annual rally at Cranfield Airport. Norton has also engaged Rogers Aviation of Cranfield to fit an NR642 to a Cessna 152, scheduled to fly next year. Norton, which hopes to have the engine certificated in the European light-aircraft engine category by the end of this year, is to perform 500h of tests using the TwinEz, on top of the lOOh of ground tests already completed. Norton marketing director Jon Skofic says that UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) requirements are vague, and seem not to demand flight tests. However, recent problems encountered by another UK light-aircraft engine after certification have hardened the CAA's attitude, and it is now likely to request flight tests if they are not performed voluntarily, Skofic adds. US launch for Super2 kit Island Aircraft wants to restart production of the SuperZ trainer Island Aircraft of the UK is to start marketing the Super2 light trainer in the USA, its first major sales initiative since res cuing the project from now- defunct ARV Aviation. Island Aircraft is to exhibit a Super2 later this month at the US Experimental Aircraft Associa tion's annual fly-in at Oshkosh, Wisconsin, and for the first time the aircraft will be offered in kit form, a move likely to result in a price reduction from the current level of £26,000 for an assem bled aircraft. "It is the world's biggest market—how can we ignore it?" asks Chris Wald, Island Aircraft's chairman and managing director. The kit will consist of a pack of metal parts needing to be riveted and bonded. US prices for the kit and complete aircraft have yet to be set. The Super2 is certificated in the UK light-aircraft category, and Wald says that US certifica tion to FAR Part 23 would be obtained "without difficulty", though this would not be attempted without a US customer. Wald sees the availability of a kit as a "sweetener," and is opti mistic about achieving sales of completed aircraft in the USA and Europe. The company has parts for 20 kits. A plan to resume production of the Super2—stopped by finan cial difficulties at ARV Aviation —is "progressing", says .Wald. • Two Norton NR642 engines drrve pusher in the TwinEz One aircraft manufacturer interested in using the Norton engine is Australia's Seabird Aviation, which needs an engine for a new two-seat trainer called the Sentinel, says Skofic. He also sees a market powering motor- gliders and remotely piloted vehicles. Skofic says the engine will be offered in the USA, but only to kit aircraft builders, to avoid the financial pitfalls of US product liability legislation there. Claimed advantages for the NR642 over reciprocating engines are high power/weight ratio, low vibration, and a low parts count. Weighing 61kg with coolant and exhaust, the engine delivers l.lkW/kg (0-67 h.p./lb). Skofic says there is no lateral vibration, and that radial vibra tion is as low as from a six- cylinder reciprocating engine. The parts count is low because there is no valvegear—gas passages are opened and closed by movement of the twin rotors inside a trochoidal chamber. The overhaul interval initially aimed for is l,500h. The engine is 73cm long and 40cm in diameter. It runs at 7,200 r.p.m., and drives a pro peller through a 3:1 reduction gearbox. Skofic says fuel con sumption is "competitive". The NR642 shares parts with Norton's less powerful remotely- piloted-vehicle engines. The company, based in Shenstone, England, makes 50 of these monthly, licences Teledyne Continental to build them for the US market, and also makes rotary engines for the Norton group's motorcycle business. Skofic says that Norton could be making five NR642 engines per week once production gets under way. • Stemme offers low-cost snooper The high cost of sensor missions using fixed-wing aircraft and helicopters has led Swiss company Gepard Sensor Technologies Systems to develop a range of sensor pods and integral electronics based on low-cost platforms. Currently using the Stemme S.10 motorglider equipped with hardpoints, Gepard is^ offering pods capable of carrying devices ranging from television cameras to air-pollution testers. , Also available are radar and lowJlight television, for use in traffic control, and an air-droppable search-and-rescue pod. A notable application is the forward-looking infrared pod, which has a high-resolution IR scanner linked to a video recorder with real-time moni toring. This will enable tasks such as thermographic mapping, early detection of forest fires, and game observation. The Stemme S.10 offers a payload of 7501b at a typical operating cost of $100 an hour, depending on equipment. The aircraft has an endurance of 40h and a range of 1,080 n.m. or 2,650 n.m. with ferry pods. On offer is a 25 h.p. emergency engine pod. This two- stroke unit enables the aircraft to fly clear of an urban area in the event of failure of its 90 h.p. Limbach engine. A 110 h.p. powerplant will be available soon. • FLIGHT INTERNATIONAL 15 July 1989 23
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