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Aviation History
1992
1992 - 0989.PDF
GENERAL AVIATION Aerotek launches composite utility BY MIKE GAINES IN JOHANNESBURG Aerotek, South Africa's Aero nautical Systems Technol ogy division of the state-owned Council for Scientific and Indus trial Research, is to launch an all-composite lightweight two- seat aircraft, called the Hum mingbird. The aircraft is aimed at the surveillance/police/game- ranger market usually filled by light helicopters. Peter Jacobs, senior manager of Aerotek's design office, says the aircraft should make its Textron ALF502 cracks affect Challenger 600 Textron Lycoming says that ALF502 turbofans powering early-model Cana- dair Challenger business jets will be affected by its pro gramme to retire prematurely cracking engine discs (Flight International, 1-7 April). The twin ALF502L-pow- ered Challenger 600 was cer tificated in 1980 and was superseded by the General Electric CF34-powered Chal lenger 601 in 1982, after 83 aircraft had been built. The engine is similar to the lower-rated ALF502R which powers British Aero space 146 four-jet regional airliners and which is most affected by the disc "draw down" programme. Lycoming says that the low engine utilisation typical of a business jet, about 300 cycles a year, means the ALF502Ls will be among the last to be affected by its programme to replace high- pressure compressor discs at between 10,000 and 12,000 cycles and high-pressure tur bine second-stage discs at 9,000 cycles. • maiden flight in about four months' lime. "The cockpit has the same level of visibility as a helicopter," says Jacobs, "but it will be much cheaper to buy and run." The take-off and landing roll are claimed to be less than 100m, which is sufficient for most jobs, he says. The Hummingbird is powered by a 67kW (90hp) Norton rotary engine mounted over the trailing edge of the. shoulder-wing and driving a pusher propeller. The llm-span aircraft is 6.5m long and weighs 340kg empty and 620kg all up. The design cruise speed is lOOkt (185km/h), but it will be able to loiter at 41kt with 10° of flap, for an endurance of 4h. Flaps-down stall speed is projected as 30kt. The aircraft can be de-rigged for trailer transport. Jacobs sees a market for the side-by-side two-seater with automobile breakdown patrols, police, pipe line and electricity-line agencies and game rangers. • US ENGINE FLIGHT-TESTED ON WILGA PZL's North American marketing arm, Melex USA, is flight-testing the Polish manufacturer's Wilga utility aircraft re-engined with a Continen tal 10-550 piston engine in place of the original lvchenko radial. The engine change is designed to increase the aircraft's appeal to US law-enforcement customers. The 10-550 is 45kg lighter and some 40kW (54hp) more powerful than the radial engine and the re-engined aircraft has a shorter take-off run, faster cruise, better centre-of-gravity range and uses less fuel. At $98,000, the aircraft is about $12,000 more expensive than the basic Wilga. Australia rejects Mu-2 safety advice Australia's Civil Aviation Au thority (ACAA) has de clined to implement the main recommendations from a Bureau of Air Safety Investigation (BASI) report implicating ice problems with the Mitsubishi Mu-2 in two Australian acci dents (Flight International 19-25 February). Dutch agree to use of surveillance ultra-light The Dutch aviation authori ties have approved the use of ultra-lights by the police for surveillance following two years of test flying. It is believed to be' the first such professional use of ultra-lights in Europe. Police in the city of Helmond in the south of the country have used a modified German Sky- Walker machine since 1989 un dertaking observa tion, traffic duties, the control of public events, search flights and directing firefight ers. Much of the work has been undertaken in the large agricultural areas which sur round the city. The Helmond police used the aircraft to supplement the air craft and helicopters of the Di- enst Luchtvaart Rijkpolitie (the police air service). In 1991, the Sky-Walker accumulated about 250 flying hours and the plan is to double the usage this year. The Dutch authorities recom mend that a very light aircraft should replace the ultra-light. • SkyWalker joins Dutch police after two years' testing The main recommendations — withdrawal of certification for flight in known icing pending further certification flight- testing; introduction of an ab normal trim-position warning system; investigation of stall- warning adequacy in icing con ditions; and improved ice detection and stall-warning ice protection — are rejected. The recommended tests would have amounted to a full known-icing re-certification for the type, following BASI's find ing that the original Japanese certification, and a subsequent US Federal Aviation Administra tion special certification review, had been incomplete. Without commenting directly on the BASI findings, the ACAA response claims: "There has been no suggestion that, when the ice-protection systems are operated correctly, the aircraft characteristics are other than satisfactory." The BASI report, based on extensive inquiries into domes tic and foreign Mu-2 accidents, had documented rapid ice- induced loss of airspeed and high (150-160kt — 280-300km/ h) stall speeds, with extreme nose-up autopilot trim inputs impeding recovery from violent and unpredictable spins. BASI is not expected to close its file on the crashes until its recom mendations are addressed. • FLIGHT INTERNATIONAL 15 - 21 April, 1992 17
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