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Aviation History
1993
1993 - 0705.PDF
GENERAL AVIATION Star of Phoenix plans 100 Fivers a month BY GRAHAM WARWICK IN ATLANTA AUS company has revealed plans to build up to 100 light aircraft a month at a new factory in Casa Grande, Ari zona. Star of Phoenix Aircraft (StarPAC) has launched pro duction of the Phoenix Flyer two-seat trainer ~~ and is planning to build three other aircraft types. The Phoenix Flyer is an updated version of the all- aluminium Thorp T-211. The T-211 (based on the I' ll, which first flew in 1946) was certif icated in the USA Throp T-211: in 1964. Rights to the aircraft were acquired by Thorp Aero in 1985 and pro duction restarted in 1990, but the company went bankrupt. StarPAC has acquired the assets of Kentucky-based Thorp, including $1.6 million in parts, says chief executive Charles Kallmann. Five Thorp- built T-221s are flying and StarPAC has almost completed its first two aircraft, with ten more in production and parts for some 40 in hand, he says. The Phoenix Flyer will be available in three versions: a $60,000 trainer powered by a 75kW (lOOhp) Teledyne Con tinental O-200, giving a 105kt (195km/h) cruise speed; a $65,000 AeroSPORT variant; and an AeroSPORT-XL with uprated engine, 117kt cruise speed and price tag of around $70,000, with an optional Bal listic Recovery Systems emer gency-descent parachute. The aircraft is constructed from Specul-Air, a "mirror- finish" Alcoa aluminium which does not require painting. Equipment providers include Hamilton Standard for the pro peller and Terra and Allied- Signal for the avionics. StarPAC will begin accepting $3,000 refundable deposits on the first 300 aircraft in April/ May, says Kallmann. The com pany will sell or lease the aircraft and will provide financ ing and insurance. The price includes 4h training and Star PAC is negotiating to equip its regional marketing and de livery centres with Frasca simulators. Kallmann says that StarPAC has raised $6 million from private share holders to fund the acquisition of Thorp's assets and to establish the Casa Grande factory. De liveries begin in July. Pro duction is planned to reach 20 a month by 1994. StarPACs plans include ship ping US-made parts to assembly centres abroad and developing a floatplane variant. • the Phoenix Flyer IAC backs low-cost aerobatic kitplane Allison to power Bell's Model 430 Bell Helicopter has selected Allison's Model 250-C40 engine to power its Model 430 intermediate twin-turbine heli copter. The "Series IV" Model 250 is a commercial version of the improved T703-700 turbos- haft Allison is developing to power US Army Bell OH-58D scout helicopters. The 580kW (780hp) -C40 will feature the Chandler Evans EMC-35 single-channel full- authority digital engine control now under test on the "Series II" Model 250-C20R/9. The 335kW -C20R/9 has been se lected by Agusta to power the A. 109 and Allison will begin flight-testing in June. The Bell 430 is a stretched, four-bladed derivative of the Model 230 and Allison's -C40 is a development of the Model 250-C30G/2 which powers the Bell 230. The engine will incor porate compressor and turbine improvements developed for the T703 under the US Army's reliability and maintainability enhancement programme. The commercial 250-C40 will feature an increased-flow compressor, brush seals in the compressor and the turbine, and an air-cooled first-stage trubine nozzle, which permits a 16°C increase in turbine inlet temperature. The -C40 improvements re sult in a 10% increase in power over the -C30G/2. Turbine overhaul life is increased and observable emissions halved, says Allison. Certification of the Model 250-C40 is sched uled for May 1995. • NEWS IN BRIEF NASA BUSINESS NASA and Learjet have an nounced a co-operative pro gramme of research into more-economical business jets, covering new aerofoil designs, minimum-weight structures and friction-drag reduction. Starting next Jan uary, NASA Ames will con duct 480h testing of a windtunnel model produced by Learjet. The International Air Club (IAC) is supporting devel opment of an affordable aero batic aircraft which it hopes could be used in one-class competitions. The home-built One Design would cost $20,000-$30,000. "There is an obvious heed for an aircraft that's a good per former and is affordable by most pilots," the IAC says. A prototype ol the One De sign is under construction and is expected to fly by August. The IAC hopes to have plans available later this year and home-built specialist Aircraft Spruce & Speciality is expected to offer the materials packages needed to build the aircraft. The One Design was con ceived by Dan Rihn as an entry-level aerobatic aircraft which would be easy and inex pensive to contract from raw materials, using basic tools. The fuselage has a welded steel-tube truss structure, the all-wood wing is stressed to +10g, while the wire-braced tail surfaces use steel tubing and sheet-metal ribs. The aircraft is a single-seater and can accept engines ranging from a 75kW (lOOhp) Tele- dyne Continental O-200 to a 135kW Textron Lycoming IO- 360. The prototype will be powered by a HOkW Lycom ing. The O-200-powered One Design weighs 270kg and has a cruise speed of 140kt (260km/h); the IO-360-pow- ered version weighs 320kg and has a 175kt cruise. The IAC is forming a com pany to sell the plans and to issue licences to build the One Design, with the aim of getting enough aircraft flying to allow one-class competitions. • 18 FLIGHT INTERNATIONAL 31 March - 6 April, 1993
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