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Aviation History
1999
1999 - 2055.PDF
GENERAL AVIATION NEWS IN BRIEF • ITALIAN AMPHIBIAN The Italian Civil Protection Agency is in negotiations with Bombardier for the acquisition of up to five Canadair CL-415 amphib ians, to add to its current fleet of 10. The aircraft will be used to fight fires in the Reg- gio Calabria, Trapani, Olbia and Ciampino areas. The air craft will be operated and maintained by Sorem, which has won a court battle against fellow amphibian operator and former contractor Sisam, which attempted to block the agency's decision to sign Genoa-based Sorem. Bom bardier has 52 orders for CL-415s, with 40 aircraft awaiting delivery. • CESSNA INSPECTIONS The US Federal Aviation Ad ministration has issued an airworthiness directive or dering 50h inspections be yond the SOOh inspection period, of stainless-steel ex haust systems on about 9,500 turbocharged Cessna twins. Inspections are required until 2,200h, or engine re moval for overhaul, which ever occurs first. • RURAL HELICOPTER Illinois, USA-based farm supplies chain Rural King has taken delivery of its first Eurocopter AS350BA AStar helicopter, to be used to transport company execu tives across its network of 17 shops. American Eurocopter has also signed a service con tract with German company KID-Systeme for the supply and maintenance of cabin systems. • JET ADDITIONS Jet Aviation has added six business jets to its European charter fleet. The new cus tomer- owned aircraft, which include three Bombardier Challenger 604s, two Dassault Falcon 2000s and a Cessna Citation X, will be based in Zurich, Switzerland. Esprit racer appears at Cranf ield THE ESPRIT VFn EXPERIMENTAL homebuilt racing air craft was on display at the Cranfield, UK, Popular Flying Association rally on 2-4 July. The Rolls-Royce 0200-powered all-composite kit, designed by Switzerland's Valentino Fry, offers a maximum range of 1,000km (540nm) and a maximum speed of 21 Okt (38 5km/h). According to Fry, the aircraft's licence will be available within two months. "I can supply many of the composite parts, and the engineering drawings and licence will be available on CD," he says. The completed aircraft can be built in about l,500-2,000h, equivalent to between three and four years and is priced at about $31,000. Re-engining plan will speed up King Air 90 MAX KINGSLEY-JONES/LONDON RE-ENGINING of the Beech King Air 90, providing im proved performance and lower cabin noise, is expected to be avail able by the end of the year. The project, the Kilo Alpha 290, is being developed by Detroit- based Murray Aviation for the five- to eight-seat twin turboprop and is in flight test. According to Murray president Mark Murray, the pro gramme is aimed at the King Air C90 and E90 models. The conversion involves replac ing the Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-21s with more powerful 745kW (l,000hp) AlliedSignal TPE331-10 engines, derated to 465kW. "As the field elevation increases, we have more take-off power available," says Murray. Odier changes include the installa tion of McCauley five-bladed pro pellers and a 2 70kg (5951b) increase in maximum take-off weight. "Cruise speed is boosted by 70- 290kt [130-535km/h], while we can get airborne from a 1,000ft [305m] ground run, and achieve over 4,000ft/min [20m/s] rate of climb," says Murray. The modified aircraft can climb directly to 3 0,000ft with a full load, while total fuel consumption in the cruise is around 2301itres (60USgal)/h. "This gives us around 9h range, or about 3,550km," he says. Another important benefit gained from the modification is a quieter cabin, which, at 72dBA, "is quieter than that of a Cessna Citation II", claims Murray. "We are aiming to get an STC [supplemental type certificate] from the FAA [US Federal Aviation Administration] in time for October's NBAA [US National Business Aviation Association] convention," savs Murrav. The Kilo Alpha 290 deal will be offered to King Air owners for an all-inclu sive installed price of about $800,000-900,000. The upgrade may be offered later in kit form through authorised AlliedSignal and Raytheon service centres. • Diesel Air sets sights on general aviation piston engine market AS THE POTENTIALLY lucrative piston engine re placement market emerges, UK manufacturer Diesel Air has entered the fray, with plans to pro duce a diesel engine family aimed at the general aviation market. The75kW(100hp)DAIR 100 is the first in a 75-450kW engine range. It has completed more dian l,000h of flight testing on an Air ship Technologies blimp as part of an evaluation of a vectored thrust propulsion unit for installation on future airships. "We have been working for two years to provide the next genera tion of aero engines for light air craft of the 21 st century. The diesel engine offers the best specific fuel consumption of any prime mover, with the two-stroke cycle giving the best efficiency in that class," savs Diesel Air managing director, David Soul. According to the Olney, Buck inghamshire-based company, the liquid-cooled DAIR100 consumes 4.5 litres (1.2USgal)/h less diesel than a typical gasoline engine, at a cruise speed of 75kt (140km/h), and at a substantially lower fuel cost. "The 1 OOhp engine resembles a flat four or boxer engine, but has only two cylinders, each with two pistons. It has two outboard crank shafts connected by gears to the propeller drive and accessories," adds Soul. The engine is designed to replace die Teledyne Continen tal and Textron Lycoming pistons. Diesel Air is to design and build a more powerful 3 3 5kW engine for Airship that will also be aimed at the large general aviation and small airliner retrofit market. Certi fication is planned by the fourth quarter of next year. • UK engine builder Wilksch Air- motive, developing its new CITEC diesel aero engine family, has had a major boost with a £300,000 ($483,900) UK Depart ment of Trade and Industry re search and development grant. The three-cylinder WAM-12 0, in stalled in a Europa light aircraft, was unveiled at the 2-4 July Popular Flying Association rally at Cranfield, UK. • 22 FLIGHT INTERNATIONAL 14 - 20 July 1999
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