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Aviation History
2004
2004-09 - 0876.PDF
GENERAL AVIATION DELIVERIES High sales figures for new arrivals The new arrivals in general avi ation could dominate deliveries for the first time this year, based on their sales so far. Diamond Aircraft has joined Cirrus Design in reporting strong orders for the first quarter, tradi tionally a slow period for sales. Cirrus booked 170 orders in the first quarter, in addition to delivering more four-seat piston singles than any other manufac turer: 105 SR-series aircraft versus Cessna's total of 89 172/182s. Diamond, mean while, delivered 44 DA40 four-seaters in the first quarter, but in April alone booked 122 orders for its DA42, taking the orderbook for the four-seat diesel twin close to 400. Last year Cirrus delivered 469 aircraft, while Cessna shipped 514172s and 182s plus 74 six- seat 206s. Diamond delivered 153 DA40s, plus 75 DA20 two- seaters, and next month will begin deliveries of the DA42. Whether Cirrus ends the year as the largest producer of four- seat light aircraft will depend on how much of a boost Cessna gets from the introduction of Garmin's G1000 integrated flightdeck on its piston singles. Cessna says 94% of 182s, as well as 76% of 206s, scheduled for delivery this year, have G1000 avionics, introduced last October, while total orders for the Garmin-equipped piston sin gles exceed 400 aircraft. FIREFIGHTING STEPHEN TRIMBLE / WASHINGTON DC US Forest Service steps up search for new airtankers With 30 aircraft approaching retirement, ex-USN Vikings may be long-term solution The US Forest Service has acceler ated a four-year plan to replace 30 aging multi-engine airtankers to as early as next summer. Under review are retired regional airline turbo- props and a mixture of phased-out military aircraft, from Lockheed S-3B Vikings and C-130E Hercules to the Fairchild A-10 Thunderbolt. The search for replacements also ranges to more exotic concepts, such as reactivating a 1970s Boeing YC-14, buying Russian Beriev Be-200 amphibians and utilising a Lockheed L-188 Electra, says Tony Kern, assistant director of aviation management at the forest service. Ideally, the first replacements will enter service before next year's summer firefighting season, says Kern, who adds his agency's fiscal 2005 budget request does not yet reflect the new requirement. Kern is initially attracted to pro posals based on reliable airframes with several years of remaining air frame life. "I've got some ideas that might fit," he says. The agency may seek to capi talise on a used turboprop market that has mushroomed as regional airlines shift to more regional jet- based fleets, he says. A more long- term replacement strategy, how ever, could involve modified mili tary aircraft. The US Navy plans to retire 106 S-3Bs over five years beginning in fiscal 2005. Kern notes that navy records show the S-3 airframes are being retired after using only half of their service life, possibly allowing forest service contractors to operate the aircraft for several decades. On the other hand, he says, modifying S-3s as aerial firefighters would require longer flight trials and more costs. Agency officials are searching for a replacement offer two weeks after cancelling contracts for 33 aircraft owned by eight private vendors TRAINING GRAHAM WARWICK / WASHINGTON DC SimTrain to install Cirrus simulators Buyers of Cirrus light aircraft will soon be able to receive simulator training under a programme launched by SimTrain. The new Atlanta, Georgia-based company has purchased three Cirrus-specific full-motion simulators from Fidelity Flight Simulation. SimTrain plans to locate the low- cost simulators at Cirrus-authorised training centres under revenue- sharing agreements. The first device will be installed at Lift Flight Training at Atlanta's Peachtree DeKalb airport later this year, and Fidelity plans to deliver all three by year-end, says Mark Limbach, Fidelity vice-president, marketing. US East Coast and West Coast loca tions are planned. Each Level 3 training device, equipped with six-axis electric motion and liquid-crystal visual display systems, will be reconfig- urable between Cirrus SR20/22 variants with traditional and elec tronic flight instruments. The simulator cockpit will be equipped with the central multi function display, while a left-hand screen will mimic either conven tional instruments or the Avidyne Entegra primary flight display, says Limbach. Cirrus is spearheading the gen eral-aviation industry's move to "technically advanced" aircraft, and the availability of simulator training is expected to reduce insurance premiums. Fidelity has produced Level 3 full-motion simu lators for the Cessna 425/441 and Caravan, as well as the Eurocopter EC135, and has plans in place for higher-fidelity Level 6 devices suit able for Part 135 check rides and for use by Part 145-approved flight schools, says Limbach. FLIGHT TESTING Chanute ready for launch Cascade Aircraft Development (Cadcor) is flight testing a two-seat, carbonfibre-composite, aerobatic aircraft. Testing of the Chanute passed the 50-flight mark in late May, and the Bend, Oregon-based company plans to offer the ex perimental-category aircraft for sale this year. Cadcor says flight testing In both normal and unlimited aero batic envelopes indicates the Chanute will meet its design goals of a roll rate exceeding 360°/s, more than 10s of vertical penetration, and a weight-to-power ratio lower than4.5lb/hp(1.5kg/kW). Powered by a 350hp Textron Lycoming AEIO-540 with three- blade MT propeller - and designed for +/-10g manoeuvres with two occupants and full fuel - the aircraft features a variable-chord, constant hinge-point, spadeless aileron. www.flightinternational.com FLIGHT INTERNATIONAL 1-7 JUNE 2004 23
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