AirVenture at Oshkosh is coming up fast, less than two weeks away, and in recent days EAA has announced more details about what visitors can expect to see at the show. One aircraft sure to attract attention is the one-of-a-kind e-volo 18-rotor multicopter, which will be on display at the Innovation Hangar. The multicopter, built in Germany, is the successor to the 16-motor VC1 that achieved the first manned flight by an electric-powered VTOL aircraft last October. Another unusual aircraft coming to the Innovation Hangar is an electric-powered Long-EZ that’s part of the development program for a long-range electric airplane that could fly from New York to Paris. Motorcycle racer Chip Yates and his “Flight of the Century” team will be at the show to talk about their technology. The hangar will also be the site for two days of forums about electric flight, on July 26 and 27.
In other recent news updates, EAA said Sporty’s has released its free 2012 AirVenture app for iPad, iPhone, and Android devices to help visitors plan their Oshkosh visit and find their way around the grounds (available as a free download at Sporty’s website). Special events for college students, service veterans, teachers and students, all are on the schedule. A group of Aviation Explorers from Wisconsin will be working on a Zenith CH 750 kit project all week long on the field. More surprises are sure to appear as the show unfolds. Will Sir Richard Branson turn up with the full-scale SpaceShipTwo replica that he brought to Farnborough this week? EAA isn’t saying, so we’ll have to wait and see.
