Air Shows & Events

German aviation authorities created new regulations late last year that allow for the certification of ultralight helicopters, and at Aero Friedrichshafen this week, RotorSchmiede said it has a design in the works for the new category. The VA115 single-seat helicopter is targeted for the global “sports leisure” market, the company said, and will provide stable […]

Along with showing off its P2012 twin-prop commuter plane, Tecnam unveiled a slew of new features and updates for its fleet at the Aero Friedrichshafen show in Germany this week. The P2006T twin, the company’s top-selling airplane with 200 flying, now comes with the Garmin G1000 Nxi next-generation flight deck, ADS-B Out as a standard […]

New options are now available for the Piper M600, the company announced at Sun ‘n Fun. Buyers now can choose to add the five-blade composite Hartzell prop, and also can select an interior/exterior upgrade package with a range of design choices. The five-blade prop reduces vibration, the company says, and comes with an unlimited life […]

A new company announced plans at Sun ‘n Fun to build a Finnish LSA amphib in Maine. The Atol Avion will be built in Brunswick Landing. A new company called Atol USA has been formed as a joint venture with the Finnish company to build and sell the aircraft in the U.S. Brunswick Landing is […]

Scottsdale, Arizona-based TKM avionics has been working on a direct slide-in replacement radio for the venerable King KX155 and KX165 navcomms. It brought the radio to Sun ‘n Fun 2017 in Lakeland, Florida, where TKM’s Vic Casebolt gave a demo to Aviation Consumer editor Larry Anglisano. view on YouTube

I’ve said this before, but it’s worth repeating: Despite its reputation for stifling regulation, there’s more airframe and powerplant innovation coming out of Europe than from the U.S. If you’re interested in new airplanes, look east, not in your backyard. It’s not unreasonable to say Chinese money is funding at least some of this. Consider […]

iStart is a gadget that controls the fuel in an injected engine and improves hot starting. At Sun ‘n Fun, they were showing the system and announced approvals for certified aircraft. Here’s an AVweb video explaining the system. view on YouTube

Diamond Aircraft launched three new diesel-powered singles at Aero Friedrichshafen but it won’t be supplying the engines itself. Flight International reported the Austrian company will produce the four-place DA50-IV, five-place DA50-V and seven-place DA50-VII with 230-, 260- and 360-horsepower Safran/SMA diesels. The -VII will also be available with a 375-horsepower Lycoming gas engine or a […]

Diamond Aircraft unveiled a design for a composite four-seat light-single piston helicopter at Aero Friedrichshafen on Thursday, Flight International has reported. The Dart 280 easy-to-fly trainer would be the first in a family of rotorcraft, which will include a hybrid-electric tilt rotor. “Diamond has been in the GA market for 30 years and it’s time […]