briefs

Better weather at Sun ‘n Fun Thursday (blinding sun) translated into many more images captured over the past two days: turbine Bonanzas (the conversion can costs three times more than the plane, but they sold very well for Malibu/Mirage line), a 700-plus-hp turbine Lancair (you’ll know it when you see it), very rare and vintage […]

A six-year battle over the future of a 60-year-old aircraft design should be on its way to settlement. As AVweb previously reported, Renaissance Aircraft, of Cape Girardeau, Mo. has been locked in a bitter dispute with the Arizona-based Don Luscombe Aviation History Museum and its former president, Doug Combs over the type certificate for the […]

Paying for insurance is one of those necessary evils that all pilots hate (until they need it), but at least for this year, those insured by Avemco won’t see their bills going up. So said company officials at a press conference at Sun ‘n Fun on Wednesday. The company also has cut its rates on […]

The future of the Symphony aircraft line, which has been in limbo since OMF GmbH, the German parent company, declared bankruptcy in December, should be decided in the next week or two, it was announced at Sun ‘n Fun on Wednesday. “One way or another, the line is going to be re-launched by somebody, shortly,” […]

Today at Sun ‘n Fun Lancair has received ceremoniously (or will receive, dependant on when you read this) FAA certification for their 310 hp turbocharged Columbia 400. What we knew, but were before today unable to share is that the madly capable, top of its class, 235 knot at 25,000 feet super cruiser may also […]

One manufacturer attracting lots of attention on the exhibit line was the Czech Aircraft Works, or CZAW, a five-year-old company with American ownership, that builds American airplanes with American materials, but does it all in the Czech Republic with Czech workers. They were debuting the prototype of their first in-house design, a two-seat aluminum-hulled amphibian […]

New owners of soon-to-be-certified (the same phrase was used in 2003) Seawind amphibs won’t have to worry about getting their $300,000 aircraft insured. They’ll be doing it themselves. Seawind, a Canadian company that hopes to produce certified versions of the distinctive homebuilt, is organizing an insurance cooperative among owners to keep those costs down. Sales […]

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The Best Roll Out Their Best A bit damp, a bit breezy, but well worth the wait. Revised figures for past years’ attendance suggest we’ll see about 160,000 aircraft lovers wandering the grounds of Lakeland Linder Regional airport this year. The impact on the local economy should reach toward $27 million … on the positive […]

Extra Aircraft is gambling that the million dollar mini-jet is nothing more than a “great dream.” CEO Ken Keith told AVweb that he thinks Eclipse Aircraft personal jet will end up costing much more than the company is currently predicting. That, he says, will leave room in the market for the Extra EA 500, a […]