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It may seem strange that when a very light jet has made it to FAA certification for the very first time this week, so many people already are working on “next-generation” designs, but that’s what AirVenture is all about — the spirit of innovation. Maverick Jet, which had an experimental VLJ flying back in 1999, […]

We set the altitude bug on the big Avidyne display at 4,500 feet, dodging the remnants of a late afternoon storm, and went through the usual routine of steep turns, slow flight and general goofing around. Allen chopped power to the rear engine and there was a sag in performance that was felt more than […]

Since one of the A500’s selling points is ease of transition from singles, AVweb sent writer (and Cessna 140 pilot) Russ Niles to test that claim. The biggest difference Niles found was in speeds. Take the 140 figures and almost double them for everything, notably the landing speed of 95 knots, pretty much the top […]

The natural assumption is that two engines must be better than one in terms of safety and performance but reality often gets in the way of such broad notions. Sure, the cushion of an extra engine is comforting on an IFR flight over the mountains but keeping two props spinning comes at a premium, not […]

Alan Klapmeier, CEO of Cirrus Design, gave reporters at Oshkosh a brief update on the future Cirrus Jet… “I have no pictures, no specifications, no price, and no dates to announce,” he said. Such details will be forthcoming at a later date. But he did confirm that a jet is in the company’s future. It […]

Although Cirrus has proven to be the GA success story of the new century, like every other airplane manufacturer, it still works hard to find to more buyers. As we reported in Thursday’s AVweb podcast, Cirrus is now offering the option for buyers of its new airplanes to hire a professional pilot and flight instructor […]

Eclipse also said yesterday that noise tests have shown the Eclipse 500 to be quieter than any other jet aircraft as well as virtually all multi-engine turboprop and piston airplanes. Since the 500 is designed to land at small GA airports, quiet operation is an important part of ensuring public acceptance of the added traffic […]

Eclipse also announced plans yesterday for the further development of its service and support network. In addition to previously announced Factory Service Centers now in the works for Albuquerque, N.M., Gainesville, Fla., and Albany, N.Y., four additional sites will open by the end of this year. The goal is that by 2008, an Eclipse Service […]

With balloons, banners, and crowds of special guests, Eclipse Aviation hosted a big celebration yesterday at their pavilion just off Aeroshell Square. Just seven years after announcing a radical plan to build a small jet unlike anything else then on the market, Eclipse CEO Vern Raburn took possession of an official Type Certificate from the […]

In response to a question from the audience, Blakey said that a newly established Aviation Rulemaking Committee will soon begin a review of the rules that govern homebuilders. She said “commercial entities” have made use of the 51 percent rule in ways in which it was never intended. The homebuilt category is meant to allow […]