Aircraft Upgrades

Blackhawk Aerospace has received FAA Supplemental Type Certificate (STC) approval for its XR Upgrade Kit for King Air 350 series aircraft. Along with replacing the original engines and propellers with Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-67A engines and MT five-bladed composite propellers, the XR kit includes new heavy-weight landing gear, high flotation tires, fully enclosed landing […]

About eight years ago, I undertook a significant avionics upgrade. Before that my 1982 Cessna 340A was nearly original, and most of it still worked. But it was time to join the 20th Century so I undertook to replace just about everything I could. But that was eight years ago, which is a lifetime in […]

Some Cessna 177 and 210 owners will need an immediate inspection of the spar that holds their wings on after Textron reported potential corrosion and subsequent cracking problems on some aircraft. The company issued a mandatory service letter requiring inspection and repair of the carry-thru spar on the aircraft. The spar is a main structural […]

Tamarack Aerospace Group says most of the Citation 525 series jets equipped with its ATLAS active winglets grounded by AD in May are now fitted with revised hardware. The company—and owners—are awaiting technical reviews from EASA and the FAA to clear the AD and return the airplanes to service. The ATLAS system was introduced in […]

California-based Ampaire reports that it flew its electric hybrid aircraft this week for the first time and plans an aggressive test program toward commercialization in 2021. The hybrid drive is installed in a Cessna 337 airframe. The company flew the airplane from Camarillo, California, on Thursday, but has offered little detail on the flight parameters […]

A young Canadian inventor has come up with what he says is a low-cost flight data recorder for light aircraft that requires no special installation. Ephraim Nowak, 26, says the video-based SkyVU system doesn’t need to be wired into the aircraft’s panel and systems. Instead, it uses 4K video cameras to record gauges on the […]

The Desanctification of AoA We installed an AOA called a “Lift Reserve Indicator” in our missionary C182. It’s purpose was exactly what the name implied…at any given airspeed, weight, bank angle, and G load, you knew how close you were to a stall far more precisely than indicated airspeed, sound, feel, buffet, etc. The instructions […]

AVweb’s weekly news roundup found reports on an aviation upgrades shop expanding its autopilot offerings, a convention appearance for Click Aviation Network and a new training management system for Pobeda Airlines. Air Plains Services has announced that it is adding Genesys Aerosystems autopilots to its list of available products. The Kansas-based company offers general aviation […]

AVweb’s weekly news roundup found reports on an STC for a King Air autothrottle, FAA-PMA approval for Nicrocraft Cirrus SR22 heat exchanger and muffler, discounts for certain FlightSimExpo attendees and a simulator sponsorship for US Aviation Academy. It also uncovered announcements of a new owner for Ft. Langley Air, a sales director appointment at DAES, […]

Garmin has announced that it has received FAA Supplemental Type Certification for its GFC 500 autopilot for several Mooney M20 and 36/A36 Bonanza models. Specific aircraft approved include Mooney M20 J, K, M, R and S models and Bonanza models 36, A36 and A36TC. The GFC 500 integrates with the G5 electronic flight instrument or […]