Aircraft Upgrades

Mooney’s two new models, the M20U Ovation Ultra and the M20V Acclaim Ultra, now are FAA-certified and ready to start deliveries, the company announced this week. Both airplanes come with an all-new interior and a Garmin G1000 NXi panel. The once all-metal airplane now has a composite-wrapped cabin, which the company says produces a quieter […]

LEDs are all but standard equipment on new cars and it’s getting that way on airplanes, even legacy models. At the Aircraft Electronics Association show in New Orleans, AeroLEDs announced no fewer than 15 new products for 2017. In this AVweb video, AeroLED’s Dean Wilkinson gives a summary of three of the products. view on […]

The aviation trade show season officially kicked off in New Orleans on Monday as the Aircraft Electronic Association opened its 60th annual convention and trade show. The show is typically attended by about 2000 manufacturers, repair station representatives and avionics shops hoping to see the latest innovations in avionics and catching up on training and […]

With little fanfare, Lycoming has dramatically rolled back prices on major engine parts, including crankcases and crankshafts. The price reductions on some parts are as much as 70 percent, according to the company, and have reset overhaul decisions for many owners who may have unserviceable cranks or cases. Heretofore, those replacement parts would have been […]

In our series on the growing world of aircraft refurbishing, we’ve looked at every phase of a total refurb from avionics to interiors and from engine replacement to paint. In this article we’ll deal with what is either the start or finish of a refurbishment—buying an airplane you intend to refurb or one that has […]

Sales of aircraft avionics and related equipment were down for a second year in a row, says the Aircraft Electronics Association (AEA) in their annual market report. Sales totaled $2.26 billion in 2016, down 6.4% from $2.42 billion the prior year. The market for forward-fit avionics—sales of equipment destined for newly manufactured aircraft—slid 9.4%, fairing […]

We’ll cut to the chase. The typical basic ground-up IFR avionics upgrade is going to approach, if not exceed, $20,000 (in 2015 dollars). This won’t buy an autopilot or primary flight display, so you’re stuck with steam gauges unless you can spend around $35,000.Sadly, we’ve witnessed enough buyer remorse over the years when owners upgrade […]

Blackhawk Modifications is well known for its carefully focused engines upgrades for Pratt & Whitney PT6-A-powered airplanes. In this video, AVweb looks at their latest mod for the Cessna Caravan, the XP140. view on YouTube

Four more aircraft makes are now approved for the EAA/Dynon avionics Supplemental Type Certificate program. Owners of some Beechcraft, Grumman, Maule and Mooney models can now purchase the STC and install the two Dynon electronic flight information systems, EAA announced this week. The EFIS-D10A and EFIS-D100, which have been made available in the past year […]

EAA and the FAA are building on the STC awarded to EAA allowing installation of experimental Dynon avionics in certified aircraft. EAA’s Sean Elliott spoke with AVweb’s Russ Niles on a Jan. 17 meeting that could set the course for more affordable access to new technology by certified aircraft owners. Duration: 7:30 File Size: 6 […]