Aircraft Upgrades

NASA is generally associated with space exploration, but the first “A” in NASA is for “Aeronautics,” and last week Administrator Charles Bolden unveiled a new strategic vision for the agency’s aeronautical research programs. The new plan will focus on key drivers that are expected to affect aviation over the next two to four decades, Bolden […]

As part of the Eclipse 550 certification process, Eclipse Aerospace now has available a new “safety enhancement” package offering new or existing owners upgrades from brakes to multifunction displays, plus one “industry first,” the company has announced. According to Eclipse, the addition of autothrottles as part of the new safety package marks a first within […]

At AirVenture, we talked to Aerocross Systems’ Tam Pho about a new product the company is introducing. It’s essentially a wearable HUD, consisting of a pair of lightweight glasses with a primary flight display projected directly in front of the eye. Pho says the system is designed to be practical and affordable. view on YouTube

Berringer, which produces wheels and brakes, including an anti-lock system for Cirrus aircraft, is currently acquiring worldwide patents for a new tailwheel that the company believes could greatly reduce the possibility of ground-loops in taildragger aircraft. The system is built as a drop-in replacement for Scott tailwheels, which it matches in weight and attachment configuration. […]

Two years ago, a South African startup called Adept Airmotive announced a V-6 engine project, and they’re back at AirVenture 2013 with a running example and some test data. The company’s Richard Schultz says testing has thus far revealed that at 320 pounds and 320 horsepower, the Adept engine has an excellent power-to-weight ratio, and […]

Boston area NexAir Avionics offers partial and complete refurbishment and customization programs for Piper Saratoga aircraft, including the retrofit of Avidyne’s R9 integrated avionics suite. Pricing starts at roughly $90,000 for the R9 alone and can top nearly $500,000 for a complete refurbishment. Aviation Consumer‘s Larry Anglisano took a look at the NX aircraft at […]

“The U.S. has plenty of natural gas,” said Aviat CEO Stu Horn on Wednesday morning at EAA AirVenture, as he showed off a blue-and-white Husky taildragger with a new belly-mounted fuel tank that carries compressed natural gas to fuel the engine. “This airplane has redundant systems, so you can use either CNG or aviation fuel,” […]

The XGPS170 is a combination GPS and ADS-B weather and traffic receiver from Dual Electronics. Dual’s Greg Lukins gives a tour of the unit at AirVenture 2013. view on YouTube

Angle-of-attack indicators have become a hot safety-of-flight market item, and at AirVenture 2013, we’re seeing more competition in the field. Bendix/King announced its entry into the AoA market with the new KLR10, which uses differential pressure to infer angle of attack and then presents this on a color-coded display in the cockpit, equipped with audio […]

Moving the general aviation fleet off of 100LL and onto an unleaded fuel will bring positive changes and features to powerplants that pilots will want, Lycoming’s Michael Kraft said Wednesday at AirVenture. The company says moving from leaded fuel would unlock the full feature set of its iE-2 FADEC engine for the GA market in […]