Ownership

Continental Motors announced today that it has bought the bankrupt assets of Thielert Aircraft Engines for an undisclosed sum. The deal has been in the works for several months and overnight makes Continental the volume leader in aircraft diesel manufacture. Continental and its parent, the China-based AVIC International, said that the management of Thielert would […]

Levil Technology is out with a new portable ADS-B unit that included air data input, making it the industry’s first portable ADAHRS unit. It sell for $1,395. AVweb’s Paul Bertorelli recently flew it in his Cub. view on YouTube

The Zlin Cub-S will be on display at Oshkosh AirVenture later this month offering its “best in category power-to-weight ratio” and entering the U.S. LSA market with first deliveries scheduled for November. The Cub-S is powered by a 180-hp Titan Stroker IO-340 engine that delivers a power-to-weight ratio of 7.33 lbs/hp at maximum takeoff weight. […]

New legislation passed through the House Tuesday (by a 411-0 vote) calling for a restructuring of the FAA’s Part 23 certification requirements for the purpose of expediting approvals for safety improvements. The Small Airplane Revitalization Act aims to remove bureaucratic barriers to evolutionary progress within the industry (for the introduction of new designs and the […]

The assets of Precision Airmotive have been acquired but it will continue under the same name and maintain its production facilities in Marysville, Wash. The company, which makes aircraft fuel injection systems, has been purchased by Turn and Bank Holdings, of North Carolina. Precision Airmotive filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy last December citing product liability […]

British inventor Alan Bond will reportedly receive more than $90 million from the British government to further develop technology for a hybrid jet-rocket engine that he expects will be capable of more than 3,500 mph in flight. Bond runs Reaction Engines, which seeks to develop a reusable space plane dubbed Skylon. The vehicle’s performance hinges […]

Some owners are reluctant to buy avionics warranties, but they might not realize the high cost of component replacement and flat-rate factory repairs. On top of that, there’s expensive shop labor. The going hourly rate at most avionics shops is over $100 and won’t include the shipping costs for sourcing replacement parts. For some glass-cockpit […]

Tiny devices called synthetic jet actuators could be placed along the leading edge of a wing and create small puffs of air that virtually change the shape of the wing, reducing drag, according to scientists at GE Global Research. The scientists are developing the technology not only for use on airplanes but also on wind […]

Safe Flight Instrument Corporation is in the process of achieving FAA certification for their new angle of attack and speed control system for Part 23 aircraft. Aviation Consumer‘s Larry Anglisano flew with the system in Safe Flight’s Beech Baron. This video features a tour and wring-out of the new system. view on YouTube

I’ve been an avionics tech long enough to remember when the extent of new avionics upgrades included a couple of flip-flop Navcomm radios and an audio panel. Even back then, some owners stumbled with otherwise simple switchology. Worse case was a missed radio call. Things have changed. Today’s avionics upgrades usually involve tightly integrated glass […]