Newsdesk – General Aviation

Champions Abroad:

It has been an excellent year for Australians competing in overseas sporting competitions. Apart from the Big One at Newport we also laid claim to the World Gliding Championship following logo Renner’s excellent win last July and more recently the combination of Peter Vizzard, Roger Meadmore and Judy Lynne took out the World Hot Air Balloon Championships in Nantes, France against intense international competition. Good one Oz!

Cessna Launch Re-Vamped Citation II:

One of the best-selling corporate jets in the world, the Citation 11, has undergone a major update to become the Sl11. Primary modifications revolve around a new wing airfoil cross-section that reduces high-speed drag while retaining the Citation’s excellent low-speed handling characteristics. An extended inboard wing leading edge fairing increases wing area and lift and also provides more fuel volume. More attention has been paid to sealing gaps in the aileron and speed brake areas while additional inboard-extending flaps provide improved handling qualities on approach. The maximum range of the S/11 is booked at 2,300 miles while the new wing provides an additional 13% fuel capacity over the former Citation II. The Sf11 will be available from early 1984 and should see a revitalised market for this successful jet which in the past three years has seen sales of some 250 examples.

Threat to Bankstown Airport:

Speaking in Federal Parliament recently, the Member for Banks, Mr John Mountford, whose electorate includes Bankstown Airport, is reported as having called for the transfer of non-essential traffic to other airports such as Schofields and the ultimate closure of Bankstown. Mr Mountford also urged the Minister for Aviation to reject the provisions of the Bankstown Airport Master Plan which would see the airport upgraded. He urged the phasing out of Bankstown as the new(?) international airport for Sydney began operations.

Gulfstream Fanjet 1500 Launched:

Gulfstream launched their Peregrine trainer-derived Fanjet 1500 corporate jet towards FAA Certification by mid-1986. The six-seat 1500 features a full EFIS cockpit and will be certificated for single-pilot operation. Power in the production version will be boosted by the more powerful Pratt & Whitney JT15D-5 turbofan while Mk II production models will come equipped with twin Williams turbofans internally mounted in the aft fuselage

Malibu Receives FAA Certification:

On the eve of the NBAA show, Piper announced that their six-place, pressurised Malibu had received FAA Certification. The company was also pleased to note that the book performance of the Malibu had improved over earlier projections. Cruise performance, which was originally projected at 208 kts, 196 kts and 182 kts at respective power settings of 75, 65 and 55 percent has actually increased to 216 kts. 206 kts and 197 kts. Maximum speed has increased from 221 kts to 235 kts while at 65 percent power, the Malibu can range out to 1,440 nautical miles. At the long-range power setting of 65 per cent, fuel is consumed at a thrifty 12 US gallons per hour with a cruise speed of just under 200 knots. The Malibu features a 5.5 psi pressurisation system which can maintain an 8.000 ft cabin at cruise altitudes of up to 25,000 ft. The primary competition for the Malibu will be Beech’s veteran Bonanza and Cessna’s P210 Centurion. The first Australian Malibu was due for delivery at time of going to press and we look forward to bringing you an Airiest of this exciting aircraft in the near future

Canadair to Eventually Drop Challenger 600 Models?

In what is hardly surprising, Canadair will eventually concen1rate their marketing and sales efforts on the General Electric CF34-powered Model 601 Relations between Canadair and Avco Lycoming, makers of the Model 600s ALF502 turbofan have been strained due to ongoing lawsuits taken out against both parties for various alleged breaches of contract Canadair have experienced technical problems on some Model 600s and feel the Challenger’s future lies in the longer range GE-powered model. Both Canadair and Avco have gone to great lengths to assure Model 600 operators that their aircraft will be supported in full under the original terms of purchase.

Porsche to Enter GA Engine Field?

A test-bed Cessna 182 Skylane is flying in West Germany with a Porsche 911S car engine in place of the more usual Lycoming. Porsche are looking at re-entering the GA propulsion field and the current evaluation programme is being conducted with sailplane manufacturer, Grob Flugzeugbau. It is claimed that the 911S engine will use around 30% less fuel than comparable GA engines, will run on mogas, will have extended TBOs and be simpler to maintain and service. The present 182 unit is not turbocharged though this is planned as the next step in gaining better high-altitude performance. The present test engine is rated at 210 bhp and drives a three-blade Hoffman propeller. Porsche engines were powering aircraft back as early as 1908 while a more recent adaption of the modern Porsche flat-six In the Airship Industries ADSOO. Development Is continuing and Certification is planned for the middle of 1984.

Taralga Debuts At – Taralga

In what was a fitting gesture, Flight Safety Products, the Australian dealer for Aerospatiale Socata light aircraft, debuted their latest offering, the 160 hp Taralga, at a special fly-in on the 30th of October at Goulburn which is the closest strip to the small NSW rural hamlet of Taralga The Socata Taralga shares the same European good looks of its Tobago and Trinidad sisters and boasting a fixed pitch prop and four seats should provide an excellent balance between a dedicated trainer and light family tourer. The price, thanks to our currency strength against the French franc in recent years, is extremely attractive while Flight Safety, which is a division of AFTS, can also provide pilot tuition at attractive rates for any purchaser not already possessing a PPL

Lake Certify New Amphibian:

Lake Aircrafthave obtained FAA certification for their new six-seat Renegade amphibian. Based broadly on the established Buccaneer, the new amphibian will be more versatile due to its larger cabin which will make it more applicable for the utility role. Capable of carrying a full-length litter with the rear seats removed, the Renegade is powered by a single pylon mounted Lycoming 10-540 of 250 hp driving a three-bladed Hartzell pusher propeller Cruise speed is given as 132 kts and the aircraft comes with either 54 US gallon or 90 US gallon fuel tanks. Takeoff can be initiated in under 1.000 ft with six passengers aboard on water or land

New Learjet/Piaggio Partnership Announced:

At the recent NBAA show Learjet announced a teaming with Piaggio of Italy to produce a high-performance semi-composite corporate turboprop. Similar in many ways to the Beech Starship 1, which was also launched at NBAA, the aircraft, designated GP-180 features a T-Tail, canard wing and power from two Pratt & Whitney PT6A engines. It is interesting to note that all three of the most advanced new-generation corporate turboprops have opted for the traditional PT6 over the generally more streamlined and fuel-efficient Garrett TPE331.

Dornier Secure Big Indian Order:

The Indian Government has agreed to purchase the Dornier 228-200 for the proposed third-level route network. Dornier won against competition from Casa with the 212 and DeHavilland Canada with the Twin Otter. The initial order is for 25 aircraft with a follow on the production of locally produced aircraft totalling around 130 units. In addition to India’s primary third-level operator. Vayudoot. the 228 will also be used by the Indian military forces and Coast Guard. In Vauydoot service the 228 will replace BAe748 and Fokker F27 services on route considered too small for these fifty-seat aircraft.

Super Tyres:

Goodyear Aerospace reports they are well advanced in their aviation radial tyre development programme. Goodyear looks set to achieve a tread wear improvement of between 40% and 60% over conventional aircraft tyres in addition to a weight saving of at least 10% and a traction improvement of between two and five per cent. The programme has now met its laboratory goals and will shortly move to a flying programme which will see the new tyres tested aboard the MDC MD-80. Airbus lndustrieA300. GD F-16 and a Falcon 50 corporate jet. If successful the radial tyres will be available by 1988.

Australia to Get B-25:

Aero Heritage’s Randall McFarlane left Sydney on October 24 for the U.S. on board a Boeing 747, planning to return late November, early December ’83 flying N8196H, a restored B-25 “J”-series aircraft, built July 1945. The aircraft has cost $ 150,000 to re-engine and restore. The route: Stockton, California-Honolulu, Honolulu-Marshall Islands, Marshall Islands-Honiara, Honiara-Brisbane, Brisbane-Sydney. Flying time: 40 hours, in 4 days, over two weeks.

Omega-equipped, “Heritage-two-five” will arrive painted in U.S. Navy colours, the legacy of a recent movie appearance. It is the only B-25 in the Southern Hemisphere, and one of seven flying, worldwide. Aero Heritage will combine with the Australian War Memorial to display the aircraft.

Cessna Reports Fourth Quarter, 1983 Financial Results:

Low sales volume continued through the fourth quarter of Cessna’s 1983 fiscal year, resulting in a loss for the year which ended September 30.

Annual sales totalled $524.4 million, down from $831.5 million last year. A net loss of $18.8 million compared to net income of $18.1 million a year go.

Fourth quarter performance included sales of $134.3 million, versus $140.7 million in the final quarter of fiscal 1982. A quarterly loss of $12.6 million compared to a fourth-quarter loss last year of $5.4 million.

Aircraft revenues from the sale of 1371 aeroplanes and related accessory equipment totalled $452 million in fiscal 1983, down from last year’s unit total of 2729 that produced $727 million in revenue. Shipments of 294 aircraft to export markets produced $93 million in sales, compared to 1982 totals of 735 airplanes and $189 million.

US GA Sales Bottom Out:

While 1983 will pass as a disaster for all who are involved in the GA industry, figures released by the US GAMA at least point to a bottoming out of the sales trough of the past two years. For the calendar year to and including August, there were a total of 1,843 aircraft produced by US GA manufacturers as against 3,105 for the same period in 1982, itself a bad year compared with 1981. The actual sales for August though, 247 units against 270, shows that the trend is beginning to indicate a bottoming out in the new aircraft sales recession. For the first two quarters of this year most month-to-month comparisons saw declines of at least fifty percent. Year-to-date production from Cessna was 867 units valued at $34.7 m. The biggest seller was the venerable 172 with 153 sales, followed closely by the 152 with 146 sales. Beechcraft delivered 276 units valued at $22.4m with sales led by the King Air family with 80such sales and by the Bonanza with 101 shipments. Piper produced 463 aircraft valued at $10.5 m which highlights their overall lack of high-value aircraft for sale during the first seven months of this year. Piper sold 22 Cheyenes, 89 Warriors, 61 Archers and 64 Senecas. Mooney built 93 aircraft, 56 201s and 37 231s. Total GAMA exports were only 403 units as against 900 for 1982. Things can only get better!

Better Times Ahead at AGA:

Piper Distributors, Ansett General Aviation see the current financial year being a significant improvement on the 1982/83 year. “Mind you, last financial year was so bad that overall industry sales were so low as to have been totally unimaginable in the halcyon days of the late seventies,” stated AGA General Manager, Barry Marshall. Sections of the GA industry are improving though, for the first quarter of 82/83 AGA did not sell one new aeroplane, this year they have delivered eight. Total Piper deliveries by AGA during 82/83 were only 22 units against the normal sixty to 90 achieved in better times. Most good used aircraft have gone through and there is very little pre-devaluation stock remaining so new aircraft sales are expected to pick up through 1984 as our dollar strengthens, interest rates fall and overall business activity quickens.

AGA are also buoyed by Piper’s efforts to produce a new range of innovative aircraft. As we go to press the first examples of the Malibu pressurised single and the Mojave pressurised twin are reaching Bankstown while AGA expect their first Cheyenne IV late in 1984. The Cheyenne IV, and aircraft like it, will eat into the established Citation and II market as turboprop cruise speeds begin to challenge that of the slower, smaller corporate jets. For instance, the Cheyenne IV boasts a 400 mph cruise speed over a full range of altitudes from 22,000 ft to 32,000ft. At maximum cruise speed, the IV can carry four passengers with baggage for a range of 1,640nm. Reduce power to a long-range cruise speed of 289 kts (or over 330 mph) and the IV delivers a range of nearly 1,800nm. The fourth new aircraft, the Aerostar 700P, which can cruise at 260 kts, will not be available locally till 1985.

Field Air Become Optica Distributors:

Ballarat-based aerial agriculture operators, Field Air, are to become the official Edgley Optica distributors for eastern Australia and South Australia. Field Air are planning on having their first Optica arrive around mid-84 and hope to have four such aircraft on the local register by year’s end. The Optica is a three-place bubble cabin ultra-slow aircraft that combines the observation and surveillance qualities of the helicopter with the traditional economy of a small fixed-wing aircraft.

Fuel Usage Forecasts:

According to a recent Australian oil industry survey, avgas usage would increase by a mere 0.8% per annum through the eighties. On a pessimistic note, several companies anticipated a decline in consumption by as much as 0.8% per annum. Avtur use is predicted to rise by 2.7% per annum with an optimistic forecast of 3.5% and a pessimistic outlook of 2.1% per annum growth.

Teledyne Continental Develop Mini Turboprop:

Teledyne Continental are developing a new-technology small turboprop engine in the 250 shp to 520 shp range. Of single shaft design the new turbine will weigh only 300 lbs complete and will be significantly less complex than the two-shaft free turbine Allison 250 currently used in the GAF Nomad, SF.260, Turbine Islander and a large number of small helicopter types. The programme objective is to develop a mass-produced light turbine that will be cost-efficient against the larger, more powerful piston engine found in GA aircraft today. Development is continuing and if the programme is successful it is hoped that engine certification will be effective by 1987.

Hughes Helicopters Sub-Contract Model 300C Production:

Hughes Helicopters have been doing so well over the past two years that they had to close down the 300C production line so as to be able to accommodate the expanding turbine helo market. Hughes has now overcome this by sub-contracting complete 300C production to Schweizer Aircraft of Elmira, New York. Schweizer will fly their first 300C next March and anticipate monthly production reaching a peak of eight units by mid-1984.

New Improved Piper Warranty:

Ansett General Aviation the Australian Piper distributor, have announced that a new Piper Warranty Policy will apply to all new 1984 Piper twin-engined models and the new single-engined pressurised Malibu.

The new improved warranty which is valid for 360 days or 1000 hours, breaks new ground and surpasses by a very handsome margin, any previous undertaking by a General Aviation manufacturer.

Initially covering the Cheyenne 1A, Cheyenne IIIA, the Mojave and the Malibu. the new warranty policy will be extended to cover the remainder of the twin-engined line beginning with the 1984 model introductions later this year.