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New Zealand's Fieldair is developing a US-designed V8 car engine (specifically a turbocharged small-block Chevrolet) for use in the Fletcher FU-24 crop sprayer as a replacement for the type's ageing Lycoming IO-720 engine. Converted aircraft will be known as the Fieldair Fletcher FU-24-550. The V8 engine produces 550hp (410kW) at 4400rpm. Liquid-cooled, it will be fitted with a Kiwi-designed gearbox, while power will be delivered through a Cresco propeller. The V8 is slightly heavier than the engine it replaces, but its extra power will allow an 11% increase in payload and boost overall performance. Being an automotive engine (used in uprated form to power Daytona racing cars in the USA), the Fieldair V8 will have accurate fuel metering and ignition control, while component costs will be substantially lower. Fieldair has been developing the engine for use in the Fletcher for the past two years, and the engine will eventually be fitted to the company's 21-strong fleet of Fletchers. Fieldair will also market the conversion to other Fletcher operators. (Mike Davidson)
Newsdesk – General Aviation
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Faa Tightens Kitplanerules:
The emergence of ‘cobuilder shops’ which help the buyersof high performance kitplanes to complete their aircraft has prompted theUS FAA to crack down on abuses ofthe homebuilt rules. The FAA believes many of these shops are ignoring the amateur built rules by completing kits with little or no owner involvement. They are, in effect, aircraft factories. Amateur built regulations require the owner to perform at least 51% of the tasks necessary to complete an aircraft. There are new regulations which allow the supply of kitplanes in which the builder’s input is less than 51%, but only if the aircraft is already type certificated under the FAA’s new primary category. About two dozen firms have been established to ‘manufacture’ high performance kitplanes such as the Glasair series. One type which could be hit by the crackdown is the Bede BD-10 supersonic jet kitplane. This does not comply with the new primary rules but the manufacturer has contracted another company to complete 10 of the 12 kits now under construction. The company involved – Fox 10 – has already been informed by the FAA it is operating outside the amateur built rules by building aircraft for owners.
Used Turboprop Marketbuoyant:
Although the market fornew 19 seat turboprop commuters hasall but dried up, second hand examples are finding ready buyers, mainlywith new operators but also with established airlines wishing to expand. British Aerospace subsidiary JSX Capital placed 58 regional turboprops with operators in 1993, comprising 25 Jetstream 31s and Super 31s, three ATPs, two BAe 748s, six Shorts 360s and 22 Metros. The company is looking to place 60 used turboprops this year. The company’s stock comes from trade-ins and from the fleets of failed operators. Beech also sold a healthy number of refurbished turboprops in 1993, a total of 35 Model 1900Cs and 99s being delivered to airlines, about one third of them outside the USA.
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