Newsdesk — General Aviation

Powered by a 56 hp (42 kW) Jabiru 1606 cc horizontally opposed four-cylinder engine (complete with transistorised ignition, courtesy Honda), the aircraft has a maximum weight of 430 kg (948 lb) and a standard empty weight (including basic panel plus Vsi and Vhf Comm) of 235 kg (518 lb). Cruising speed is 90 knots (167 km/h) and the price of the standard model is just $50,000. At the time of writing, inspectors from the Us Federal Aviation Authority (Faa) were at the Jabiru factory, part of the procedure which will eventually see the aircraft certificated in the Faa’s Primary Category. This will open up a potentially enormous market for the aircraft, which received a good reception at Oshkosh this year. Two Jabirus have already been exported to the Usa.

Cheaper Beech Parts

In an attempt to reduce the cost of aircraft ownership, Beechcraft has reduced the price of about 7,400 spare parts items since the beginning of this year. The average reduction has been more than 10% and has resulted from savings yielded from Beech’s Total Quality Management programme, supplier cooperation and improved manufacturing processes. The company says the parts prices review is ongoing and that “reducing our customers’ cost of operation is one of the highest priorities at Beech”.

125 Moves To Usa

Beechcraft’s parent company, Raytheon, has decided to move production of its Hawker (formerly Bae 125) series of corporate jets from Britain to the Usa from next year, earlier than originally planned. The move brings with it the formation of a new company, Raytheon Aircraft, the combination of Beechcraft and Raytheon Corporate Jets.

In addition, production of the Hawker 800 (125-800) will be slowed down and that of the Hawker 1000 temporarily suspended due to a sluggish market. Final assembly of both models will be moved from Chester (where 125s have been built for over three decades) to Wichita and engineering activities at Hatfield will also move to the Usa. British Aerospace will continue to provide fabricated parts and major sub-assemblies.

Raytheon has concluded that merging Hawker and Beechcraft aircraft production at Wichita will achieve significant savings in manufacturing overheads, material, general and administrative expenses, engineering and customer support. The move will result in further job redundancies at British Aerospace with 568 at Chester and 397 at Hatfield due for redundancy. Raytheon says that some Bae employees will be offered the chance to relocate in the Usa, although some observers find this a little strange as plans are also in place to lay off 630 of Beech’s Us staff.

The move has caused considerable resentment in Britain, especially at Chester, the ‘home’ of the 125, and among the unions. Bae Corporate Jets managing director Tom Nicholson has resigned as he does not want to participate in the dismantling of the programme. When the transfer of 125/Hawker production to the Usa is completed in early 1997, it will mark the end of a particularly ‘British’ aircraft programme which has been the most successful commercial jet aircraft to ever emerge from the Uk, with well over 800 sold over a period of more than 30 years, nine major variants and numerous sub-variants. Of the sales tally, some 60% have been sold in the Usa. Bae sold its Corporate Jets division to Raytheon in August last year.

Kingaroy Remembers

1995 will see many commemorative events being held around Australia and the world to remember the 50th anniversary of the final year of World War Ii. One of them, the Commemorative Air and Military Pageant, will be held at the former Raaf base at Kingaroy Qld on May 6–7 to mark Victory in Europe (Ve) Day.

The theme of the event will be a salute of appreciation to service people “who have served our country in war and peace” and a major part of it will be a reunion of ex-servicemen and women of all services. Participants who have been invited include the Raaf Roulettes, various warbird aircraft, an Raaf Caribou, Army Aviation and various other Adf units and organisations. Organisation of the pageant is well underway, and those interested in going or helping should contact Ron Shaw on (071) 62 2947 for further details.

Cessna Grand Caravan Tours Australia

Cessna recently demonstrated its Cessna Grand Caravan in Australia, netting two sales and confirming that single-engine Ifr aircraft “are the way of the future”, reports Julian Green. The aircraft visited Australia as part of a three-month world tour, taking in both Western and Eastern Europe, Asia and the Pacific Islands before being delivered to a customer in New Zealand. “We have been two-thirds the way around Australia and have had no negative comments,” said Michael Keenan of Cessna Sales.

The Grand Caravan was demonstrated to over 80 clients throughout Australia, and all are reportedly impressed by the aircraft’s suitability to remote operations and its short-field performance. The $1.75 million investment in a Grand Caravan provides operators with the flexibility of a 14-seat passenger aircraft for charter and Rpt work which can also be quickly configured for either combi or pure freight operations.

“The only thing standing in the way of Rpt operations at the moment is Ifr approval,” Michael Keenan said, indicating that the Caa is expected to approve the Grand Caravan for Ifr ops in the first quarter of 1995. The groundswell of support from current and prospective Caravan operators for Ifr approval, together with the Caa’s own statistical and risk analyses, have already seen favourable indications for the approval of Ifr ops from the Caa. The renowned Pt6 powerplant of the Grand Caravan provides a 99.97% despatch reliability, and combined with the systems and structural redundancies built into the aircraft, the Grand Caravan’s suitability to remote operations and passenger work in a wide variety of environments and uses is unquestionable. Cruise speed of the aircraft is 182 kt (337 km/h), and thanks to a large 675 shp (505 kW) version of the Pt6, can clear a 50 ft obstacle at takeoff in just 740 metres (2,500 ft).

The majority of local interest for the aircraft has been from closed-charter operators and resource industry companies. Tourism operators stand to benefit from the aircraft’s high wing and large windows as an ideal sightseeing and photographic platform. The entire payload of a Cessna 206 can be placed in the underbelly cargo pod of the Grand Caravan, an option which has already proved popular with Australian operators. This latest version of the successful Caravan family, first flown in 1990, also offers very competitive Direct Operating Costs (Docs), using less than twice the fuel of a 206 to uplift a maximum useful load of 2,125 kg (4,682 lb) in shorter block times and with greater reliability. The Grand Caravan is more economical to operate than Cessna’s popular 402, carrying twice the payload at half the cost. Over 650 Cessna Caravans are in operation around the world, with some 80% of these being Grand Caravans.

Road Strips For Rfds Aircraft

As part of its planning for a ‘worst-case’ scenario — such as a road train and tourist bus colliding — the Royal Flying Doctor Service has proposed that isolated sections of the Eyre Highway in South Australia between the Nullarbor roadhouse and Eucla be widened to provide emergency landing strips. The Rfds has asked that the highway be widened from 7 to 10 metres at five sites 50 km apart between the two centres so its Beech King Air aircraft can be safely accommodated. A Super King Air 200’s wingspan is 16.6 m (54 ft 6 in). Some widening has already been performed on the Western Australian side of the highway and the request is being examined by the Department of Transport.

Rqac’s 75th Birthday

Better late than never, the Royal Queensland Aero Club has told us it’s celebrating its 75th birthday and has invited all pilots and ex-pilots with a club association to a ‘Gathering of Eagles’ on Sunday, November 6. Other activities to be held during a week of celebration include a golf day, aviators’ lunch and the official 75th anniversary dinner on Saturday, November 12. For information contact the Rqac’s Howard Holloway on (07) 275 3244.

Human Factors Course Offered

The Institute of Aviation at the University of Newcastle is offering a Human Factors in Aviation, Industry Training course in 1995. The aim is to provide both an introduction to the basic principles of human performance and limitations in aeronautical operations combined with an understanding of the principles of human factors in education and instruction. This important information is seen as being fundamental to all aspects of the aviation industry including pilots, management, ground crew and support staff.

Four modules are being offered between February 5 and 8 next year: Aviation Medicine and Stress Management; Information Processing; Crew Resource Management; and Human Factors Instruction. For details contact the lecturer, Mark Wiggins, on (049) 21 5757 or fax (049) 21 6906.