Newsdesk — General Aviation

Testing of the aircraft involved progressively misrigging the aileron and aileron trim tab to create a situation conducive to aileron snatch. In addition, a series of control inputs were made which would further aggravate any tendency for snatch to occur. Both ailerons were progressively rerigged to expose more of the leading edge to the airflow and the aileron tab’s freeplay was increased by about 2.5 times in limit. The tests involved flying at a variety of speeds and at altitudes between 18,000 and 31,000 feet. Bank angles of up to 45 degrees were flown. The tests failed to indicate the Turbo Commander was prone to aileron snatch under any of the test conditions.

Lycoming For Cessna

Cessna continues to release details of its plans for reintroducing the 172, 182 and 206 to production, the latest information concerning engine selection. All three will be powered by fuel injected Textron Lycoming engines. Later model 172 Skyhawks were powered by 160 hp (120 kW) carburetted Lycoming O-320s but the new aircraft will have larger capacity IO-360s which will be derated from their normal 180 hp (135 kW) by restricting them and the propeller to 2400 rpm, thus reducing noise.

All previous fixed undercarriage Models 182 Skylanes were powered by a 230 hp (170 kW) Continental O-470 but new aircraft will have a similarly rated Lycoming IO-540, similar to that which was fitted to the retractable undercarriage Skylane RG. The biggest change comes with the six seat Model 206 which always used a variant of the Continental IO-520 powerplant. Future aircraft will be powered by a new Lycoming engine, the IO-580, a larger capacity development of the IO-540. A major innovation will be the use of electronic ignition systems on all the aircraft, a move which will hopefully precipitate the long overdue demise of the familiar dual magnetos, an archaic system which should have been consigned to the ‘vintage and veteran’ category years ago.

Falcon Vital To Dassault’s Future

Faced with declining military sales, the Falcon family of corporate jets is becoming increasingly important to Dassault’s financial fortunes. A large part of the French manufacturer’s long term prospects are tied up in the Rafale multirole fighter, a programme which has been stretched out and delayed, placing a great emphasis on the company’s civil products in the nearer term. Dassault took orders for 45 Falcons in 1994, nearly twice the number recorded the previous year. These orders are worth about $US1bn and make an interesting comparison to Dassault’s total turnover of $US2.3bn, about 7% less than 1993.

New Tower For Tamworth

The Civil Aviation Authority has submitted plans for a new control tower at Tamworth Airport to Tamworth City Council. If approved, the $4.3m structure will replace the existing tower which was built in 1954. Tamworth needs updated air traffic control facilities to help cope with large increases in traffic largely generated by the aviation college now resident on the airfield. Tamworth’s traffic nearly doubled between 1991 and 1993 and increased by a further 31% to 91,890 movements in 1994. More steady growth is expected in the years ahead.

Aviation Safety Awards

The General Aviation Industry Association has announced the winners of its inaugural Australian Aviation Safety Awards, established last year to help reassure the public that general aviation was normally safe and that disregard for air safety was practiced by only a very small minority. Nominations were received in several categories, and the winners are: Associated Airlines (Air Operators Certificate category), Esso Australia (helicopter division of the business category), the Australian Bonanza Society (private category) and the Walgett Shire Council (ground support category). Awards were not made in the training or sport aviation categories because no-one was judged to have met all the qualifying criteria.

Other organisations and individuals were awarded Certificates of Air Safety for their contributions to the industry, past and present: Civil Flying School and the Australian College of Aviation, Tropicair Services’ Richard Scott, Ralph Nicolls (for developing a revolutionary training reserve parachute), Dr Henry Millicer (designer of the Victa Airtourer) and senior instructor Jack Funnell, who has taken over 1000 students to their first solos. AA offers our congratulations to all concerned and in particular to the GAIA and AAUP for supporting the concept of these awards in the first place.

Beware Bogus Engine Parts

The US Federal Aviation Authority (FAA) has issued an airworthiness directive (AD) concerning the overhaul of some Lycoming engines due to the discovery of unapproved (that is bogus) piston rod bolts. The AD applies to all Lycoming engines not overhauled by the manufacturer between February and December 1994. These engines must be inspected before further flight to determine if the suspect bolts have been installed as they do not meet minimum part requirements and have resulted in at least two engine failures.

The bolts have been identified as having been supplied by Superior Air Parts of Dallas, Texas and carry the part number SL75060 or AL75060. They can also be identified by the absence of the raised letters SPS, S, C or FC as applied to genuine Textron Lycoming parts. No genuine Textron Lycoming parts are affected by the AD, nor are new, overhauled or remanufactured engines supplied by the factory.

Caa Withheld Ads

The Civil Aviation Authority has admitted to the Commission of Inquiry into the relationship between itself and Seaview Air that it has not passed on a large number — about 140 — of airworthiness directives (ADs) received from overseas air safety authorities. The ADs apply to a range of aircraft types operating in Australia, including one in relation to Aero Commanders, the type involved in the crash which sparked the inquiry.

The Aero Commander AD concerned wing structures and was issued by the US FAA in April 1994 but had not been actioned by the CAA as late as March this year. It’s worth noting, however, that the FAA never issued an AD on suspected aileron snatch problems in Aero Commanders (despite being recommended to do so by the US National Transportation Safety Board) and that recent tests on a Turbo Commander 690A in the US failed to indicate any such problem.

The CAA’s admission resulted in the suspension from duty of its Airworthiness Manager, Bob Scott, and the implementation of an action plan to clear the backlog of ADs as quickly as possible and to identify the reason for the delays. In addition, there is also concern about the CAA’s failure to quickly distribute manufacturers’ Service Bulletins, which although not carrying an AD’s legal requirement to be actioned, usually contain useful information relating to safety through the discovery of problems with various aircraft components.

In a letter to Transport Minister Laurie Brereton, the Queensland Aircraft Manufacturers Association says: “The backlog of Airworthiness Directives … is a direct result of the notion several years ago that the CAA could save money by ceasing to promulgate Airworthiness Directives of overseas origin; the aviation industry was informed at the time that maintenance organisations would henceforth have to acquire these for themselves, from the overseas airworthiness authorities. Whilst this was obviously totally impractical … there was only a slow, never formally announced backing away from it in CAA Central Office — no doubt because the successive CAA Boards simply did not know enough to comprehend the lunacy of the idea”.

Skyfox Looks Offshore

Caloundra (Qld) based light aircraft manufacturer Skyfox Aviation is considering moving its activities overseas as it has been dismayed by the conditions under which it has to operate in Australia. According to general manager David Anning: “We have experienced endless delays and exorbitant charges from the CAA. In the USA, the FAA provides certification engineers free of charge to foster the industry. Not here. I queried something the other day, and the CAA replied with a one page letter and sent me an invoice of $495.75 for the privilege”. Skyfox is reportedly talking with interested parties in the USA and the Philippines. The Skyfox two-seater is derived from the original US designed Denney (now SkyStar) Kitfox which is available in kit form in the USA and is already built under licence in the Philippines by PACI.