KITPLANES The Independent Voice for Homebuilt Aviation

Builder Profile: Orange Appeal Marc Cook profiles a rookie Copperstate show winner: a spectacular F-1 Rocket with a distinct Harley vibe. Click Here for the full Table of Contents for the March 2010 Issue		Two Homebuilt Aviation Luminaries The homebuilt aviation community lost two longtime, ardent enthusiasts recently with the passing of Morry Hummel, 93, and Howard Levy, 88. Miller Electric Prize Drawing As part of its new “Connect With Miller and Win” campaign, Miller Electric Mfg. Co. will be giving away a welding (or plasma cutting) prize package worth over $2700 to a lucky grand prize winner. Two-Place Patrol Joins Bearhawk Kit Aircraft Lineup AviPro Aircraft, Ltd. has announced the production of a two-place, tandem utility aircraft as an addition to its popular four-place Bearhawk quickbuild kit. The Bearhawk Patrol is a high-wing aircraft designed for comfort, endurance and fun. New ANR Headset from DRE DRE’s top of the line is its new stereo ANR DRE-6001, with a noise-canceling electret microphone, pillow-top head pad, gel ear seals and gold-plated plugs. Hummingbird Heli Kit Status Official Vertical Aviation Technologies of Orlando, Florida, is proud to announce that the company has recently received official FAA notice that the new Hummingbird 260L standard and quickbuild kits are eligible Experimental/Amateur-Built kits meeting the 51% rule. MGL Avionics Extends Warranty to Three Years All EFIS and single instrument devices are now covered under a three-year warranty policy, even for those units already in the field. Video Brief: Advanced Flight Systems EFIS KITPLANES sits down with Advanced Flight Systems' founder Rob Hickman to examine his new synthetic-vision EFIS. Product Minute: AeroShell's New Rotax Oil At the Sebring Sport Aviation Expo, Shell announced its new oil aimed specifically at the Rotax two-cycle line. Here's a report on the new product. Product Minute: Dynon's New Skyview KITPLANES takes a look at Dynon Avionics new highly customizable Skyview EFIS system. Dynon's Robert Hamilton gives us a detailed look. Calling Wag-Aero! In our December Kit Aircraft Buyer's Guide we fell behind by 1.... literally. Wag-Aero's area code was incorrectly posted as 261. The correct number for contacting the company is 262/763-9586. GlaStar Builder Wins KITPLANES Bose Headset Giveaway Tom Fleming from Lake Forest, California, won a Bose headset in the KITPLANES 24/7 Sweepstakes. By signing up for online access to KITPLANES.com, Tom put himself in contention to win either a Bose Aviation X headset or a Bendix/King AV8OR GPS. His GlaStar taildragger already well equipped, Tom chose the Bose. Tom says, "I have used the Bose headsets for several years as a professional pilot (recently retired) and love them. Thanks again for the opportunity… Pilot My-Cast Now on iPhone, iTouch Garmin has announced that its Pilot My-Cast application will now be available for the iTouch and iPhone devices from Apple. Pilot My-Cast is an aviation weather, flight planning and flight filing app for U.S. and Canadian customers. Pilot My-Cast is designed to take advantage of the iPhone/iTouch’s gesture-based user interface and includes five intuitive tabs at the bottom of the page for routes, flight plan, weather, airport information and settings. Garmin Introduces Engine Monitoring and Autopilot to the G3X Suite The first news from the US. Sport Aviation Expo in Sebring is that Garmin has expanded the G3X EFIS capabilities with EIS (engine monitoring) and a dedicated autopilot module. Aircraft Sales and Parts Sells Powered Parachute, Canopy Divisions Aircraft Sales and Parts Ltd., the manufacturer of the Summit and Steel Breeze powered parachutes (in addition to the Chinook Plus 2 and Beaver RX550 Plus), has announced that effective February 1, 2010, its PPC division will be sold to Summit Aerosports, Inc. in Michigan. Oops, We Missed One Despite our diligent efforts, we missed listing a manufacturer in the February 2010 issue’s Rotorcraft Buyer’s Guide. The company is Rotary Flight Dynamics, which manufactures the Dominator gyro. Lancair Announces Simplified Pricing for Evolution All of the major components firewall-aft for the Evolution are bundled into the base price; engine (Pratt & Whitney turbine or Lycoming IE2 turbocharged piston), paint and interior are extra. GRT Adds Lightning Detection to Horizon HX EFIS GRT Avionics, a unit of Grand Rapids Technologies, Inc., has received approval for its Stormscope WX-500 software interface from L3 Communications - Avionics Systems, designed to integrate the Stormscope WX-500 with the Horizon HX EFIS MFD. Wicks Announces “Happy Hour” Wicks Aircraft Supply has created a “happy hour,” but not for the purpose of selling drinks. Instead, the company is offering an opportunity for customers to take advantage of a discount. Zenair Ships First Float Kits Less than a year after announcing it would be returning its float production to North America, Zenair Ltd. has begun deliveries of its lightweight all-aluminum floats. Design upgrades and production tooling took place last fall, including preparation of new assembly drawings for float kits. PS Engineering Introduces Experimental-only PMA5000EX A new low-cost/high-content audio panel has been introduced by PS Engineering today. The PMA5000EX, priced at just $995, is positioned between the no-frills PMA4000 and the sophisticated PMA9000EX in the company's lineup. Without having to undertake TSO certification, PS Engineering was able to reduce the panel's cost and increase its feature set. Aircraft Spruce Introduces "Deal of the Day" Aircraft Spruce & Specialty has begun posting a "Deal of the Day" to its website. According to the company, "Every day there will be a quality product sold at an amazing discount." Factory Tour: Van's Aircraft Ever wonder what it takes to be the largest kit manufacturer in the world? KITPLANES editor Marc Cook takes a tour of Van's Aircraft in Aurora, Oregon. Join us for another edition of KITPLANES' exclusive Factory Tour video series. Hobart Introduces EZ-TIG 165i Welder Hobart’s EZ-TIG 165i is heralded as the quickest and easiest AC/DC TIG welder to set up and use, the company says. Designed for first-time welders, this affordable TIG welder features a unique single-knob control to make welding steel, stainless and aluminum easier. New Owner for Autolite Sparkplug Line Aero Accessories, Inc., the manufacturer of Tempest aviation products, announced that it has acquired Unison Industries’ aviation sparkplug product line. Unison previously marketed this sparkplug line under the Autolite brand. Wicks Welding Workshop Offered As part of its continuing workshops program for aircraft builders, Wicks Aircraft Supply will offer a TIG welding workshop on February 27 and 28, 2010. Featuring “Mister TIG,” aka Wyatt Swaim, the event will be a hands-on experience with TIG welding equipment. Continental Motors Holds Line on Pricing Teledyne Continental Motors announced today that it would refrain from increasing prices for new and factory-overhauled engines in 2010, instead sticking to 2009 prices. According to the company, "TCM has been successful in improving many aspects of its factory operations." New TECNAM LSA Ships to U.S. The carbon fiber/metal TECNAM P2008 LSA debuted at the Friedrichshafen Air Show in April ’09, and the first one is now making its way to the U.S., having been shipped to Virginia Aviation in Richmond. Zenith Aircraft In the Process of Shipping Update Kits Structural improvement kits have been going out the door at Zenith for just less than materials cost. EAA Publishes Results of Zenith Zodiac Builder Survey In late November, the Experimental Aircraft Association posted an online survey for Zenith Zodiac builders and owners asking about the recent FAA Special Airworthiness Information Bulletin (SAIB). According to the EAA, there were 450 responses. Web Site for Rotax Owners There is a resource for owners of Rotax powerplants, and it’s online, published with factory support by the Rotax Owner Assistance Network (ROAN). Along with having access to maintenance videos and product reviews, registered members may sign up to receive free email notifications about Service Bulletins and other newsworthy information. Fourth Lancair Evolution Flies Jeff Edwards of Chesterfield, Missouri, flew his new Evolution N818SJ for the first time on December 18. He began the construction of the Pratt & Whitney PT-6-powered Evolution kit with the two-week builder assistance program at the Lancair factory in May 2009. Comp Air Inventory Reduction Sale Comp Air Aviation is offering three aircraft in various stages of completion in its year-end inventory reduction sale. They are a Comp Air 8 and two Comp Air 8SS52 models. Canopy Covers that Stay Put Fly-Away Covers offers form-fitting, lightweight travel canopy covers that are intended for short-term use and are great for day trips, cross-country excursions and fly-ins when space and weight are limited. First Glasair Sportsman in China Chinese national XueQiang Si is building a Sportsman 2+2 at Glasair’s facility and, upon completion, will fly it to China. He said that his Sportsman will be the first Experimental category aircraft to fly in the People’s Republic of China. Factory Tour: Matco Manufacturing KITPLANES editor Marc Cook visits Matco Manufacturing near Salt Lake City to see how the company's brakes, wheels and master cylinders are built. Dynon SkyView Dynon Avionics has released a video showing its new SkyView EFIS in flight. This 5-minute video, produced by Dynon, shows the key features of the new system and provides in-flight footage of its synthetic vision. Simple Log Celebrates 5th Anniversary ExperCraft's Simple Log has been providing aircraft builders and restorers a valuable resource for tracking and sharing projects online since its release in November 2004. FAA Suspends New Certification of Zenith CH 601XL and CH 650 Aircraft The ongoing saga of the Zodiac series took a new turn Thursday, November 12, as the FAA advised Designated Airworthiness Representatives that they could not issue new airworthiness certificates until the applicants could prove the aircraft had undergone modification. UPDATED: FAA Publishes Special Airworthiness Bulletin on Zenith CH 601XL and CH 650 Models On Saturday, the FAA published a Special Airworthiness Information Bulletin concerning Zenith CH 601XL and CH 650 models. Zenith has published a new Safety Alert. More News

Indus Thorpe T-211 It's rare that builders can pick a kit airplane that is essentially a certified aircraft, but the Thorp T-211/Sport kit is such a project. The kit is roughly equivalent to receiving a new Cessna 150 Commuter in a big box that is ready for quick assembly. Builders finish with a new aircraft that provides the Cessna's performance for less money than a high-time used Cessna. But Will It Fly the Plane? What do you suppose is the minimum thrust it takes to keep one of these things in the air?” I can’t even remember who said it, but it started a chain of events that once again became a Dawn Patrol event to be remembered. The Home Machinist (1) I’m not a machinist, and I don’t play one on TV. What I am, however, is a home machinist; I’m the guy who wants to cut a square hole through a pipe, or a long slot in a bit of flatsteel…you know, the sort of job that would take a week and could cost the same as thatnew GPS you’ve been drooling over if you took it to the local machine shop. It’s the sort of job you could do if you just had a bit of skill and the right tools.

Flight Review: Horse Perennial LeRoy Cook flies Larry Kinder’s award-winning Mustang II, a fast and fun homage to the legendary P-51 Mustang. Flight Review: Mission Ready Bush plane? Heck, yeah! Bill Repucci flies Just Aircraft’s strong, tough and fun Highlander. Zenith STOL CH 750 Changing with the times, Zenith Aircraft has introduced an improved version of a design that debuted some 20 years ago. With a larger payload, more robust landing gear and greater visibility among other features, the CH 750 is tailored for today’s sport pilot; by LeRoy Cook. Headset Buyers Guide, Part 1 Passive noise reduction units under $200. Headset Buyers Guide, Part 2 Passive noise reduction units over $200. Headset Buyers Guide, Part 3 Active noise reduction units. Fly-in Flying Before you venture out to special events, take to prep. The Safe Homebuilt Take these tips into consideration when it comes to safe homebuilding and piloting. Calculating Weight and Balance This lazy man's guide removes some of the headaches. Selling Your Aircraft These tips will help you market your aircraft. Selling Aircraft Documents Prebuy Checklist, Purchase Agreement, Builders Release. Metal Workshop Setup Every great homebuilt starts with a comfortable and efficient workshop. Engine Comparison Selecting a good alternative engine is about separating fact from fiction. Engine Spreadsheets Here's the additional auto and aircraft engine data referred to in the Engine Comparison article. Weight and Balance Spreadsheets Click here to download a weight and balance spreadsheet you can customize for your own airplane. More		*News from AVweb*

Ever wonder what it takes to be the largest kit manufacturer in the world? KITPLANES editor Marc Cook takes a tour of Van's Aircraft in Aurora, Oregon.

KITPLANES editor Marc Cook visits Matco Manufacturing near Salt Lake City to see how the company's brakes, wheels and master cylinders are built.

Get an inside look at how Dynon builds and tests its electronic flight instruments.

Kitplanes Magazine contributor Ed Kolano takes a first look at the Sherpa utility aircraft.

In the Pattern Over EAA AirVenture 2009

Video Brief: Aircraft Spruce - the leading supplier for the experimental and kit market.