News

C'mon...we all have stories to tell about needing a third or fourth hand to install a padded (Adel) clamp in our projects. Builders attempting to close a pair of clamps around a wire bundle and an engine mount tube have resorted to everything from forceps to duct tape, tender fingertips to colorful language. Wicks Aircraft now carries a clever tool for the job.

Sensenich Propeller announced a new composite three-blade, fixed-pitch, ground-adjustable propeller last month that uses an innovative pitch-setting "slug" said to greatly improve blade angle accuracy.

Kuntzleman Electronics introduces the latest addition to its LSA and Experimental line of aircraft lights called LTR, which stands for landing-taxi-recognition. The LTR consists of nine bright LEDs, focused through special lenses, resulting in a white beam of light that has been measured at 2.5 times the brightness of a 55-watt halogen lamp and 1.5 times the brightness of an HID lamp at about the same current, the company says.

PRESS RELEASE Sonex Aircraft, LLC has announced yet another option for building Sonex Aircraft: Sub-Kits for Sonex and Waiex airframe. These Sub-Kits are designed to give Sonex and Waiex builders more flexibility and options for constructing the already industry-leading Sonex Aircraft kit values.

The massive Sherpa homebuilt, which has seen more than its fair share of delays, is flying again behind a new K650 Honeywell turbine, last seen as the Garrett TPE331, producing 740 shaft horsepower. While Sherpa Aircraft has used both the Walter turboprop and the massive IO-720 Lycoming (making 400 hp), the new aircraft, upgraded from the Sherpas original five seats to eight, makes good use of the new power. Its called the K 650 T.

Aircraft Spruce & Specialty Co., a leading supplier of 
Experimental and certificated aircraft parts since 1965, has acquired 
SkySports International. Located in Linden, Michigan, SkySports was founded in 
1979 by Marshall MacFarlane. SkySports produces its own line of single and 
dual fuel systems and fuel probes, and also carries a complete line of 
products such as instruments, radios, GPS, strobes, Comtronics 
helmet/intercom systems, Winter instruments, and hardware for the 
ultralight market.

Vans Aircraft has just announced that it has lowered the price of the RV-6/6A fuselage kits by $1000. The discount applies to both standard and quickbuild kits. This is a limited time offer, applied only to orders or deposits received by May 4. After that, the fuselage kits will revert to their pre-sale 2009 prices.

Fisher Flying Products is bringing back into production two popular kits from its extensive product line, the Dakota Hawk and the FP-202 Koala.

For all those homebuilders working on ways to mount Garmins new GPSMAP 696 directly to the instrument panel, hold up. Garmin has beat you to it. Introduced at this year's Sebring Light Sport show are the GDU 370 and GDU 375, functional equivalents of the 696 but packed in a front-mount case intended to be positioned directly in the instrument panel.

In the world of Special Light Sport Aircraft, three powerplant families dominate: Rotax's 912, Jabiru's 2200 and 3300, and Continental's evergreen O-200. KITPLANES editor in chief Marc Cook, unable to avoid the steely gaze of AvWeb's omnipresent video gear, offers a comparison of the three most popular LSA engine.