Front and center in Cessnas outside display at Sun N Fun was the rakish NGP (next-generation piston) four-seater and Light Sport proof-of-concept aircraft. Sporting a cheeky new cowl, the POC, now called the CSA, for Cessna Sport Aircraft, was shown with a Continental O-200 replacing the Rotax 912 the airplane originally flew with. According to project chief pilot Kirby Ortega, the CSA development is continuing apace, though he pointed out that the existing airframe is not a prototype but just a POC. Chief designer Neal Wilford indicated that the CSA is a very conventional all-metal airframe using cables rather than torque tubes; consumers have shown an interest in parachutes, digital panels, and floats (sorry, no taildragger). Cessnas president Jack Pelton is said to be close to making the go/no-go decision on the project.
In Case You Missed It
Flight Testing
Personnel roles, emergency contingencies, communications-there are many moving parts involved in the first flight of a homebuilt. Paul Dye catalogs them and offers a sample flight plan that worked for him.
Building and Flying an RV-8
For pilots brought up with standard certified aircraft, the RV-8 will plaster a grin on their face that can’t be washed off and rarely fades.
Hand Tools: Modified, Made and Improvised
Merriam-Webster defines a tool as “A self-absorbed male prone to wearing a necklace”…wrong one…here...