Vic Syracuse, who KITPLANES readers know from his Checkpoints columns and his series on building his Hummingbird helicopter (which, incidentally, won Grand Champion rotorcraft at AirVenture this year), while on a recent visit to Oregon stopped in on the Advanced Flight Systems facility. Vic was offered a tour and had a chance to ask founder Rob Hickman and his staff what makes the company’s offerings unique, especially as AFS and Dynon are part of the same company. Follow Vic around for this virtual tour.
In Case You Missed It
All About Avionics: Cutting The Metal
Heres something to ponder: By the time you get to the point where you are ready to build the panel in your homebuilt aircraft, you've already mastered many of the skills and techniques you'll need to do it by virtue of completing the airframe. That statement is all the more credible when it comes from someone with a vested interest in the subject, our own avionics expert Stein Bruch.
Light Stuff
The author reviews the Kappa KP-5 LSA, imported by Kappa Aircraft from the Czech Republic. This is a conventional, low-wing, trigear configuration airplane, with a staggered seating arrangement that allows more room for each occupant, while keeping the cockpit narrow. The KP-5 is powered by a 100-horsepower Rotax 912 ULS engine and a Woodcomp three-blade prop, and has a useful load of 583 pounds. Full-power airspeed is stated as 138 mph. Avionics equipment includes a Dynon EFIS and engine monitor, Garmin GPSMAP 496 and Garmin transponder.
Narrowed Focus
A seemingly complicated part layout can be simplified by narrowing your focus from...