Aircraft

The full production version of Costruzioni Aeronautiche Tecnam’s EASA-certified P2010 is at the company’s booth on the Sun ‘n Fun show grounds. It is the first time the airplane is on display in North America and Tecnam hopes to have FAA Part 23 certification validation for the four-seat, clean sheet airplane by September, Walter Da […]

I still haven’t completely wrapped my mind around how Aspen Avionics’ recently introduced angle-of-attack system for light airplanes works. And because Aspen is seeking a patent for the unique, software-only approach to AOA indication, the company isn’t ready to reveal all the details. But I had the chance to fly with the system in the […]

Diamond Aircraft has earned the type certificate for its DA62 piston twin from the European Aviation Safety Authority (EASA), allowing the model to go on sale in Europe immediately. FAA certification is expected in six to eight months. EASA Executive Director Patrick Ky presented the certification to Diamond CEO Christian Dries at the AERO 2015 […]

Tempest, a company specializing in pneumatic, filtration and ignition products for aircraft, has made a three-year commitment to Able Flight, providing scholarships to student pilots with special needs. The relationship was spurred when Tempest’s president John Herman attended a dinner benefiting the organization. “I cannot remember an evening that has meant more to me than […]

George Bye, the developer a two-seat solar-electric trainer called the Sun Flyer, said yesterday that the airplane will fly with a touchscreen cockpit from Avidyne based around the all-important assumptions that the avionics be bright enough to read in full sunlight but not so powerful that they drain the batteries down to nothing. Bye is […]

There’s a new bit of geography on the Sun ‘n Fun grounds, but don’t look for it on your chart. It’ll be gone by the end of the week. Stuart Horn, CEO of Aviat Aircraft, has been bringing a flock of pretty Huskys and Pitts to the show for a long time, but until this […]

Yakima, Washington-based CubCrafters announced a new Carbon Cub version at the Sun ‘n Fun International Fly-In and Expo this week, improving upon the amateur-built airplane’s already impressive backcountry capabilities. The addition of what the company has termed the G-Series ailerons, flaps and tail feathers improves controllability, reduces the stall speed and provides greater trim authority. […]

Redbird Flight Simulations and AOPA launched a program this week at the Sun ‘n Fun airshow designed to bring student pilots with no prior flying experience from zero time to solo flight preparedness in one week. The aim of the One Week Ready to Solo program is to show how much fun it is to […]

The inaugural appearance in North America by the Breitling Jet Team thrilled the crowd on the opening day of Sun ‘n Fun in Lakeland, Florida, which is off to a successful start despite torrential rains Monday that turned the show grounds to a muddy mess. Camping and spectator areas are drying out today under mostly […]

While weather is the biggest impediment for the progress of the round-the-world flight of the Solar Impulse Si2, the pioneering team has experienced some new challenges that have kept the solar-powered airplane grounded for nearly three weeks. A big reason for the delay has been low battery levels following the flight from Mandalay, Myanmar, to […]