Aircraft

With the S-76D, Sikorsky has taken a classic helicopter and made it state of the art by incorporating a long list of technology improvements that designers say will keep the 35-year-old design fresh for years to come. Here’s a look at what’s new. Engines: Pratt & Whitney Canada PW210S Incorporating the latest advances in compressor […]

Created in the late 70s and first delivered as a product about five years later when Piper delivered the first Malibu, the PA-46 has proven a remarkably versatile airframe. It has, in fact, been developed (by Piper or others) into at least six different airplanes. Its impact on the continued existence and success of Piper […]

The evolution of the PA-46 in photos.

On April 3 there was a short e-mail from Dick Rutan to “All.” It said: Just a note … had a going away lunch at the Voyager Cafe Mojave with Burt and Tonya; after lunch they got in the car and are driving to the new home in Idaho as I write. So they are […]

The innovative Malibu set the stage for the age of successful pressurized piston singles.

Back in 1983, the new Piper Malibu was a revolution. In the nearly 30 years that have passed since its introduction, the ride has been anything but silky smooth, though the resultant product is a very satisfying one. Owners, it should be said, have pretty much always felt that way. There are options galore when […]

AirVenture 2011 wraps up with more spectacular planes and one pretty amazing night show.

The 2011 edition of AirVenture Oshkosh was one for the ages. The weather was beautiful, the airplanes, and there were a lot of them, were spectacular, and the politics were, well, intriguing. The show got off on a very strange note when AirVenture Chairman Tom Poberezny called it quits by retiring at high noon by […]

Two men were killed on Saturday when they made a forced landing in a replica Wright Model B Flyer in a rural Ohio field. The men were conducting a test flight in the replica, known as the “Silver Bird,” when they made a radio call from the air alerting authorities about their impending forced landing. […]

Lancair introduced an integrated, all-glass panel for its single-engine turboprop Evolution at AirVenture called EFC900X (Evolution Flight Control 900X), including Garmin’s GFC 7X autopilot. The GFC 7X is the first Garmin autopilot to be installed in an experimental airplane and is currently exclusive to the Evolution. “This is a huge vote of confidence from Garmin,” […]