An inability to match high quality with a competitive price prompted Toyota to discontinue further development of an aircraft version of the V-8 engine that powers Toyota's luxury car, the Lexus, according to a company official. The 360-hp, twin-turbocharged, water-cooled powerplant received FAA approval in February 1996. Hamilton Standard supplied a FADEC and a four-blade, composite propeller.
Illustration: Diagram: Fairchild Dornier 728JET Fairchild Dornier is taking on Bombardier big time in a battle for the European 70-seat market. The German/American manufacturer has accepted "pre-letters of intent" from Crossair of Switzerland and Germany's Lufthansa CityLine for 120 728JET regional transports and its planned 55- and 90-seat derivatives, plus options. The company was withholding comment on the negotiations at B/CA press time and the definition of a pre-letter of intent was not immediately clear.
An active noise control system previously offered on the aftermarket now will be standard on all King Air 350s. The system reduces overall cabin noise to just under 80 dBA, a reduction in some cases of as much as 10 decibels, according to its developers-the U.K.'s Ultra Electronics and Elliott Aviation of Moline, Ill.
An FAR Part 36, Stage 3 hush kit for Gulfstream IIs and IIIs is expected to receive certification in the fall. As previously reported, the $1.5-million (flyaway) kit is being developed by Stage III Technologies and will be marketed and installed by Dallas Airmotive (April 1997, page 14). Dallas Airmotive officials said the hush kit will cause no degradation in takeoff performance and only ``minimum'' change in cruise performance. Stage III and Dallas Airmotive also intend to offer by September 1999 a Stage 3 hush kit for the Rolls-Royce Spey engines on the Fokker 28.
Keene, N.H. officials are reviewing bids from FBOs in response to a request for proposals to expand GA services at Dillant-Hopkins Airport. According to airport manager Ed Mattern, the airport has been without an independent fuel-supplier for about a year, after the city assumed fueling services from an FBO no longer on site. In addition, there is currently only limited corporate aircraft hangar space and maintenance.
Photograph: The Airbus 319 offers interior space and cabin flexibility The emerging aircraft category has been dynamic over the past year as 11 new aircraft took flight, two new business aircraft were unveiled, one aircraft was added to the new-manu- facturers complement, and several models were either rethought or abandoned.
Dallas Airmotive assumed operations of the AlliedSignal authorized TFE731 Engine Major Service Center at the Signature Flight Support Maintenance Facility at Minneapolis/St. Paul International Airport.
-- Airshow (Tustin, Calif.)-Kerry Farrish was named director of corporate aviation sales for this provider of moving map displays and airborne information services.
NTSB is studying whether the lack of a transponder signal was a factor in the April 4 midair between a Cessna CitationJet and a Cessna Skyhawk. The accident occurred 22 nm north of the Atlanta VOR at about 3,300 feet. Visibility at the time of the accident, 1034 local, was reportedly more than 10 miles. The CitationJet had just taken off from DeKalb-Peachtree Airport on an IFR flight plan and was climbing when the collision occurred. The Skyhawk was VFR.
BridgeNet Consulting Services is leasing a noise monitoring system that includes providing and maintaining the hardware as well as monitoring and analyzing data. The entire system is operated via computer from BridgeNet's Costa Mesa, Calif. base. The company claims that leasing a noise monitoring system is significantly more cost effective than for an airport to purchase equipment and hire and train specialized staff. A BridgeNet leased system is operating at Seattle's SeaTac Airport.
Raytheon Aircraft Services doesn't plan to open its FBO at New Jersey's Atlantic City International Airport until the fall, more than a year beyond the original schedule (July 1996, page 24). Problems over environmental and other issues forced the delay. Meanwhile, Raytheon completed moving its Dallas repair facility from Addison Airport to Love Field, where it has expanded its weekday business hours from 0700 to 2300.
The French government's decision to transfer its 46 percent stake in Dassault Aviation to state-owned Aerospatiale is not expected to have any impact on Falcon Jet operations, and the Dassault family continues to hold a controlling interest in the company. The government, which has long planned to combine Dassault and Aerospatiale, said its primary interest is in consolidating and strengthening France's defense industry, French newspapers reported.
East Coast Jet Center in Fort Lauderdale has ordered 12 Sino Swearingen SJ30-2s as part of its recent appointment as a distributor for the new business jet.
New advanced weather graphics maps from Jeppesen now include North Pacific and European Surface Analysis charts, a 24-hour North Pacific forecast, a turbulence analysis and an hourly icing analysis for U.S. locations.
The state of Georgia, which normally appropriates about $2.3 million annually for aviation, will dedicate $35 million for improvements at 27 general aviation airports. Improvements will include extending runway lengths to at least 5,500 feet and adding precision approaches.
Aircraft Technical Publishers has released electronic maintenance schedules for the Learjet 30 and King Air 200 series. The Brisbane, Calif. company says the schedules, which are templates containing data on all regular maintenance events, are updated monthly and load directly into the user's computer from a CD. Subscription rates for the first year and subsequent years are $800 and $440, respectively, for King Airs and $1,250 and $690, respectively, for Learjets.
-- Collins General Aviation Division (Cedar Rapids, Iowa)-Ted A. Fuhrer comes aboard as vice president and general manager, replacing Robert J. Hirvela who retired earlier this year.
Many corporate aircraft passengers probably would be surprised to know that in the past 15 years, according to the NTSB, there have been more than 250 turbulence-related incidents on major airlines, resulting in three deaths, 70 serious injuries and at least 850 minor injuries. The Safety Board released these statistics after commending American Airlines and United Airlines for being the first U.S. carriers to require all passengers to keep their seat belts on when seated during flight.
Owners of Dassault Falcon Jets and Gulfstream Aerospace aircraft will get their opportunity to sound off at airframe and systems manufacturers at their annual maintenance and operations meetings. Dassault is holding its gathering from May 18-20 in Nice, France. The Gulfstream M&O gathering is set for June 2-4 at Gulfstream headquarters in Savannah.
FAA plans to extend for another two years its four-year prohibition on U.S. flight operations within certain portions of Afghanistan airspace. The agency says that fighting between government and opposition forces continues to be a threat to civil aviation. Some of the opposition forces still possess a wide range of surface-to-air missiles, says the FAA.
Photograph: "You're flying better than first class--and yet you don't feel like you are a charity case," Marvin Garnett said. "You feel like the company wants you as a passenger." Among their circle of friends, Marvin and Ronny Garnett have the Corporate Angel Network and nine corporations and their flight departments.
