Much of the attention generated by American Eurocopter at Heli-Expo `97 was directed at its president and CEO, David Smith, instead of its helicopters. Smith disclosed at the show that he was temporarily leaving his position at the company in order to prepare his defense against a U.S. government indictment alleging payment of undisclosed commissions to Israel. He denies the charges. The trial is scheduled for May.
The recently opened Citation Service Center in San Antonio is Cessna's ninth company-owned facility and its largest outside of Wichita. The 40,000-square-foot hangar can accommodate the full line of Citations. Bob Steel, former general manager at Cessna's Toledo Citation Service Center, has been tapped to fill the same position at the new facility.
Bombardier's board has given the go-ahead to launch the CRJ-X, the extended version of the 50-passenger Canadair Regional Jet. Bombardier's Regional Aircraft Division projects that the CRJ-X will have its first flight in 1999 and will enter service in late 2000. The company says the CRJ-X will seat up to 76 passengers at 31-inch pitch in a high-density configuration, with standard seating at 74 passengers. Range would be 1,529 nm with 74 passengers and baggage (B/CA, October 1996, page 22).
The MD 902, McDonnell Douglas' upgraded version of its Explorer series, is scheduled to receive FAA certification in June. Its approval will signal the end of the two-year production run of the first-generation Explorer. The new aircraft will feature significant improvements over its predecessor, said the company, including FAA Category A capabilities. A more-powerful turbine, the P&WC 206E, will replace the 206A, allowing an additional 240 pounds of payload.
New from Universal Avionics Systems are two solid-state cockpit voice record- ers. The CVR-30B and the CVR-120, recording 30 minutes and 120 minutes, res-pectively, weigh in at 13 pounds. These recorders are ARINC 757 and 557 compatible and have received TSO 123a authorization. An internal micro- phone is optional. Price: CVR-30B, $12,000; CVR-120, $16,000. Universal Avionics Systems Corp., 3260 E. Lerdo Rd., Tucson, Ariz. 85706. (520) 295-2300; fax: (520) 295-2395.
Signature Flight Support (Orlando)-Warren Boin, senior vice president of marketing for this FBO chain, left the company on January 9. No successor had been named at press time.
Ken Arlen, vice president and chief financial officer of Stead Aviation, of Manchester, N.H., died suddenly of a heart attack at his home on January 4. He was 45. His aviation career began with the U.S. Air Force in 1976, where he flew KC-135s. Upon leaving the service, he became a corporate pilot until he became affiliated with Stead in 1984.
1995 AIRCRAFT REPORTS Aircraft Report: The Raisbeck King Air 200 Fred GeorgeJan., pg. 38 Status Report: Bell Designs for a Civil Future Perry Bradley Feb., pg. 34 Inflight Report: Pilatus PC-12 Fred George Feb., pg. 60 Update: The Improved Hawker 1000 Fred George Mar., pg. 58 Inflight Report: Jetstream 41 Corporate Shuttle Fred George Apr., pg. 42 Status Report: Falcon 50EX Fred George June, pg. 52
Honeywell's Primus 660 and 880 weather radars-successors to the 650 and 870 systems-and the new Primus 440 have been introduced specifically for helicopters and other light aircraft. All three systems come with 10 kW of transmitter power, a stabilized antenna and Honeywell's Rain Echo Attenuation Compensation Technique (REACT). Each unit weighs 14 pounds, is compatible with Honeywell's lightning sensor system and may be displayed on either an EFIS display or a dedicated radar indicator, said the company.
Lord Corp., a Cary, N.C. firm that makes systems for reducing aircraft interior noise and vibration, introduced what it calls an improved nodal beam retrofit for Bell 222 helicopters. The $50,000 modification offers enhanced reliability and increases service life by more than 300 percent, the firm claims. The system is also targeted for the new Sikorsky S-92. (See item below.)
BMW/Rolls-Royce said that the JAA has certificated the 15,000-pound-thrust BR700-710A2-20, the engine that powers the new Bombardier Global Express business jet. A similar version of the engine, which powers the Gulfstream V, was JAA certificated in August 1996.
Three King Airs were among the 24 U.S.-registered aircraft stolen in 1996, reports the Aviation Crime Prevention Institute of Frederick, Md. The pilfered total was a new low compared to the previous year's 27. Significantly, the value of those aircraft totaled $6.5 million compared to the $9.3 million value of 1995 thefts. Thieves preferred Cessnas in 1996-14 of the total of 24. Aircraft burglaries slid to 110 from 125 in 1995.
Tom Harvell, a pioneer in the aircraft financing community, succumbed to a heart attack on December 12, 1996. He was 65. A founder of the National Aircraft Finance Association, Harvell started the aircraft loan program at Montclair National Bank in the early 1960s. Most recently, he formed National Aircraft Finance Company in Fort Meyers, Fla.
A Treasury Department miscalculation that could leave the aviation trust fund empty by the end of this month strengthened the impact of calls by general aviation operators to reinstate the off-again, on-again federal excise taxes. The FAA originally estimated that there were sufficient monies in the fund to last until July (B/CA, February, page 11).
Bryan T. Moss, vice chairman of Gulfstream Aircraft, is one of the lowest profile top executives in the business aircraft industry. He's so soft spoken, self-effacing and unabashedly honest, that he's the perfect match for Gulfstream. The historically conservative firm, until recently, was known for its low-key approach to promoting its heavy-iron business aircraft.
HAS Corp. and SFIM, Inc. have received STC approval of a three-axis autopilot for Bell 407s. The primary components of the system are an AlliedSignal AFCS, flight director, EFS-40 EFIS, Silver Crown avionics and an attitude heading reference system (AHRS).
AAI Systems Management in Hunt Valley, Md. says that out of 740 civil automated service observing stations (ASOS) installed as of January 1, the FAA and the NWS have commissioned 349.
Honeywell (Minneapolis)-Giannantonio Ferrari was named president and chief operating officer of this producer of navigation, flight management and instrumentation systems. Previously, he was president of Honeywell Europe, Middle East and Africa.
Aircraft operators in Europe now have until January 1, 1999-a year later than originally planned-before Eurocontrol begins mandatory implementation of 8.33-kHz VHF com frequency spacing, according to the agency (B/CA, February 1996, page 26).
Galaxy Aerospace Corp., the new marketing and support arm for Israel Aircraft Industries business jets, is expected to decide on a headquarters site in the second quarter. Within a year, the company says it will have a completion facility, factory service center and parts depot at the site. Galaxy Aerospace is currently based in Princeton, N.J., the location of the former Astra Jet Corp. (B/CA, February, page 28).
Schweizer Aircraft of Elmira, N.Y. is wrapping up certification of its improved Model 330 turbine helicopter and hopes to raise production rates to about one per month this year. Just 19 Model 330s have been sold since the aircraft was introduced in 1993 (B/CA, October 1992, page 30). A 17-knot speed increase and a 20-percent gain in range is attributable mostly to a modified rotor head and new main-rotor blades.
Certification of the MD 600N twin-turbine helicopter was delayed again and is now likely to come late this month, some six months after McDonnell Douglas originally planned (B/CA, January 1996, page 22). The first delays followed two separate non-fatal accidents of test aircraft in 1996. The company said this latest postponement was necessary to carry out additional testing in order to broaden performance specifications.
