Business & Commercial Aviation

In the entry-level super-midsize category, is the Legacy 450 better value than the Citation Latitude? Digging deeper into design details, performance numbers and everyday capabilities can provide some answers.

Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-34

Well proven over the last 12 years in service aboard business aircraft, the HTF7500E is a twin-spool, medium-bypass-ratio turbofan. Up front, there’s a single-stage, wide-chord, damperless fan, driven by an uncooled and shrouded three-stage low-pressure turbine. Aft of the fan, air is routed to the compressor through an inertial separator that causes most FOD to pass out the bypass duct rather than be ingested by the engine. The compressor consists of four axial compressor stages, with two variable geometry stator stages, and a single centrifugal compressor.

Three interior packages are available for the Kodiak. The standard Tundra Interior configuration includes nonslip floor coverings, durable composite side panels, sidewall cargo net tie-down points, and two pilot and four passenger chairs. There are eight passenger headset jacks, passenger service units and reading lights, plus a full ventilation and heating system. A two-place, crew-only oxygen system is included.

Four, 15.1-in. landscape configuration displays, arranged in a T configuration, dominate the instrument panel and center console. Each display may be divided into multiple windows to support multitasking. Synthetic vision is standard for the PFDs.

You’re much less likely to become an accident statistic if you view mixed-use general aviation airports as potentially high-risk operating environments, craft specific steps to mitigate those risks and execute your escape plan without delay.

Designers attempt to give exceptional capabilities in all areas, including price, but the laws of physics, thermodynamics and aerodynamics do not allow one aircraft to do all missions with equal efficiency. Trade offs are a reality of aircraft design.

Jack Piehl, a trail blazer in aviation safety, died June 2, 2015 at the age of 80 after a brief illness. He had a lifelong career in aviation, which spanned both flight and maintenance. His first job was with Eastern Airlines followed by positions with several corporate flight departments until he joined Shell Oil Company in Houston, Texas. At Shell he began as pilot and later took on additional responsibilities including that of overseeing the qualifications and operations of Shell’s Gulf of Mexico charter operators.

In late August, Priest River, Idaho-based Aerocet Inc. earned full FAA approval for its 6650 composite floats for the Quest Kodiak 100. Compared to the previously available aluminum floats, the composite Aerocet 6650 floats are 300 lb. lighter and they have considerably lower hydrodynamic drag due to their comparatively long, quad-fluted, shallow-chine, banana-shaped step sections.

Originally, NBAA was started by a group of 13 corporations for self-protection. Today it has grown to 398 regular members and 185 associate members and accounts for four-fifths of GA’s heavy and medium multi-engine aircraft.

Upset Recovery Training

Mention the name Russ Meyer, Jr. and you’ll think of the Cessna chairman and CEO most responsible for the success of the Citation family of fanjets. Yet, it was he, along with his predecessor Dwayne Wallace who originated the concept for clean-sheet, single-engine Caravan, the company’s quietly successful and enduring utility turboprop.

Cirrus Aircraft says its Vision SF50 personal jet should earn type certification by year-end and deliveries 4-7 seat aircraft will begin shortly thereafter. Although several single-engine turbofan models have been proposed and some prototypes flown over the years, the SF50 will become the first to actually reach production. In late August, the FAA issued a Type Inspection Authorization (TIA) for the aircraft.

The Legacy 450 and Legacy 500 are the launch platforms for Rockwell Collins’ new HGS-3500 compact head-up guidance system and uncooled, tri-spectral EVS-3000 enhanced vision sensor. Embraer and Rockwell Collins are pursuing Enhanced Flight Vision System certification for the combined HGS/EVS system that will enable operators to fly down to 100 ft. AGL/1,600 ft. RVR minimums on low-visibility instrument approaches.

It’s obvious that most of the traditional aviation community — the FAA included — was caught off guard by the speed and exponential growth of the UAV onslaught. And it’s only just begun.

Unexpectedly free for a few hours during my visit, I borrowed my brother’s car and wheeled over to what had been a familiar, nearby place. What I found was unrecognizable. Where once were wide open spaces, now stand a series of office buildings, a sprawling hotel, colleges with stadiums, a county park, and even a 17,000-seat coliseum. Ah, progress.

Early aircraft composites were relatively thick and primary structures were much larger than their metal counterparts. With the introduction of exotic materials like boron, carbon fiber and better layup process, the material got thinner but also more dependent on both process control and post-forming inspection. The ability to detect voids is essential, but there is still no way to detect residual strength in the bond without testing it to destruction.

An upgrade to its new Rockwell Collins PlaneView280TM software, has resulted in slower approach speeds, shorter landing distances and enhanced flight management system performance for the Gulfstream G280. “The G280 was already a top-performing aircraft in its class,” said Dan Nale, senior vice president, Programs, Engineering and Test, Gulfstream. “With this upgrade, the aircraft’s performance is even better.

The AW609 tiltrotor aircraft being developed by Finmeccanica-AgustaWestland showed off its speed capability recently. On Sept. 15 the manufacturer reported the aircraft has flown from Yeovil in southwest England to its facility outside Milan, Italy — a distance of 627 nm (1161 km) — in 2 hr. and 18 min. The flight started with a vertical takeoff from Yeovil, then climbed to its en route cruising altitude of 25,000 ft.

Gulfstream Aerospace has opened a new paint facility at its sprawling site in Savannah, Georgia, to support in-service aircraft. The 88,000-sq.-ft. building includes more than 72,000 sq. ft. of hangar space, offices, back shops and storage areas. “Demand for new Gulfstream aircraft is strong and so is the demand for enhancing aircraft already in service,” said Joe Rivera, Gulfstream Savannah Service Center vice president and general manager.

Rockwell Collins is introduced its Pro Line Fusion for commercial rotary wing platforms at the China Helicopter Exposition in September. The avionics system has been selected for 20 aircraft, including business jet, air transport, tiltrotor and military flight decks. It has also been flight tested as a UAV ground station.

Astronics Corp. has introduced a Max-Viz enhanced vision system specifically for experimental and homebuilt aircraft, which often operate from unimproved airstrips with wildlife and other obstacles. The system is priced at $6,000. The uncertified Max-Viz X1 complements synthetic vision systems and allows pilots to see temporary obstructions, such as wildlife and construction barriers not in the SVS database.

Authorities in Italy have performed fact-finding flights with an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) in nonsegregated airspace using civil procedures. The Mediterranean ATM Live Exercise (MedALE) trials — involving air traffic controllers from Italian air navigation service provider ENAV — follow up on the European Defense Agency’s Midcas (Mid-Air Collision Avoidance System) program. The MedALE trials saw the use of an Alenia Aermacchi Sky-Y remotely piloted air vehicle flying in nonsegregated airspace from Italy’s Grazzanise air base.

ABS Jets has received approval from Embraer and the Czech Republic to perform base maintenance on Embraer’s Phenom 300. With the approval, ABS Jets can maintain all types of Embraer Phenom aircraft. ABS Jets is based in Prague and Bratislava, Slovakia.