The AMT crew regularly attends relevant trade fairs like BACE, EBACE, Paris Air Show, Heli-Expo, and many others. Such events offer different kinds of technical solutions and industry perspectives. AMT was at AirVenture 2017 in Oshkosh, WI, which took place from July 26 to Aug. 2. In that week Oshkosh is the world capital of aviation not only by numbers of aircraft and attendees but by a priceless ingredient called: FUN. In Oshkosh you could find almost everything from a "motorized broom" to supersonic jet and even a rocket. In this context Oshkosh means FunKosh.
This 2017 edition was blessed by the weather, by the record-breaking attendance of 590,000 visitors, and by more than 10,000 aircraft that arrived at Wittman Regional Airport in Oshkosh and other airports in east-central Wisconsin. Somewhere else this might be a burden but at Wittman airport, this is a part of airmen’s dreams with 17,223 aircraft operations in the 10-day period from July 21-30. Can you imagine what that means with an average of approximately 123 takeoffs/landings per hour? For Oshkosh visitors this is simply aviation heaven.
All numbers have risen compared with an already successful year in 2016: The total number of show planes climbed by 5 percent to 2,991, and by 12 percent to 1,162 for the number of vintage airplanes. EAA counted 1,107 homebuilt aircraft, 351 warbirds, 168 ultralights and light-sport aircraft, 79 seaplanes, 54 rotorcraft, 60 aerobatic aircraft, and 10 hot air balloons.
Parking and camping spots were filled to capacity for five days starting on Sunday prior to the show opening, with extra parking and camping prepared and opened in the middle of the week to accommodate the increased attendance. The "good old" Oshkosh feeling was back! More than 11,600 sites in aircraft and drive-in camping accounted for an estimated 40,000 visitors throughout the week.
Beside these "traditional" AirVenture customers, the commercial exhibitor numbers climbed to 881 filling completely the four hangars and the main aircraft display; but possibly the most important numbers are 1,050 sessions attended by more than 75,000 people in forums and workshops adding great educational value.
We all will remember the Apollo gathering at the Theater in the Woods, Stan Lee’s visit, and the Blue Angels performance. To have the Blue Angels performing at EAA meant having to evacuate several houses and the factories near the airport had to shut down their operation for several hours. Events showcased the 50th anniversary of the Apollo program and the 75th anniversary of the Doolittle Raid. Plenty of folks (together with EAA Chairman Jack Pelton) talked at any possible opportunity about the big issue of the day, the ATC privatization. A delegation of aviation representatives traveled from Oshkosh to Washington for a day to speak out against the proposed ATC privatization.
This year, the crowds were huge and EAA managed to stuff so much into the programs that I had trouble to follow everything that was available. The core around which all this was built was the static display in Boeing plaza and the daily airshow. That main square was dominated by big military and civil birds like A10, B-1, B-29, B52, and just a stone throw away the Blue Origin rocket, New Shepard, a reusable rocket developed by Jeff Bezos’ space company. The restored B-29, Doc, left a deep impression on all visitors.
AirVenture has transformed over time from a pure fly-in to a commercially important venue for showing new products and technologies giving big and small names in the industry almost the perfect stage. Despite all, anyone who is serious about putting a foot in aviation business uses AirVenture just to show they’re players in that sandpit.
Final, subjective comment: I have not missed many AirVenture editions of last two decades but if I would have missed this 2017 edition that would have been my biggest mistake as an airman.
Next AirVenture in Oshkosh will be held July 23-29, 2018.
What was new at AirVenture?
This year we could see many novelties and improvements from all fields of aviation, none of them real breakthroughs or something we haven't seen yet or somewhere else, but it is important to see that the trends which popped-up years ago - like electric alternatives - are still around and are growing well. We could see new engines, avionics, unusual designs, multicopters and some airframes which might be of relevance in years to come.
Blue Origin
The New Shepard rocket developed by commercial space company Blue Origin was exhibited. On Nov. 23, 2015, New Shepard became the first rocket to ascend to 62 miles above the Earth's outer space and successfully return to Earth making a vertical landing. The booster repeated the feat five more times the following year, demonstrating the re-use of a rocket for the first time. In addition, the company exhibited a 1:1 scale mockup of its astronaut crew capsule developed for use with the New Shepard.
Lancair - Mako/Legacy
Lancair International was taken over few months ago by Mark and Conrad Huffstutler who transferred the production from Oregon to its new home in Texas. The new manufacturer is bringing back the four-place, fixed-gear Mako. Powered by a Lycoming IO-540 engine, the cruise speed is expected to reach about 205 knots; the turbocharged version should reach 256 knots. The Mako on display has impressive load-carrying capabilities, boasting a useful load of 1,300 pounds. The four-seater retracts pretty unusually only the front wheel, having the main gear fixed.
Conrad Huffstutler said to us that Lancair will offer a quick-build program for the Mako, which is expected to run about four weeks. The company started taking deposits for the Mako in Oshkosh, and expects to having the first airplane airborne by end of 2017.
Stratos VLJ
The Stratos 714 VLJ (Very Light Jet) made its public debut at AirVenture 2017, after it has been more than 10 years in the making. The Stratos team, visibly proudly, presented the freshly painted aircraft at Boeing Plaza. Stratos CEO Michael Lemaire addressed the crowd with a smile as he detailed the 714’s long journey. The 714 is designed to carry six people up to 1,200 NM at 400 knots. The company is working on a 714 prototype, powered by a Pratt & Whitney JT15B-5 engine. So far, the prototype has accumulated about 60 hours of flight testing. The ultimate goal for the 714 is the certification with a Pratt & Whitney 535E, the same engine that powers the Phenom 300. Stratos is not yet taking orders for the 714 as there is still much testing ahead; however, the team hopes to achieve relevant flight progress by the end of 2017.
Aero Electric Aircraft Corp., Sun Flyer
AEAC announced plans to build a four-seat version of its two-seat, all-electric airplane. The Sun Flyer 4 will have a payload of 800 pounds for pilot and passengers, and should fly by the year end said George Bye, CEO of AEAC. The $19-per-hour operating cost can be broken down to $5 for electric energy and the remaining $14 to build a battery-replacement reserve and cover the electric motor inspections and consumables. The four-seater will have four hours of flying time. Spartan College, which has already placed 25 deposits for the two-seat Sun Flyer 2, also made the first deposit for a Sun Flyer 4. Spartan plans to develop a complete training system based on the Sun Flyer aircraft, AEAC said, including a course for airframe and powerplant technicians that will go through a specialized training for the all-electric systems.
AEAC brought a proof-of-concept prototype of its two-seat Sun Flyer to Oshkosh which is planned to be certified under FAR Part 23. Sun Flyer will soon begin power-on tests. AEAC projects the energy cost for Sun Flyer 2 will be only about $1 of electricity for each hour of flight, compared to $25 to $65 per hour for leaded avgas.
The company started to accept deposits for the four-seat Sun Flyer at an introductory price of $349,000 while the two-seat version will cost $249,000.
Kitty Hawk
At AirVenture, a California start-up called Kitty Hawk debuted a unique new multi-rotor aircraft that's similar to a large drone and can carry a single person. Kitty Hawk could be manufactured under ultralight standards and has daily flown over water for approximately four minutes.
Workhorse
The American Electric-drive truck manufacturer Workhorse showcased a hybrid-electric vertical-takeoff-and-landing (eVTOL) aircraft called SureFly in the Innovations Center. The octocopter, the eight-rotor SureFly, builds on Workhorse’s development of the HorseFly delivery drone and has four arms with two electric motors on their end which can fold down for ease of storage.
The design is reminiscent of the Chinese Ehang 184 drone and is powered by a nondisclosed 200-hp turbocharged combustion engine which drives a generator, and which is backed up by a dual-battery system.
Samson
Samson Motors brought its pre-production prototype of the Switchblade flying-car design, which is still under construction, to AirVenture. The vehicle, in development for eight years, features the patented wing-swing mechanism, previously called "scissor wing." The design will carry two persons, will fly at 200 mph, the company says, with a 190-hp turbocharged V4 engine, and have a range of 400 miles. First flight is expected by the end of this year. The vehicle will be sold as an experimental aircraft, and owners will be able to complete the aircraft at the company’s builder-assist center in as little as three weeks. On the ground, it can be operated with a license for either automobiles or motorcycles.
Detroit Flying Car
The Detroit Flying Car was exhibited at the Innovations pavilion at AirVenture and is another, highly unusual proposal for a flying car. This proposal is and looks different than other - recently abandoned - projects. The secret juice of this flying car are its wings. They don’t fold, they are built of many wing panels that retract into each other and then into the wide fuselage. For further compacting the design, the wings - the forward and rear wings - are not symmetrically located in a same pane but above each other. That means that the left and right wing are approximately a foot above each other - abandoning the usual symmetry. Propulsion on ground should be assured by electric motors and in the air by a combustion engine/electric generator.
Zenith Aircraft
Zenith Aircraft Company introduced a new aircraft design at AirVenture. The STOL CH 750 "Super Duty" is the latest model in the Zenith high-wing line developed by aeronautical engineer Chris Heintz. The STOL CH 750 "Super Duty" (SD) looks like the popular two-seat STOL CH 750 light-sport aircraft, but was redesigned to offer much increased load, the addition of a "jump seat" in the large rear cabin area, and powered by 205-hp IO-375 Aero Sport Power engine. The traditional instrument panel has been completely replaced with a single, extra-large, free-standing and freely positionable 17-inch glass display built by Avilution and called Unpanel. By removing the traditional instrument panel the forward half of the cabin feels more like a helicopter.
GAMA Electric exhibition
The General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA) highlighted hybrid and electric propulsion technology during AirVenture 2017. On display were the eSpirit, an all-electric aeroplane designed and built by the Embry-Riddle Flight Research Center; a Pipistrel Alpha Electro, the world's first all-electric production training airplane; a mock-up of the eViation all-electric airplane that was unveiled at the Paris Airshow; as well as a two-blade Bantam ultra-lightweight propeller and an electric airplane battery. GAMA tent visitors had the chance to experience an electric flight through a Siemens Aviation interactive feature and information about its Electric Propulsion and Innovation Committee, its new global standards developed to facilitate this technology.
“It’s an exciting time in general aviation, with hybrid and electric propulsion coupled with increased automation,” said GAMA President and CEO Pete Bunce. “The new degrees of freedom these technologies enable when combined with the nimble design certification environment now becoming a reality, we can truly invigorate our industry.”
Pipistrel
The FAA administrator visited the Pipistrel exhibition and showed great interest in electric aircraft technologies. The FAA administrator was according to Pipistrel personnel not aware of the fact that Pipistrel had made such strong advances and was surprised to see an LSA certified electric aircraft already in serial production.
Vulcanair
The Italian company Vulcanair debuted in the U.S. its new 1.0 trainer aircraft. Priced at $259,000, it's aimed at the training aircraft market. With a Garmin G500 IR suite on board it is powered by a Lycoming 180-hp IO-360 engine equipped with a constant speed prop. MTOW is 2,446 pounds with a useful load of 882 pounds The 1.0 is already EASA certified in Europe and is expected to receive U.S. validation by the end of 2017.
Mooney
At the press conference Mooney said through Lance Phillips that Chino, CA-based design center, which did much of the work on the emerging M10 line, will move its operations to the Kerrville, TX, factory headquarters - all as a part “of consolidating efforts.” Phillips said the company’s primary investors are still committed to the aircraft and that more information would be forthcoming in a few months.
Remos & Stemme
Remos, an established UL and LSA manufacturer, and Stemme, the builder of sophisticated motorgliders, have announced by the years end the beginning of their merger. This AirVenture was for the two German companies the first international event under the same roof.
Piper
This year Piper celebrated the 80th anniversary of the iconic Piper J-3 Cub, which was one of the most successful designs ever. A celebration was held during AirVenture, along with displays of many new Piper models. Simon Caldecott, CEO, was really optimistic about Piper's future; the business is going well not only in the U.S. but also in Europe.
ICON
A little more than a year after it announced plans to slow production and realign its manufacturing flow and supply chain in 2016, ICON Aircraft has resumed customer deliveries of the amphibious light-sport A5 and is working on an upgraded version for its model year 2018. ICON recently handed over the first six A5s, the first deliveries since announcing the production delay in spring 2016. “We’ve had a challenging year for sure, but the A5 is now ready. In fact, it’s more than ready,” said ICON CEO and founder Kirk Hawkins adding, “We’re now ramping-up production and delivering aircraft.”
Textron Aviation
From Beechcraft Barons to King Airs, from Caravans to Citations, and several airplanes in-between, the Textron Aviation exhibit was huge and offered something for anyone looking to purchase a new aircraft.
Engines
This AirVenture was a successful engine year. Why, you ask? The engine field is a very delicate one; there are not many manufacturers around and those few seldom bring new engines to market ripeness. This behavior is influenced by a low number of sold piston aircraft, high development costs, liability issues, and so on. Despite all this we have seen many engines this year that in several weeks or months will receive the FAA certification/validation. Rotax is just about to gain the certification of the turbocharged 915iS engine and CMG surprised us with two new diesel engines, while Lycoming is increasing a pace on electronic engine control. There are many other interesting engines of automotive origin like Adept Airmotive and Viking engines - just to mention few - but those are addressing only the noncertified market.
Lycoming
Lycoming Engines had on display their TEO-540-C1A which will power the new Tecnam P2012. The Integrated Electronic Engines (iE2) is the company’s flagship technology. The iE2 system features a continuously optimizing multi-port fuel injection system for optimum power and fuel consumption performance, and it has the ability of the engine control unit to continuously monitor and report engine performance.
EPS
Wisconsin-based Engineered Power System (EPS) stated that the V-8 diesel (108-degree), liquid-cooled, geared engine just initiated certification and durability testing of the engine. EPS returned to AirVenture after a short absence and was showing the latest version of its V-8 diesel engine called Graflight. According to Michael Fuchs, EPS co-founder, the engine reached several thousand hours of test cell testing. He said that the company is working into the integration of the engine into the SR 22 and the GA8 airframe. According to Fuchs, the engine’s horsepower is scaled up to 450 hp and the weight is expected to be about 50 pounds heavier than comparable gasoline engines.
Rotax
During AirVenture 2017, the Rotax Flying and Safety Club (RFSC) and BRP-Rotax offered multiple, daily information sessions on Rotax 9xx iS engines and on the capacities of the engine ECU and logged data, conducted by experienced RFSC instructors free of charge at the mobile classroom at the Rotax booth.
Marc Becker of Rotax informed the press about the progress of the 915iS engine. The new 135-hp turbocharged and fuel-injected engine is well on the certification path and its EASA certification, as well as the FAA validation, are expected before the end of 2017. Becker told us that more than 30 OEMs have completed the design-in 915iS process and that the wet installation weight is 84 kg or 185 pounds; field tests have shown full power delivery up to 15,000 feet and a typical 6-8 gallon/hour fuel burn. This power delivery at altitude is for some airframe OEMs of strong interest.
RS Aerotech, the Single Lever Revolution
RS Aerotech Ltd. exhibited the Searey Advanced Technology Demonstrator with the new Rotax 915iS engine at the Rotax booth during AirVenture 2017. This installation is likely to set a new milestone in LSA and lower GA field with the introduction of the Single Lever for small aircraft engines. The amphibious demonstrator, Searey S-LSA aircraft has been equipped with a single lever constant speed propeller control system (SLC), and a CAN aerospace-based flight data acquisition and recording system. This engine and flight data could be transmitted worldwide trough any 2G/3G/4G network. RS Aerotech is flight testing the Rotax 915iS engines fitted with MT propellers and future-oriented electronic aircraft systems. Now all 912 and 915iS engines could install this option for the Single Lever Throttle which automatically controls/adjusts the propeller pitch according to the pilot's throttle input. This could even be used on LSA aircraft where variable pitch prop is currently not allowed by the LSA rules as an exception.
CMG
Continental introduced two new engines at Oshkosh 2017: the certified 300+ hp, six "V" layout, CD-300 engine series, and the flat, four-cylinder CD-265. See CMG article in the July/August issue of AMT.
Avionics Trends
Dynon and Garmin are growing and showing new products at an almost frightening rate. Both companies are going strong - coming from different directions - but have initiated a revolution from "below" offering new, sophisticated, and price wise interesting products in different categories.
Dynon’s announcement of entering the certified market with further developed Skyview series may be a manufacturer's milestone and the most significant of all the avionics developments till today. Dynon which has served the experimental amateur-built market since its founding in 2000, is expanding into the Part 23 certified avionics market with the imminent FAA certification of its SkyView HDX, touchscreen, glass cockpit system. The first approvals will be in the Cessna 172 and Beech B58 Baron, and others will follow.
The SkyView HDX is a full flight deck, with all the functionality of systems costing far more, including autopilot with limited envelope protection. System prices are the same as the company’s experimental or light sport aircraft version.
Included in the SkyView HDX system are the touchscreen primary flight display with angle-of-attack and synthetic vision, engine monitor with lean assist and fuel computer, autopilot, mode-S transponder with 2020-compliant ADS-B Out, ADS-B In (traffic and weather), moving map with flight planning, a Dynon EFIS-D10A for backup instrumentation, and battery backup.
The SkyViewHDX will be fully IFR capable, and it will also integrate with navigators such as the Avidyne IFD series and Garmin GTN/GNS series.
Garmin
Garmin brought many, almost too many new products to Oshkosh. Garmin debuted two new retrofit autopilots GFC 600 and GFC 500 with solid-state attitude-based (AHRS-derived) autopilots that feature brushless DC motor servos. Both with Garmin’s electronic stability and protection (ESP) and a level mode. The autopilots also feature underspeed and overspeed protection.
In addition to the autopilots there were two portable weather receivers, GDL51/52, and new low-cost ADS-B Out solution for the market's lower end.
The GDL51 specifically receives SiriusXM data, while the $1,149 GDL52 is an all-in-one device that receives both ADS-B and SiriusXM data. The portable systems can wirelessly connect with two devices simultaneously, including the aera 660 and aera 795/796 portables and Apple and Android tablets and smartphones. The permanent-mount "R" remote-mount versions can be wired to the panel displays in Garmin's G3X Touch experimental avionics suite.
Garmin announced the GDL82 UAT device for mandate-compliant ADS-B Out option for aircraft that fly below 18,000 feet. The budget-priced GDL82 is a small two-piece (remote box and GPS antenna) Universal Access Transceiver (UAT) with built-in GPS.
