April 2005
Mooney M20K
Subscribers Only Few airplanes fly as fast or as far on as little gas as the K-model Mooneys. The 252 is the most refined version of the line.
Epoxy Floors, Wing Wax
Subscribers Only If you’re treating a hangar floor, buy the expensive paint. It’s worth the cost.
Garmin iQue
Subscribers Only Garmin’s aviation-specific PDA performs well but it’s missing wireless capabilty and access to XM-based weather.
Moving Map PDAs
Subscribers Only MountainScope, Control Vision’s Anywhere Map and NavAir are the top performers and new bluetooth technology holds the wiring hassle at bay.
Lycoming on Trial
Subscribers Only A Texas jury finds that defective structural design caused failures in Lycoming six-cylinder crankshafts, not overheating during forging.
Electronic HSIs
Subscribers Only Are they a practical choice for replacing a conventional mechanical HSI? In many cases, the economics aren’t convincing.
Engine Shop Survey
Subscribers Only Which shops offer the best overhauls? Owners say top shops earn loyalty not by building better engines but by standing behind the work after the sale.
Letters: 04/05
High-Priced Gyros I just finished your article “Mid-Budget Upgrades” in the December Aviation Consumer where you again exclusively recommended the Sigma Tek 4300 series back-up electric horizon. This seems like overkill in a light single used for little—but some—serious IFR. There’s no question that an electric turn-and-bank gyro is completely inadequate for a back-up source of attitude reference in IMC. Unfortunately, we are stuck with this. I attacked this problem five years ago by installing an overhauled RC Allen 14-volt electric horizon for only $1095, plus a minimal installation fee. It provides complete redundancy for a fraction of what the Sigma Tek costs. In...
First Word: 04/05
Lycoming Crankshaft Suit As I write this, we’re barely six weeks into the new year but already the first colossally bad development of 2005 has bubbled to the surface: The Interstate Southwest Ltd. lawsuit against Lycoming. In mid-February, Interstate won this suit and was awarded a staggering $96.1 million in damages. In case you’ve deleted the details from your short-term memory, recall that Lycoming blamed Interstate for a bad batch of crankshaft forgings that resulted in a massive recall. The problem came to light in mid-2002, following a spate of engine failures caused by broken crankshafts. A joint Lycoming/FAA investigation blamed the problem on improper heating and...