March 2006
North American Navion
Subscribers Only A big, beefy retractable that traces its lineage to the P-51 Mustang. Although cheap to buy, watch for basketcase airframes needing expensive restoration.
Aviation Survival Kits
Subscribers Only Survival kits are a compromise between cost, weight and size. The Fox Icarus and AST’s overwater are top values. AeroMedix Ultimate is the spare-no-expense option.
MicroSoft Flight Sim:
Low Cost, High Value
Subscribers Only Flight Sim has graduated from gamer status to serious IFR trainer. It’s a bargain at $29.99 but requires a high-end machine to run well
HID Lighting:
Knots2U, RMD Excel
Subscribers Only HID landing and taxi lights are a vast improvement over stock illumination. Competition has made installing them more affordable.
Interior Replacements:
Plane Plastics is Top Pick
Subscribers Only All of the aftermarket suppliers beat OEM prices, but Plane Plastics leads on value. On select parts, high-priced Heinol may be the best choice.
Glass Panel Flyoff:
Entegra Edges the G1000
Subscribers Only The G1000 is an engineering tour de force with tons of horsepower. But the Entegra’s simpler, more direct interface is easier to learn and use.
Letters: 03/06
Battery Charger Sources I enjoyed the article about Smart Chargers. The article states that the chargers tested are available in both 12- and 24-volt versions. I visited the Deltran Web site and I cannot find a 24-volt version of the Battery Tender Plus. Any suggestions? Jonathan Sisk Lexington, Kentucky Since 24-volt batteries were not mentioned, am I to assume that these cool chargers are not available for them? I have been using a Sears automotive 12/24-volt charger that has a number of options on it. I use the 2-amp charge when necessary along with a DS500 desulfator to tune-up the Concorde batteries on my Mooney Ovation. ---------- Am I hurti...
First Word: 03/06
LYCOMING: YET ANOTHER CRANKSHAFT RECALL The ink had hardly dried on our January report describing Lycoming’s quality control efforts when the company announced yet another crankshaft recall, the third in as many years. This time, the FAA issued an NPRM just after Christmas affecting nearly 400 crankshafts, mostly in engines built by Lycoming, but some done by field shops. Technically, this an expansion of the second recall, but that’s a distinction without a difference. Within days of this announcement, reader Bob Anderson e-mailed this observation on our January interview of Lycoming’s new manager, Ian Walsh: “Unfortunately, it seems that the steely eyed fighter pilot has wooed...