Bugs have been defined as small flying creatures that hurl themselves at airplanes intending, through sheer numbers, to deprive them of flight. While not nearly as effective as icing in changing the shape of a wing’s leading edge, a layer of bug splat does affect performance and efficiency.
When Diamond Aircraft surprised the 2002 Berlin airshow with an out-of-the-blue new twin powered by a pair of converted automotive diesel engines, there weren’t many visible reasons why it should succeed and a lot of reasons why it couldn’t. The twin market was flat. A new engine married to a new airframe can be the shortcut to disaster and no modern engine maker had commercially converted gasoline automotive engines for aviation use. A diesel conversion? Are you kidding?
Ask a typical owner what type of inlet air filter he has and you’ll likely get a shoulder shrug. It’s one of those service items that many rely on the maintenance shop to look after.
Imagine fetching the family airplane from a paint shop, and as you’re flying it on one of its first post-paint trips, part of the tail comes off. That’s precisely what happened to a Cessna Conquest after a once reputable paint shop returned the plane to service without properly reassembling it. The shop—which got decent customer reviews in previous Aviation Consumer paint shop surveys—has since gone bankrupt, but it’s a learning experience that other shops and owners can take to the bank.
The good news is that aluminum propellers are overdesigned and overbuilt so they operate safely for years. The bad news is that aluminum propellers are overdesigned and overbuilt so they operate safely for years. While each has a published TBO, for some reason aircraft owners who wouldn’t dream of running an engine past TBO will utterly ignore that number for a propeller.
The list of approved maintenance items an aircraft owner can do under FAR Part 43 is long and includes replacing, cleaning and gapping plugs. In the spirit of cleaning, we think checking plug resistance is also on the list.
We admit it. We like turbochargers, turbocharging systems and the airplanes that wrap around them. More than just a tool for flying in mountainous regions—turbos provide the vertical agility for dealing with weather necessary in an airplane that is a vehicle for serious transportation. In the flat lands of the Midwest and Great Lakes, turbocharging often means going versus remaining parked when there is ice in the clouds. When going the distance, getting up to the high teens or low 20s means far more speed and efficiency than a normally aspirated airplane and the ability to select the best altitudes for the winds.
Here’s a common scenario: You bring your airplane to the avionics shop for its 24-month IFR pitot and static system certification and the tech says you’ll be wheels up in a couple of hours. Thirty minutes later while you’re cooling your heels in the pilot lounge, the technician tracks you down with news you don’t want to hear: Your encoding altimeter flunked the test because it has too much friction.
The glass in your bird is looking a little milky, there’s some crazing on the windshield and a little crack where the pebble hit. Is it time to replace the windows? How can you tell? What’s it going to cost? How can I make the glass last longer?
The glass in your bird is looking a little milky, there’s some crazing on the windshield and a little crack where the pebble hit. Is it time to replace the windows? How can you tell? What’s it going to cost? How can I make the glass last longer?
Thank you for the in-depth article on the Piper Warrior (August 2013 Aviation Consumer). I’ve owned mine for nearly 20 years and have long felt like it was the Rodney Dangerfield of airplanes. Your article did a great job of publicly destroying that image by bringing out the capabilities and flexibility of the Warrior. I’ve flown mine all over the country, on and off of all types of airports and runway surfaces—paved, grass and dirt, and while I’m cautious about density altitude and recognize that the bird isn’t going to set any speed records, it’s reliable and I know I’ll get where I’m going.
When we visited the Cirrus Aircraft factory in Duluth, Minnesota, last month, we couldn’t help notice the positive vibes that echo throughout the operation. There’s reason for boardroom fist pumps. Production slots for the new G5 SR22 are sold out through October, the SF50 Vision Jet is we’ll on the way toward certification and delivery in 2015, and the competition is struggling to sell half as many aircraft as Cirrus did last year. Cirrus built a total of 253 aircraft last year alone. Unlike other manufacturers, Cirrus doesn’t distribute aircraft to a dealer network, so production is based on customer orders.
