Harry Fenton submitted the following photo and note: “Harry Fenton’s 1968 Cessna 150H with a rare set of Fluidyne nose and main skis mounted. The 150 is a decent skiplane if the temperature and snow conditions are right. Ambient temperatures from 0°F to 20°F are best, with 4″-6″ of firm snow. If the snow is wet or too deep and powdery, then the takeoff performance degrades and longer runs are required. Frozen lakes with very long takeoff runs are the best, but this plane has been operated out of 2,500′ airstrips. With the O-200 engine, the skiplane 150 performs, well, like a 150 and is not overpowered for skiplane operations. In 6″ of wet snow, it has used every single inch of the 3,200′ runway on which it is based, so not a skiplane recommended for beginners. But, overall it is a surprisingly good skiplane and gets a lot of attention any time that it is out on the snow.”
[Read more…]Stretch time for the Liberator
Before jet-age stretches of transport aircraft fuselage designs became commonplace, in World War II the Consolidated Aircraft Company demonstrated how it is done with the famed B-24 Liberator heavy bomber.
In 1941, ahead of America’s entry into the war, Consolidated made a design change to the Liberator that added nearly 3′ — 2′, 7″, to be exact — to the nose of the aircraft ahead of the cockpit. This gave all subsequent Liberators a longer, less pug-nosed appearance and provided greater space where the navigator and bombardier worked.
[Read more…]Video: Can you have too much power?
Jon Croke of the HomebuiltHELP channel on YouTube just posted a new Tip of the Week video asking, “Can your homebuilt aircraft have too much power?”
In the video, he looks at several homebuilt Zenith designs, including his own, with horsepower ranging from 80 to 130. It’s an interesting question, with the video featuring a lot of cool STOL takeoffs.
[Read more…]Holiday spirit takes flight at KFTW
FORT WORTH, Texas — Instead of airplanes, Hangar 11N at Meacham International Airport (KFTW) was filled with toys Dec. 11, 2019, as guests of the seventh annual American Aero FTW holiday luncheon filed in with gifts to brighten the holidays for a child in need.
[Read more…]Garmin’s ADS-B diversity transponders get FAA nod
Garmin has received FAA STC approval — as well as European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) and Transport Canada Civil Aviation (TCCA) validation — for the GTX 335D and GTX 345D.
These diversity transponders provide ADS-B Out coverage and visibility, while operating throughout the global airspace system.
GTX 335D offers ADS-B Out, while the GTX 345D provides ADS-B Out, as well as dual-link ADS-B In traffic and weather for display on compatible avionics and mobile devices.
[Read more…]Open canopy begins chain of events that leads to crash
According to the pilot, during the initial climb, he realized that the Sport Cruiser’s canopy was not latched properly and had opened.
He attempted to secure the canopy, but was unsuccessful.
He decided to terminate the flight and land, however his airspeed was too fast during the touchdown and the airplane landed hard at the airport in Sacramento, California.
[Read more…]Picture of the Day: Baby it’s cold outside
Colton Kinney submitted the following photo and note: “Pre-flight warm up.
Burt Ackerman and his 1946 Super Cruiser at Winsted Airport in Minnesota.”
A logbook success
I recently wrote about my logbook failure and received a nice number of comments in response.
A great many agreed with my regret at not drawing outside the lines.
[Read more…]Almost 80,000 GA aircraft ADS-B equipped
The latest statistics from the FAA show that the number of general aviation aircraft equipped with ADS-B Out — as of Dec. 1, 2019 — is 79,214.
Total number of all aircraft equipped before the Jan. 1, 2020, mandate requiring ADS-B Out in certain airspace is 111,400, according to the agency.
[Read more…]NBAA continues its fight for SMO
The city of Santa Monica, California, which operates the Santa Monica Municipal Airport (SMO), has for years engaged in unlawful revenue diversion by entering into inadequately documented loans with SMO and collecting excessive landing fees from aviation users, among other compliance issues, officials with the National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) asserted in a Dec. 9 appeal.
[Read more…]