Marta Bohn-Meyer, chief engineer for NASA’s Dryden Flight Research Center and U.S. Unlimited Aerobatic Team manager, died Sept. 18 in an airplane crash near Oklahoma City. She was 48. Bohn-Meyer was practicing for an upcoming competition in her Giles 300 when the accident happened. According to a preliminary report from the National Transportation Safety Board, […]
J. Roy Shoffner, 77
J. Roy Shoffner, who financed restoration of the P-38 “Glacier Girl,” died Sept. 24 just two weeks after his 77th birthday. Shoffner, an entrepreneur with a passion for aviation, became involved in the final stage of “Glacier Girl’s” recovery from beneath the ice of Greenland in 1992. Following that, he took over responsibility for the […]
Robert Hanson, 85
Robert Hanson, the last surviving “Memphis Belle” crewman, died Oct. 1 of congestive heart failure at his home near Albuquerque, N.M. He was 85. Hanson was the famous B-17’s radio operator through all 25 its missions over Germany and France.
Eclipse certification on target
Eclipse Aviation took delivery of its first flight-ready autopilot from Meggitt in September, passing another milestone along the path to certification. Although the company did not meet its goal for test flight hours as of late September, in part due to the gear-up landing of N505EA, CEO Vern Raburn remains confident that the Eclipse 500 […]
Commander finds new home in Missouri
Commander Premier Aircraft Corporation (CPAC), a newly formed company that bought the assets of the bankrupt Commander Aircraft Co., is setting up operations in Cape Girardeau, Mo. “Nearly 30 trailers are loaded and rolling and the drivers have been told to head for Cape Girardeau Regional Airport,” said Joel M. Hartstone, CPAC president and CEO. […]
Weldcraft’s compact WP-20 TIG Torch increases durability and efficiency
Weldcraft introduces the WP-20 and WP-20P water-cooled TIG torches. Both torches feature compact and lightweight designs, which provide excellent welding performance on applications with limited access or tight joints. The WP-20 and WP-20P maintain a high level of welding performance for precision TIG applications, providing 250 and 225 amps. The efficient around-the-head cooling design reduces […]
Miller introduces new helmet design
Fans of auto-darkening welding helmets from Miller Electric Mfg. Co. will be revved up over the company’s newest design: The ’29 Roadster. Making its debut alongside Miller’s newest project vehicle, a ’29 Roadster pickup, the helmet design matches the hot rod’s paint job commemorating the year Miller Electric was founded. Perfect for professionals and hobbyists […]
New name for member of the Rolls-Royce family
The Allison Advanced Development Company (AADC) has changed its name to Rolls-Royce North American Technologies Inc. The new name better positions the organization as a Rolls-Royce company providing advanced technology and system solutions. The company, which develops advanced technology for power systems, including high temperature turbines and combustion systems, fans and compressors, exhaust systems and […]
Jeppesen launches NavSuite
Jeppesen has launched NavSuite, an integrated collection of Jeppesen’s leading applications. NavSuite is composed of JeppView electronic charts and various flight planning applications. NavSuite is another step in Jeppesen’s strategy to seamlessly integrate and package services for convenience and value. Part of that strategy includes pricing the suite for less than the sum of the […]