A contaminant found in the fuel of Gus McLeod’s Firefly appears to be sabotage. The mysterious incident has forced further postponement of McLeod’s planned pole-to-pole solo flight around the world. “After an analysis of the contamination, and cutting the tanks open for inspection, the verdict is inescapable,” the Maryland pilot said. “The fuel was contaminated with a […]
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NASA flying wing model soars in historic wind tunnel
Ask anyone what an airplane looks like and most will tell you a tube with wings. NASA researchers are trying to expand that image, testing a design for a flying wing called a blended wing body. Technicians have installed a 5% scale model of a blended wing body in the Langley Full-Scale Tunnel at NASA’s […]
Slick Goodin, 82
Chalmers H. “Slick” Goodlin, a Bell test pilot originally set to become the first man to exceed Mach 1, died of cancer at his home in West Palm Beach, Fla., Oct. 20. He was 82. Goodlin made 26 subsonic flights in the rocket-powered Bell X-1-1 and X-1-2, reaching Bell’s contractual speed of Mach 0.8. When […]
FAA Flight Plan focuses on user fees
The FAA’s recently released Flight Plan 2006-2010, the agency’s strategic planning and goal-setting document, is still focused on user fees to take care of its claims of a funding crisis. “There is a fundamental disagreement between the FAA and AOPA about whether the aviation trust fund is running out of money,” said AOPA President Phil […]
Robert E. Bush, 79
Robert E. Bush died Nov. 8 near Olympia, Wash. He was 79. He earned the Medal of Honor during World War II fighting on Okinawa, where he lost an eye – and nearly his life – while treating a wounded Marine Corps officer and holding off charging Japanese troops at the same time. He was […]
Hawkins & Powers Aviation assets for sale
The assets of one of the oldest aerial fire fighting contract companies in the United States are up for sale. Hawkins and Powers Aviation Inc. of Greybull, Wyo., has gone out of business, selling all its assets to the Great American Group, which in turn is selling them to the highest bidder. Hawkins and Powers […]
Kelly Aerospace buys Northcoast Technologies
Kelly Aerospace has bought Northcoast Technologies, developer of a thin film hot wing system and an all-electric aircraft air conditioning system. Northcoast becomes Kelly Aerospace Thermal Systems. Bob Rutherford, a Northcoast founder, is the new firm’s vice president and general manager. Northcoast’s Thermawing system is certified for Columbia 350s and 400s, but has applications for […]
Avidyne and Ryan merge
Avidyne Corp. and Ryan International Corp. have merged. Ryan’s active traffic display and alerting technologies will be added to Avidyne’s product lines. Avidyne will maintain Ryan’s Columbus, Ohio, headquarters as the Safety Systems Group.
Balloon museum opens in Albuquerque
Albuquerque is known for its balloon festival, so what better place to locate a museum dedicated to lighter than air technology? The Anderson-Abruzzo Albuquerque International Balloon Museum, which opened Oct. 1, showcases the history, science and art of ballooning. Exhibits include photographs, newspaper clippings and models, including a 1:15 scale of the Graf Zeppelin. 505-768-6020