It’s a four-place, 320 knots (cruise), glass cockpit jet and you’ll pay only $611,628 for it. No, it isn’t one of the new crop of very light jets. In fact, it’s a very old jet in one sense, having been designed in the 1960s. In another sense, though, it is virtually new, says Greg Webster […]
A last wish for ‘Memphis Belle’
It has been roughly a year since Col. Robert Morgan, the man who flew the B-17 “Memphis Belle” on 25 missions over Europe, died from complications after a fall. At Sun ‘n Fun in 2004, Col. Morgan had a booth where he signed copies of his book, photographs and artwork inspired by his famous B-17. […]
Lancair controls the weather
If luxury cars can have set-and-forget climate control, why not far more expensive airplanes? That question was raised by the people at The Lancair Co., whose answer was along the lines of “Why, indeed?” As a result, new Columbia 350 and 400 certified Lancairs now can be delivered with that option, a $22,500 add-on. It […]
Epic’s impressive epic
The Epic LT turboprop is a phenomenon. Two years ago it was artwork on display stands. Fourteen months later it was an airplane, flying to the Oshkosh air show, where it was introduced. Last month, it was in the Homebuilt area at Sun ‘n Fun, fully fitted with a glass panel cockpit and luxurious interior. […]
A corporate jet with some assembly required
Imagine, if you can, an eight-place corporate jet kit plane. Imagine that it cruises at 400 mph, at nearly 30,000 feet, and will carry you 1,224 statute miles on its 480 gallons of Jet-A. Steve Young and Ron Lueck of Aerocomp not only imagined such a plane, they built it, they’ve flown it and they’ll […]
Eclipse 500 makes first public appearance, DayJet promptly buys 239
An Eclipse 500, the first flying, fully conforming very light jet, made its maiden public appearance at Sun ‘n Fun last month. Only days later, the company announced a firm order for 239 of its jets from DayJet Corp., a pioneer in what it calls “per-seat, on-demand” jet services. DayJet also took options on 70 […]
The REAL aviator
The popularity of the recent movie about Howard Hughes, “The Aviator,” has resulted in a six-fold increase in attendance at the Florida Air Museum on the Sun ‘n Fun campus. The museum has such a vast collection of Howard Hughes memorabilia that officials are still cataloging items. Included are photos, newspaper clippings, flight suits and […]
New Cessna Center planned for Sun ‘n Fun campus
Cessna will build a permanent facility on the Sun ‘n Fun campus. The Cessna Center, which will be built with a $200,000 donation from The Cessna Foundation, will be used for Sun ‘n Fun’s year-round education programs, an essential element in bringing more young people into aviation, said Jack Pelton, Cessna’s president. During the annual […]
Medirian goes glass with Avidyne FlightMax
Last year was a tough one for The New Piper Aircraft Co. The Vero Beach, Fla.-based company was hit by a “couple” of hurricanes last year, said Chuck Suma, president and CEO. “But from adversity comes strength,” he noted. “The company is a lot stronger today than it was before the hurricane.” Employees pulled together […]