GARMIN PAVES WAY FOR
LOWER COST ADS-B
ICON TESTS NEW SPIN-
RESISTANT WING ON A5
WITH THE REQUIREMENT FOR ALL airplanes
flying in regulated airspace to equip
with ADS-B by the year 2020, Garmin
introduced the GTX 23 transponder as
a lower-cost option for experimental or
light-sport aircraft to meet the rules. The
new remote-mounted
transponder employs
Mode S “extended
squitter” (ES) to
broadcast required
ADS-B data. When
the GTX 23 is linked
to a position source
of sufficient accuracy,
such as Garmin’s G3X
suite (left), the ES
function automatically
broadcasts
aircraft position,
velocity, altitude, vertical velocity,
and identification, plus other specific
information. The transponder boasts
250 watts of power for a sticker price of
$2,199. That’s about one-third the cost of
other 1090 ES transponders designed for
certificated airplanes.
IT’S A SNAP! AND LIGHT-
SPORT, TOO
ICON AIRCRAFT TESTED A NEW spin-resistant
wing design that does not include flaps or
wing cuffs for its A5 amphibian light-sport
aircraft (LSA). The flight occurred in late
July and is part of design enhancements
that ICON says will reduce aircraft
complexity and improve safety. The new
wing design will allow pilots to maintain
control even through inadvertent stall,
while the flaps were removed because LSA
speed restrictions mostly negated their
benefit on the aircraft. ICON also features
an angle of attack indicator, which,
combined with the new wing, will keep
the wings level in the event of a stall, the
company says.
NEW ZEALAND’S NEW HIGH-TECH HELICOPTER KIT
THE PRODUCTION PROTOTYPE OF Sportair
USA’s Dallair FR- 100 Snap! made its debut
at AirVenture, marketed as a lightweight
alternative in the aerobatic market. The Snap!
is designed to be certifiable as experimental-exhibition, special light-sport aircraft, or
experimental light-sport aircraft and will
meet FAA Part 23 aerobatic standards
including +6/-3g wing loading. The single-seat taildragger offers several benefits over
traditional aerobatic planes, including lower
initial and operating costs, the company
says. But it is also competitive with a fuel-efficient 130-hp competition engine, built by
EPA Power on a Rotax 900 series base—with
electronic fuel injection, inverted oil system,
four-into-one exhaust, and more. The first
production aircraft for the American market
is expected to be available in 2012.
COMPOSITE HELICOPTER, A NEW ZEALAND-
based company, introduced its new KC518
Adventourer helicopter kit. The KC518
is a five- to six-place helicopter that
features carbon fiber and Kevlar composite
construction. The primary fuselage consists
of 33 parts that the builder puts together
using special glue and layers of carbon cloth
and resin. All parts come pre-
fabricated, requiring zero
welding or riveting, allowing
builders to complete the kit in
approximately 900 hours. The
KC518 is designed for turbines
up to 450 hp. Composite
Helicopter predicts the
KC518 will cruise at 135
knots and offer a 1,450-pound
useful load, 3. 6 hours’
endurance, and a service
ceiling of 14,000 feet. The
estimated completed price of
the Adventourer is $395,000,
with a quick-build option for
an additional $44,500.
SPITFIRE KIT BUILDER
MOVES TO U.S.
MICHAEL O’ SULLIVAN, FOUNDER of Supermarine
Aircraft and creator of the spectacular
90-percent scale Spitfire MK26B replica kit
plane, relocated
his company to
Cisco, Texas,
from Brisbane,
Australia. Michael
estimates he’s
invested about
$9 million over the
years to develop, test, and refine the design.
His goal was to create an airplane that not only
looks like a Spitfire, he said, but, “I wanted
it to be a Spitfire, with flying qualities that
match the original.” Sullivan said his Spitfire
replica kits cost approximately $160,000, and a
completed aircraft is worth around $470,000.
