FLIGHTLINE
INDUSTRY AND COMMUNITY NEWS
Tecnam
P2010 Makes
First Flight
TECNAM’S NEW P2010 made “a faultless first
flight,” according to the company, on April 1 2.
The flight took place at Tecnam’s production
facility in Capua, Italy. The P2010 is a four-
place single-engine aircraft with all-
carbon-fiber fuselage, metal wings and
stabilizer, and the 180-hp Lycoming IO-360-
M1A engine.
knots. Its 55-gallon fuel capacity gives it a
maximum range of 660 nautical miles, with a
cruise range ( 75 percent power) of 545 nautical miles. The company intends to market the
aircraft for cross-country flying as well as the
flight-training industry.
SPORTY’S MULTISUMP+ FUEL TESTER
MANY NEWER PISTON airplanes have nine, 10, or even more fuel
drains, and Sporty’s Pilot Shop has created the MultiSump+ to
maximize the efficiency and effectiveness of checking all of
those drains for fuel contamination. The key to the MultiSump+
is that each sample can be dumped from a small transparent
bowl into the larger container with the flick of your thumb
without spilling. When all the drains have been sumped, you can
pour the fuel back into a tank using the MultiSump+ strainer to
remove any water or sediment.
John Hopkins, who manages the maintenance of EAA’s aircraft,
gave the MultiSump+ a try, and he was impressed. “The pushrod
on so many fuel testers is just too flimsy to hold up, but this one is
strong and sturdy enough to do the job,” John reported. He also
liked the way the strainer was contained in a disk that fits over the
fuel filler cap so fuel is not wasted or spilled on the wing and ramp
when the sample is poured back into a tank.
The MultiSump+ is designed to operate the flush drains that
are the norm on newer piston airplanes and sells for $24.95.
// BECAUSE WHEELPANTS cover so much of
the wheel, they can also make checking
tire pressure inconvenient. Wicks’ solution is a small, light, strong hatch that can
give instant access to nearly any tire’s
valve stem. The assembly, consisting of an
aluminum frame, door, and quarter-turn
fastener, can be installed without an STC
on certified aircraft in the United States
(and most other jurisdictions) and on
experimentals worldwide.
// GRAND RAPIDS TECHNOLOGIES launched
its new widescreen EFIS, the HXr. The
EFIS allows pilots to view various moving
map and engine parameter sets without
altering the layout of the primary flight
display format. The 10.4-inch HXr inter-
faces to Android tablet computers as
a means of data entry, such as editing
the flight plan, and for a low-cost auxil-
iary display.
// CIRRUS CEO DALE KLAPMEIER announced
that the SF50 Vision single-engine jet
program is fully funded. Last year, the
program was under review by the compa-
ny’s new owner, China Aviation Industry
General Aircraft (CAIGA). Technical
challenges in completing and certifying
the design were considered along with
market conditions for the airplane. Cirrus
expects to deliver the first Vision in 2015.
// NTSB CHAIRMAN Deborah A.P. Hersman
announced the NTSB has issued a total of
seven safety recommendations to make
the National Championship Air Races a
safer event for pilots and spectators alike.
The recommendations address race
course design and layout, pre-race technical inspections, aircraft modifications and
airworthiness, FAA guidance on air racing, the effects of g-forces on pilots, and
ramp safety issues.
