Development of the Aero Electric Sun Flyer solar-electric flight trainer continues, and the two-seat proof-of-concept prototype is on display this week at EAA AirVenture 2016 in Oshkosh, Wis. The all-composite airplane, which is powered by a 100-KW electric motor fed by LG lithium-ion batteries, is entering the next phase of ground and then flight testing, and it should fly in early fall. FAA certification in the primary category is expected in 2018, and plans are to obtain certification in additional countries.

“Five years ago we starting along this journey,” said Aero Electric CEO George Bye. The idea was to figure out how to revitalize general aviation using new technologies, and early on the company identified electric propulsion as a promising opportunity. Early tests involved an electric-powered Cessna 172, which was flown about 25 times. After initial flight testing of a German single-seat solar-electric design, Aero Electric developed the two-seat Sun Flyer as a technology platform ideally suited for the pilot training market. “Look at flight training, it’s such a critical area of general aviation,” Bye said. “Forecasts are for a huge requirement for new pilots.” Yet the fleet of training aircraft is aging and shrinking. 

The $249,000 Sun Flyer is designed for a maximum endurance of three hours, but for the training role will likely fly missions of about 1.3 to 1.5 hours. Recharging time for the airplane’s lithium-ion battery pack after a typical sortie should be 20 to 30 minutes using “supercharging” technology. Cost of energy for the Sun Flyer should be about $2 per flight hour, compared to the typical $50 per hour for gasoline for a piston-powered training airplane. The Sun Flyer will be equipped with photovoltaic cells on the wings, which will charge the batteries about 10 to 12 percent during flight and given enough time, fully while on the ground. A fleet of Sun Flyers could generate surplus electricity while parked during the day, allowing the operator to sell electricity to the grid at peak times, then the batteries could be charged at night when electricity costs go down. The prototype isn’t equipped with the solar cells. 

The Sun Flyer is equipped with an energy-available gauge, which will also predict available range. The batteries should last for three to five years, but as they are replaced, newer battery technology should result in improved performance, including longer duration and range. “Batteries are improving at about 10 percent per year,” Bye said. “We will see a vast expansion in utility. Four-seat and larger airplanes are coming because of these improvements in technology. Improvements and regular upgrades are part of the system of the Sun Flyer.”

Spartan College of Aeronautics has ordered 20 Sun Flyers, and the college will not only train pilots in the new airplane, but also teach mechanics how to maintain electric-powered aircraft. “We have agreed to collaborate to build a maintenance training program to help individuals service the Solar Flyer and similar electric aircraft as we roll through this revolution,” said Spartan president and CEO Peter Harris. Spartan currently operates 40 traditional training airplanes. 

Cessna Aircraft has received certification from the EASA, Argentina’s National Civil Aviation Administration and the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines for its TTx fixed gear, high-performance piston single, the Textron Aviation unit announced on Monday at EAA AirVenture 2016.

That brings the number of countries that have certified the TTx to more than 40. The all-composite, 235-knot TTx features Garmin G2000 touchscreen glass-panel avionics and sidestick flight controls.

“We are excited to offer the precision and speed of the TTx to the European market and beyond, bringing customers a high-performance solution that fits both personal and business travel needs,” said Doug May, Textron Aviation’s vice president of piston aircraft. “We continue to invest in international certifications to ensure customers around the world can experience the capabilities this aircraft has to offer.”

Cessna Aircraft announced on Monday at EAA AirVenture that it received an order from the Civil Air Patrol (CAP) and signed a separate sales agreement with Kent State University. The CAP placed an order for 19 new aircraft—17 Skylane 182Ts and two Turbo Stationair HDT206Hs. Meanwhile, the multi-year agreement with Kent State includes the purchase of a new Skyhawk 172, product support, training and Kent State’s commitment to purchase new primary trainers solely from Textron Aviation, Cessna's parent company.

The 19 aircraft to be delivered to the CAP are being produced at Textron Aviation’s Cessna manufacturing facility in Independence, Kansas. They will be delivered throughout the second half of this year and replace older models in the CAP fleet. This year, the organization is celebrating 75 years of using civilian aviation resources to boost the nation’s defense.

Cessna has already delivered a new Skyhawk 172 to Kent State University as part of the agreement. Doug May, the company's v-p of piston aircraft, presented the keys to the new aircraft to the university at Textron Aviation’s static display at Oshkosh on Monday. Kent State University, located in Ohio, operates 17 Skyhawks as the university’s primary flight trainer.

Daher senior v-p Nicolas Chabbert said his company was gratified by its strong first-half 2016 sales showing, delivering 26 TBM 900-series aircraft. Of this, 45 percent were TBM 900s while 55 percent were TBM 930s with the newer touchscreen avionics.

To date, the company has handed over 124 TBM 900 series—93 in North America and 12 in Europe. In total, 786 TBMs have been delivered to date, and Chabbert noted that the company plans to deliver the 800th in September.

Chabbert said the 900 series is selling particularly well in Europe, with sales up “threefold” over typical levels. The TBM Care five-year warranty program combined with the speedy incorporation of the latest avionics advances—including angle-of-attack indication, electronic stability protection, underspeed protection and emergency descent mode—had all helped to drive sales, according to Chabbert.

He said the company will renew its focus on improving the comfort of the aircraft, including adding a side-facing, quick-change, marine-style, electric-flushing toilet as a $35,000 option beginning on 2017 models. Installation of the toilet requires removal of the two rear seats.

The lav is designed with a padded surround, personal item stowage, courtesy mirror, cabin soundproofing and a screened privacy enclosure than can be deployed. The entire package is branded as “Elite Privacy” and has been some 18 months in development.

There are plans to make it available for retrofit for older models. Chabbert called the addition of the toilet a “game changer” that, combined with relaxed EASA charter rules governing single-engine charter aircraft, should make TBMs more popular in Europe.

“A toilet is required for commercial charter operations. We're going to provide the best and most comfortable interior in this class of aircraft,” Chabbert said. “We are going to be thinking more about the passengers. You can be in this cabin for up to five hours.”

Based on customer feedback, Daher will continue to produce both the TBM 900 and 930, Chabbert said, to “provide customers with a choice” of avionics interface preferences. “We try not to impose our preferences on our customers. We deliver what people want,” he said.

“There is a clear acceleration in this program. In the first 15 years, we delivered 324 TBM 700s. In the last 10 years we have delivered many more TBM 850s and 900s,” he said. Some 65 TBM owners have checked in with the company this week at EAA AirVenture 2016, and approximately 45 TBM aircraft are parked on the airshow grounds.

Cirrus Aircraft brought the first two production copies of its single-engine SF50 Vision jet to EAA AirVenture 2016 this week, in addition to prototype aircraft. Cirrus is completing function and reliability testing on the jet, and the FAA will soon begin its own F&R flying, it said. The company noted that it is close to receiving FAA certification for the jet.

“It's been a long-time coming, but it's finally here,” said Cirrus Aircraft chairman Dale Klapmeier. Cirrus said its Grand Forks, N.D. facility is spooled up, with SF50s already on the production line, and that production has been “decoupled” from the certification process.

Meanwhile, Cirrus’s Knoxville, Tenn. delivery center will come on line later this year, initially with deliveries of SR piston series aircraft and then SF50 jets beginning next year. Next month, Cirrus will begin its flight safety review board with the FAA to cover training issues regarding the SF50. Training and deliveries remain on track to begin later this year.

Also at EAA AirVenture, Cirrus received the Joseph T. Nall safety award from the AOPA Air Safety Institute for developing its line of Cirrus Approach instructional courses credited with driving down the Cirrus accident rate threefold and giving Cirrus aircraft an accident rate 50-percent lower than the general aviation average.

“Safety was the most important thing we were after when we started this company,” said Klapmeier. “We wanted to change this industry and we wanted to change it with safety. What we have done in the last three years with Cirrus Approach has truly started to have that vision come true.”

Anticipated FAA certification of the $2.95 million Epic E1000 turboprop single has slipped six months, to the first quarter of 2017, due to the need to redesign “about four parts” in the wing, CEO Doug King told AIN on Tuesday at EAA AirVenture 2016. King said the delay was “unfortunate,” but “one of things we weren't going to do was compromise the performance of the airplane. Some of the engineers said that if we just lower the gross weight or drop the speed down we could lower some of these loads.” But King said he resisted all suggestions to compromise the aircraft's performance and insisted on an engineering solution even when it meant a further program delay.

“We took the time and got through that and I am happy to report that our wing passed structural testing,” he said. King said the E1000's main differences from the Epic LT kitplane include the addition of an emergency exit, different pressurization, air conditioning, lighting systems, several switches and a few structural changes. “But the really big difference is that we are certifying this airplane [the E1000] to Flight Level 340,” he said, compared to FL280 for the LT. “To go an extra 6,000 feet is a really big deal.”

He said Epic expects the E1000 to have a full fuel payload of 1,100 pounds and a range of “at least 1,600 nautical miles and at [Flight Level] 340 a lot more, but I don't know what that number is.” At its service ceiling, King said Epic predicts that the E1000 will cruise at better than 300 knots while burning 40 gph. He said the E1000 will have best-in-class “real world” speed. “Point-to-point we are the fastest thing out there,” he added.

King said orders sit at just more than 60 and that plans called for an initial production run of one aircraft per month following certification next year, gradually ramping up to one aircraft per week “once we reach full production, and we're going to get there as quickly as possible.”

Mooney Aircraft’s latest models—the M20V Acclaim Ultra and M20U Ovation Ultra—are due to receive FAA certification in the third quarter, and flight testing continues on its new M10T all-composite trainer. Both the new Acclaim and Ovation are on display at Mooney’s pavilion this week at EAA AirVenture 2016, and while both offer performance improvements, the 242-knot Acclaim Ultra has generated plenty of interest from show visitors for its new pilot-side door and composite-wrapped cabin. 

Work on the the fixed-gear M10T and retractable-gear M10J is under way at Mooney’s Chino, Calif. research and development facility. The M10s are powered by Continental’s CD-135 diesel engine and feature Garmin G1000 avionics and a slotted wing design. The M10J will also be equipped with an autopilot. 

The M10T has flown more than 47 flights and 66 hours, and this has included stall testing, envelope expansion, handling qualities evaluation, engine cooling tests and engine tuning. Mooney hasn’t announced the certification timeline for the M10s, but expects to do so by year-end. 

Mooney also announced an agreement with Jeppesen to supply its PilotPak data services bundle to buyers of new Mooneys, and the agreement includes a year’s subscription following delivery. 

Malaysia Airlines Berhad (MAB) has placed an order for 25 Boeing 737 Max narrowbodies and reserved options on another 25. Deliveries involving a mix of Max 8s and Max 9s will start in the third quarter of 2019 and continue to 2022. MAB could exercise its rights to convert the options into firm orders for either type. The order previously appeared in Boeing's orders and deliveries list as belonging to an unidentified customer.

The CFM Leap-1B-powered aircraft won a direct competition against the Airbus A321neo. The Max deliveries will replace some of the 737-800s currently on operating lease while MAB returns the older airplanes to their lessors. MAB operates 56 Boeing 737-800s, 21 of which it leases.

MAB chief executive officer Peter Bellew said at a media briefing outside Kuala Lumpur that the new aircraft will reduce fuel consumption by up to 15 percent and produce 40 percent less noise.

Flight deck commonality with the 737NG will result initially in a pilot transition period for the 737 Max of some two weeks.

“With certification, the transition period could just be a day or two,” noted Boeing senior vice president for sales Asia Pacific and India Dinesh Keskar. Boeing expects the Max 8 to gain FAA certification by next year's third quarter.

MAB, previously known as Malaysia Airline System, has operated the 737-100, -200, -300, -300QC, -400 and -500.

MAB is now looking in the open market to lease four Airbus A330-300s equipped with Pratt & Whitney powerplants to complement its existing fleet of 15.

Referring to the airline’s Airbus A380 fleet, Bellew noted that the six aircraft will remain in service until mid-2018, after which it will attempt to place them either on a wet-lease basis or directly.

It now flies four aircraft on the twice-daily London route, while one flies Muslim pilgrims to Mecca and the sixth undergoes C check maintenance. Plans call for Airbus A350s to replace the A380s on the London route.

MAB has signed an agreeement with Air Lease Corp to lease six A350s.

On whether MAB will reinstate the second daily flight to Beijing, which it dropped in June 2014, Bellew didn’t rule out the possibility, but he emphasized the scarcity of slots at Beijing Capital International Airport.

The Brexit vote put a damper on Gulfstream sales at the end of the second quarter, but prospects are still good—“better than any [other] time so far this year”—and the continued solid U.S. economy and quick stock market recovery after the UK voted to exit the EU has calmed the jittery nerves of potential buyers, Phebe Novakovic, chairman and CEO of parent company General Dynamics, told investors today. Geographically, half of the jet orders placed in the quarter were from North America, with the remainder from the Middle East, Asia, Europe and South America, “in that order,” she said.

Second-quarter revenues at General Dynamics aerospace division, which includes both Gulfstream and Jet Aviation, fell $124 million year-over-year, to $2.134 billion, as completed Gulfstream deliveries dropped by seven units, to 34. This includes 27 large-cabin and seven midsize jets, compared with 33 large-cabin and eight midsize in the same quarter last year. Aerospace quarterly profits fell by $25 million from a year ago, to $845 million.

At the end of the quarter, aerospace backlog sat at $11.755 billion, about $350 million less than 90 days earlier. Backlog for the G650 extends to 24 months, while it is nine to 12 months for the G150, G280, G450 and G550.

Novakovic also addressed the state of the pre-owned G650 market during the second-quarter investor call. “Some are saying that there are 21 G650s on the market, but we count only 14 on the market, and one of those has a sale pending,” she noted. “With 14 on the market, this is only 7.5 percent of the installed fleet, which is below the normal 10-percent watermark. I’m comfortable that the pre-owned G650 market is appropriate and rational.”

At the annual meeting of the American Bonanza Society this week during EAA AirVenture 2016, Textron Aviation unveiled its G36 Sport Package to honor the upcoming 50th anniversary of the Bonanza owners’ group. To be available next year, the custom interior and paint scheme will also honor the 70th anniversary of the Bonanza, which was first certified in 1947.

The custom paint scheme will incorporate Beechcraft’s legacy red and black colors, with the ABS logo joining the Beechcraft logo on the tail. Inside, the interior will feature black seats with contrasting red stitching and Beechcraft’s “B” logo throughout, accompanied by the ABS logo.

The Bonanza is the longest-running model in current production, with more than 18,000 aircraft delivered. Today’s six-place G36 is powered by a 300-hp Continental IO-550B and features a max cruise speed of 176 knots and 860-nm range. The Bonanza comes with Garmin G1000 avionics with synthetic vision, satellite weather datalink and a GFC 700 flight control system. Doug May, Textron Aviation v-p for piston aircraft, said, “Beechcraft is thrilled to partner with the American Bonanza Society on this custom option to offer its members a commemorative and striking design for their aircraft.”

Today at EAA AirVenture 2016, Embraer Executive Jets announced an updated version of its Phenom 100E light jet with new avionics, slightly faster top cruise speed, substantially faster climb to altitude times, 43 pounds of more full fuel payload and better high/hot performance. The latter includes substantially shorter takeoff distances that shrink by nearly 1,000 feet.

The $4.495 million Phenom 100EV will feature Prodigy Touch avionics built on the Garmin G3000 system and Pratt & Whitney Canada PW617F1-E engines that each deliver 1,730 pounds of thrust, 35 pounds more per side more than the PW617-Es on the 100E.

Embraer Executive Jets president Marco Tulio Pellegrini announced that deliveries would begin in the first half of 2017 and that Mexican charter operator Across and the Emirates Academy would be the launch customers. He also held open the possibility that the engine upgrade could eventually be made available to existing Phenom 100 customers as an aftermarket option, though an avionics upgrade to the Prodigy Touch system would not be practical due to its high costs.

Pellegrini also said that Embraer is contemplating an interior block change on the Phenom 100 at a later date, much like the one recently unveiled in the larger Phenom 300 on display this week at AirVenture. He said the Phenom 100E will likely be discontinued once the 100EV is introduced. “Once you have a better product, customers will go with a better product. We want to provide the best of everything.”

Pelligrini said the 100EV achieved its increased performance through a combination of increased engine thrust and airframe weight reduction. He acknowledged that the market for entry-level light jets remains “upside down” but said that in the “medium term we are confident that things will change and the market will be back” and that justifies Embraer's investment in the Phenom 100EV. More than 330 Phenom 100s are currently flying. The aircraft also has been selected for the UK Ministry of Defence's flight training program.

Seats for the 100EV, along with the Phenom 300 and the business aircraft seats in Embraer's transport-category aircraft, will be built at Embraer's new company-owned 80,000-sq-ft seating plant that will open in September in Titusville, Fla. Pellegrini said getting the passenger seats right is the key to maximizing the customer experience, and that drove Embraer's decision to bring seating in-house on the Phenoms. “The seat is the customer touchpoint. If he feels comfortable, he is pleased. If he is not, he complains a lot,” he said. 

Lancair International, one of the oldest kit-aircraft manufacturers, is restructuring its business and selling assets that it no longer needs while focusing on the more popular Evolution piston and turbine experimental amateur-built models. 

“As we have grown, our customer base has changed dramatically from the early days,” said director of business development Kevin Eldredge. The Evolution models are the company’s primary products, while the Lancair 360, IV, IVP and Legacy kits have seen declining interest from customers who want to buy a kit, take it home and build an airplane. The Evolution kits are built by customers at a builder-assistance facility, which provides assistance and tools and helps speed up the construction effort.

“We are separating into two organizations,” he explained. The primary and remaining business will be called Evolution Aircraft and will be responsible for all Evolution-related development and support. The sale will include all Lancair assets, which include intellectual property, the Lancair brand, the kit designs, parts, tooling and support for the roughly 1,200 airplanes flying and 2,000 kits sold. This also includes an opportunity to sell more Lancairs as military trainers. The Colombian military operates 26 and has ordered another 20. The entire Lancair business currently accounts for about 10 percent of the total revenue of Lancair International, according to Eldredge. The company told customers and Lancair Owners and Builders Organization members about its plans about a month ago. 

“For us, a couple of things have happened,” he said. “We didn’t just stop selling the 360, IV, IVP and Legacy because we wanted to do something else. People stopped buying them. We have to be evaluating where the market opportunities are. Twenty years ago there wasn’t any competition for Lancair. There’s nobody to compete with the Evolution, and we now want to focus on the best market for us.”

The company plans to sell the entire package of assets and will not split any out. Even at just 10 percent of revenue, the Lancair segment “is pretty profitable,” he said, “but it could be much more. It’s a substantial business with a great customer base.”

Meanwhile, the Evolution business is growing quickly, and the company needs the money from the sale of the assets to continue growing and serving customers. As of last week, 63 Evolutions are flying, and the company had sold kit number 78. Production is averaging one kit every three weeks, and Eldredge said he expects that to continue through the end of the year, then increase to one every two weeks next year.

The Waco YMF-5 will receive certification from Brazil’s National Civil Aviation Agency (ANAC) in the “coming days,” Waco Aircraft said this week at EAA AirVenture 2016. This means that the aircraft will join its Great Lakes 2T-1A-2, which was approved by ANAC last year.

At the same time, Waco is displaying a canopy specifically designed for the Great Lakes at Oshkosh. Attendees can stop by Booth No. 363 to see the full display. The Waco YMF-5 is also on display at the airshow.

Waco Aircraft Corp. is a family-owned company that currently manufactures the Waco YMF-5 and the Great Lakes 2T-1A-2.

The future of Piaggio’s Avanti twin turboprop pusher is in question, after the Italian airframer’s statement this week about a new “industrial plan” that will see the company focus primarily on military programs going forward. Annual deliveries for the civil version of the aircraft have dropped into the low single digits for the past several years. An unmanned patrol/reconnaissance version known as the P.1HH HammerHead is currently under development.

“Military platforms provide a sustainable and scalable growth trajectory for Piaggio Aerospace, which has been severely impacted by the contraction of the business aviation market,” said company CEO Carlo Logli in a short press release issued on July 28. The company noted that it would continue to deliver its existing commitments for the Avanti Evo, and when questioned further by AIN, responded only that “At present, the Avanti EVO will continue to be part of the Piaggio business.”

Piaggio, wholly-owned by Abu Dhabi’s Mubadala Development Company since last year, also announced it is seeking buyers for its engine business, which offers complete maintenance, repair and overhaul of a wide range of powerplants under license from Rolls-Royce, Honeywell, Pratt & Whitney and Pratt & Whitney Canada, as well as its MRO support organization for the 226 Avantis currently in service.

According to the manufacturer, it is now seeking approval for the new restructuring plan from its lenders and the Italian government.

“The shareholder approval of our military-focused industrial plan marks the next phase for one of the world’s oldest aircraft manufacturers,” added Logli. “We now have a state-of-the-art manufacturing base at Villanova and a proven military program with the P.1HH HammerHead, both of which allow us to take on this new challenge.”

On May 29, a P.1HH prototype crashed off the coast of Sicily during flight testing. The company said it is still “assessing the impact” of the accident on the program.

Piaggio also confirmed that the jobs 132 employees who were temporarily laid off in 2014 have now been permanently cut.

Expectations of a protracted downturn in the business jet market have prompted Embraer to lower its delivery projections for this year by some 8 percent. Having so far delivered 26 business jets during the first six months of the year, the company now expects to ship between 70 and 80 light jets by the end of 2016, compared with its previous projection of between 75 and 85, and some 35 to 45 large jets, compared with its earlier estimates of between 40 and 50. Consequently, the company now expects revenues generated by its Executive Jets division to total $1.6 billion to $1.7 billion, compared with its previous projection of $1.75 to $1.9 billion.

Speaking Friday morning during the company’s second quarter earnings call, Embraer CEO Paulo Cesar Silva expressed a need to maintain discipline amid an environment of high levels of used jet inventory and falling prices.

“It is a soft market,” said Silva. “The revisions to the guidance we are making today is in line with what the market is doing…We do not want to fight against the market. So we will no longer fight for market share.”

Silva added that he doesn’t expect any meaningful recovery in the market “for a while.”

“No one expects that in the next two years or three years this market will recover. We still have a lot of used aircraft in the market—around 11 percent of used aircraft inventory compared to the size of the total fleet, so we have around 400 used aircraft in the market.”

Embraer now expects deliveries this year of some 650 business jets compared with the 2008 peak of 1,200.

Readers responding to AIN’s 2016 Product Support Survey rank Embraer at the top, with the highest combined overall average (8.4 out of a possible 10) for newer and older aircraft. Dassault Falcon and Gulfstream (both midsize- and large-cabin jets) tie for second place at 8.2. In third place this year is Bombardier’s Challenger series at 8.1, up 0.1 but matching last year’s third-place finish.

Two manufacturers tied for fourth place, both with a 7.9 rating, up 0.2 from last year, and these are Bombardier’s Globals and Textron Aviation’s Citations. Bombardier’s Learjet support climbed to a 7.8 rating, up from last year’s 7.7, leaving it with a fifth-place ranking.

Textron Aviation’s out-of-production jets see a divergence this year, with the smaller jets climbing by 0.2, to 7.4, but the midsize Hawkers dropping to 6.9.

In the turboprop arena, Mitsubishi’s MU-2s climbed to 9.3 from last year’s 9.1 to top this category, followed by Pilatus’s PC-12s (7.6) and Textron Aviation’s King Airs (7.1), the same placements as last year.

Rotorcraft rankings start with Bell Helicopter at the top of the list (7.5), as it was last year, but with a lower rating (down 0.4), then Airbus Helicopters holding the number-two place (down 0.3 from last year). Sikorsky moved up one place this year to third with 6.5, up 0.2, followed by AgustaWestland with 6.3.

Above and Beyond 

We asked AIN Product Support participants to list their favorite support providers and what they like about the service they receive. Here are some of the companies and people respondents chose to recognize. Read the full list at www.ainonline.com/above-beyond-2016.

As part of AIN Publication’s annual survey of users of business aviation, we asked qualified subscribers of Aviation International News, our monthly print publication, to identify "specific individuals for going above and beyond when it comes to product/customer support" of aircraft, engines and avionics, and to explain why they deserve special recognition.

The respondents to the 2016 AIN Product Support Survey named nearly 150 deserving individuals, too many for us to include in the August issue of Aviation International News. So we have included all of them here. You’ll find them listed by company.

To all of you who earned this special recognition from your customers, all of us at AIN Publications offers our heartiest of congratulations! Thank you for going "Above and Beyond" to help keep business aviation flying.

Lam Aviation announced at EAA AirVenture it has test flown a modified Columbia airframe incorporating Lam’s patented wing design, known as the LAM Aero System. The company reports it has achieved airspeeds as much as 26 knots true airspeed (ktas) higher than a stock Columbia, while also exhibiting greatly improved slow-speed handling.

Lam’s modified Columbia “Volant” uses a completely redesigned wing and control system with integrated flaps and ailerons. The resulting mix enables variable wing geometry that the company says enables greater speed, rate of climb and increased controllability in slow flight. Lam Aviation plans to make its LAM Aero System commercially available, and the company says its has contacted manufacturers and research agencies that are interested in the concept.

Late aeronautical engineer Larry Lam developed the aileron-flap interface in a two-place homebuilt in the 1970s, and his son Michael is the current head of Lam Aviation. He has a booth in the North Aircraft Display area at this year’s EAA AirVenture show.

Quest Aircraft, manufacturer of the single-engine turboprop utility Kodiak, is adding a paint shop and additional space to its manufacturing facility in Sand Point, Idaho. 

Last year Quest began the expansion by launching construction of 27,000 sq ft attached to the back of the production facility, to accommodate subassembly work and inventory. The addition officially opened in June, and it will allow expanding the single production line into two lines. Quest has also acquired another 32,000 sq ft of hangar and office space, which will be used for research and development, maintenance operations, training and associated Quest businesses, according to president and CEO Sam Hill.

Construction of the paint shop begins shortly and it should be done in the first quarter of 2017. Designed as a “drive-through” building, the facility will be designed with separate areas for paint removal and preparation, painting and pre-delivery processes. “We’re now using two or three outside vendors,” Hill said. “If we increase production, we need to control the schedule better.”

Quest will deliver 39 Kodiaks this year, he said, which is up from 32 in 2015. Since certification in 2007, total deliveries as of late July are 182, and that number should reach 204 by the end of the year. Some potential contracts for next year could drive deliveries to 52, and the company needs to prepare for the added growth. “We’re seeing a lot more activity in the U.S.,” he said, but there are also new buyers in southeast Asia and Japan. “Our China dealer is really picking up the pace.”

Quest has constantly added upgrades to the Kodiak line, many of which are available as retrofits to earlier models. “There have been more than 100 improvements since certification,” Hill said. This includes new interiors, improved heating, TKS ant-icing, Garmin’s GFC700 autopilot with electronic stability and protection features and other upgrades. “We have a lot of new upgrades coming,” he added. “It’s continuous improvement.”

The Kodiak is certified in 32 countries, and more are being added. The aluminum airframe delivers STOL performance, with takeoff in less than 1,000 feet at the 7,255-pound maximum takeoff weight. The Kodiak is powered by a 750-shp Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-34 turbine engine and features Garmin’s G1000 flight deck. 

While Kodiak owners “are very happy with it,” Hill said, they also wonder about Quest’s next product. “We’re getting feedback,” he said, “but we’re not sure we’ll do anything soon.” That said, Quest did build a new research and development facility staffed by design engineers whose job is to examine potential new products.

India has withdrawn the tender for a new air refueling tanker, more than three years after choosing the Airbus A330MRTT  in preference to the Ilyushin Il-78 following a second round of bidding. This latest example of indecision on major defense projects, following the saga of the Medium Multi-Role Combat Aircraft (MMRCA) program, is creating concern in the international defense industry that India is chronically indecisive. However, AIN has learned from a senior Indian Ministry of Defence official that the A330MRTT procurement may still be concluded, on an intergovernmental basis between Spain and India.

Though there has been no official confirmation, Indian media reported that the high price of the MRTT is the reason behind the nation's failing to conclude a contract. However, the vendor has not been given the cause for the pullout. “The cost of the MRTT has increased following depreciation of the rupee in the past three years,” said the senior MoD official.

A retired Indian Air Force (IAF) officer commented to AIN: “This is ludicrous. The MoD is making inconsistent statements. The A330MRTT was chosen after considering the total cost of the platform plus the life cycle costs. Yes, it is more expensive to acquire than the Il-78, but much more efficient. So what changed?”

An IAF engineer said the six IL-78s already in service in the IAF are suffering from maintenance issues related to unavailability or delays in acquiring spares. “Sometimes there are structural issues and at other times, problems with the Israeli pods that keeps the fleet grounded.” He said that at the recent Red Flag Exercise in the U.S, only one of the two IL-78s sent by the IAF performed. AIN could not confirm this. “The MRTT is urgent because we need to enhance our capability,” IAF chief of staff Air Chief Marshal Arup Raha told AIN in April.

A finance ministry official said it did not make financial sense to have a mix of models in the fleet as the cost for setting up a maintenance facility for the A330s “would be enormous.” This was refuted by a retired IAF official who said that maintenance facilities already exist in India for the airframe as Airbus has a large commercial presence here. “This is utter lack of understanding,” he said.