Tecnam’s P2010 Gran Lusso is on display at EAA AirVenture 2022. The high wing, single-engine piston, four-seater features a luxury interior with electrically-adjustable seats, Italian leather upholstery, carbon-fiber insets, and an all-new center power quadrant.
Other Gran Lusso features include a new parking brake that is easier to manipulate, two mobile phone holders, improved USB ports, new wingtips with integrated LED lights, metallic paint options, and new “super premium” interiors. Avionics are a Garmin G1000 NXi avionics suite that includes the GFC 707 autopilot with Garmin electronic stability and protection and GCU 475 FMS keyboard.
As Avidyne completes the FAA approval process for its AviOS 10.3 IFD navigator software, expected in about a week, the company continues development of avionics that employ artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities. Delays in certification of AviOS 10.3 were due in part to supply chain issues that forced Avidyne to source components from different vendors, which in some cases required a redesign of hardware and corresponding software changes.
“It has been a very eventful year,” said Avidyne president Dan Schwinn, with some positive developments but many challenges, such as supply chain and workforce issues. However, he added, “it appears that most of this stuff is on its way down.”
Piper Aircraft is seeking approval for its M600 single-engine turboprop to operate from rough and unpaved surfaces, such as rural landing strips. The company told a July 26 media briefing at the EAA AirVenture show that it hopes to get clearance from the FAA by the end of this year.
On the 85th anniversary of Piper Aircraft and the ubiquitous Piper Cub, the Florida-based company is “experiencing significant growth,” said president and CEO John Calcagno. “We’re seeing demand that we’ve not seen in years,” he said. “There is zero worldwide dealer inventory. We cannot even demonstrate an aircraft because we just cannot find [availability].”
Aspen Avionics this week unveiled new software that will allow its Evolution flight displays to interface with Garmin’s GFC 600 autopilot, without the use of an adapter. At the EAA AirVenture show on July 26, the company also announced that its Evolution displays no longer require a separate electronic or mechanical backup attitude indicator.
With a one-display installation, backup turn and bank, altimeter, and airspeed indicators are still required, but when two Aspen displays are installed, no separate backup is required. “This eliminates one of the most unreliable things on these airplanes, the vacuum pump [that drives mechanical attitude indicators],” said John Uczekaj, president and CEO of Aspen Avionics. “Customers can remove a highly unreliable device, gain the weight that goes with it, and have a reliable display."
The I Hart Flying Foundation (IHFF), which supports aviation scholarships for women, announced an expanded program thanks to new contributions from Immaculate Flight, Paragon Aviation Group, AEG Fuels, and Dassault Falcon Jet. It plans to release details at this year’s EAA AirVenture during today’s EAA WomenVenture Day.
The new scholarships will total at least $30,000 and be awarded to four women. “This is an incredible organization, and we feel honored to be able to support women in aviation,” said Megan Barnes, president of Paragon Aviation Group. “I was blessed to be born into an amazing aviation family and learned to fly at an early age. Being able to share this opportunity through the I Hart Flying team is a true gift.”
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