The Jetcruzer—a turbine single pusher fixed-wing design dating back to the mid-1980s and shelved in 2004—is being revived as an electric aircraft. Victor Tao, who bought the prototypes and intellectual properties in 2016, plans to bring the Jetcruzer 450 and longer-range Model 500 derivative to market as electric fuel cell and hybrid-electric airplanes, respectively.
According to the reformed company, Jetcruzer International, a magniX electric motor will be fitted to the Jetcruzer 500E testbed by year-end, but the suppliers for its hybrid-electric system have yet to be determined. The $2.66 million 500E model is projected to have a 1,500-nm range, 300-mph top speed, and 30,000-foot ceiling.
While a certification timeline has not been announced for the 500E, Jetcruzer International expects the fuel-cell-powered 450E to be certified in less than two years, thanks to the original turboprop variant having received FAA approval in 1994. The $1.98 million 450E will have a 500-nm range, a 245-knot top speed, and 27,000-foot ceiling.
For the prototypes, production will be done in Ontario, California, and assembly in nearby Murrietta, said Jetcruzer v-p of sales Tom Miyano. The company, which is seeking to raise $50 million to bring the aircraft to certification, has not yet selected a location for aircraft production.
Signature TechnicAir has received EASA and UK Civil Aviation Authority Part 145 approvals to expand its service capabilities on the Embraer ERJ-135/145, including the Legacy 600/650, and Phenom 300 regional and business jets.
The approvals allow Signature TechnicAir’s Bournemouth, UK MRO facility to extend its base maintenance offerings to include small to medium-size base maintenance inputs and out-of-phase items up to and including low/high-usage 24-month inspections, as well as at intervals of 2,000 flight hours and 1,000 flight cycles. At Signature TechnicAir’s Farnborough and London Luton, UK line stations, they can provide low/high-usage six-month inspections and out-of-phase items, which will eliminate the need for customers to reposition their aircraft to a base maintenance facility.
Further, Signature TechnicAir has been approved to add the Phenom 300 to its line maintenance approvals, enabling operators of these light jets to request line maintenance and AOG support on their aircraft from Signature TechnicAir’s mobile maintenance vehicles at any UK airport.
NBAA has launched a new coalition that aims to bring together leaders of business aircraft owner-pilot organizations to tackle top concerns for business aviators and explore opportunities to grow the owner-operator community. Dubbed the NBAA Owner Pilot Association Coalition (NBAA OPAC), the new group’s priorities include enhancing operator safety, finding ways to address insurance coverage and costs, developing initiatives to drive owner-pilot associations’ member acquisition and retention, and redoubling NBAA’s focus on the value of its events for owner-operators.
“NBAA is about serving all entrepreneurs and companies using an aircraft for business, including owner-pilots,” said NBAA senior v-p of strategy, marketing, and innovation Andrew Broom. “This grassroots coalition will connect the best thinking to concrete action to address owner-operators’ unique challenges, and also optimize the many ways aviation can support their business needs.”
A starter group of representatives from several owner-pilot groups are advising the association on NBAA OPAC, including leaders from Cirrus Vision Pilots and Owners, Citation Jet Pilots Association, Embraer Jet Operators Association, Malibu M-Class Owner and Pilot Association, and TBM Owner Pilot Association.
Pula Aviation Services Limited (PASL) has acquired UK-based aircraft spare parts distributor Airpart Supply in a deal that will expand the services the Guernsey-based company provides. Those services include aircraft charter and management, handling, maintenance, and parts sales within the business, commercial, and general aviation markets.
Nearly 40-year-old Airpart is a distributor of airframe and engine parts and accessories for civil, commercial, and military aircraft. “At PASL, we are focused on growing our position in business aviation and we are delighted to be broadening our capabilities with the acquisition of Airpart, which has valuable synergies with the rest of the group,” said PASL CEO Steve Page. “This deal presents us with exciting new opportunities for growth.”
Under the acquisition, Airpart founders David McHugh and Rob Allen will remain with the company in leadership positions. “It is clear both companies share the same culture, ethos, and approach to business,” McHugh said. “This new structure will allow Airpart to take full advantage of the opportunities ahead. We are excited to be able to accelerate several current projects, including an increased presence in the European mainland.”
Foreign and domestic operators of certain large aircraft flying under Part 91 or 135 to airports in the EU will need to register on EASA’s new environmental portal by March 31. The requirement applies to aircraft with mtows of 75,000 pounds or more, or aircraft with 19 passenger seats or more.
Operators must submit the noise data pertaining to their specific serial-numbered airframe. There are two options for submitting the information: stand-alone noise certificates issued by the state of registry or copies of relevant pages from the airplane’s flight manual (AFM). Since the FAA doesn’t currently issue stand-alone certificates, that leaves only the second option for U.S.-registered aircraft.
For either option, “Make sure you also carry this information onboard in case you win yourself a ramp check,” noted international aviation information provider OpsGroup.
The pages from the AFM must provide the following information: aircraft registration, serial number, engine make and model, mtow and mlw, airworthiness certificate, and the Part 36 stage level applicable to the noise levels shown.
This requirement is similar but different from the third country operator (TCO) requirements. “The EU nominated EASA to be the responsible authority tasked with collecting this information into a separate database,” said OpsGroup.
Texas-based avionics services specialist L2 Aviation has entered a strategic agreement with Global Aerospace Design Corp. and opened an office in Cincinnati, Ohio, where Global Aerospace is headquartered. Global Aerospace provides aircraft integration and certification services to MROs, OEMs, and aircraft owners.
The agreement allows both companies to expand their services. It also provides L2 with the ability to tap into Global Aerospace’s shortened design and certification cycles. “By adding Global combined with the opening of an office in Cincinnati, we have expanded our ability to exceed customer expectations and expand our capabilities,” said L2 president and CEO Mark Lebovitz.
Headquartered in Austin, L2 provides global aircraft modification support services for commercial, government, military, and business aviation with a specialization in complex avionics and aircraft interiors. Additionally, L2 offers remote avionics modification services (RAMS) teams to customers who are AOG or prefer to not relocate their airplanes for upgrades or repairs.
Next month, Honeywell plans to release the Forge Pilot Connect mobile app, which is designed to improve fuel savings, provide enhanced situational awareness, and increase crew interaction throughout a flight. Pilot Connect integrates with Honeywell Forge Flight Efficiency to offer improved insights and recommendations for flight cost-effectiveness and reduction of carbon emissions.
Honeywell’s Forge end-to-end flight management platform is designed to provide operators with a holistic approach to managing a flight integrating functions from connectivity to flight operations, navigation databases, and maintenance.
“The existing mobile app, formerly known as GoDirect Fuel Efficiency, allows flight efficiency managers to export dashboards from the data analytics portal to a mobile device. While this approach provides flexibility and customization, there is now an increasing need for the data insights to be presented in a more interactive manner that is aligned with the practical and immediate needs of the pilots,” said Honeywell Aerospace president of services and connectivity Philippe Chevrier. “Additionally, our fully customizable Honeywell Forge Pilot Connect mobile app will not only include all of the features and functionalities of the existing app but will also incorporate several new advanced enhancements to improve pilot engagement.”
Private equity firm New State Capital Partners has named leadership for its newly created holding company—New State Aviation Holdings—and anchor investment Avex, an authorized distributor and recommended service center of Daher TBM turboprops in the Southwest U.S.
Chad Cundiff will assume the role of CEO with Claude Draillard serving as chief financial officer of Avex and New State Aviation Holdings. Cundiff, an ATP-rated pilot, has 25 years of experience as an aerospace executive and manager including at Boeing and Honeywell Aerospace. He most recently was president of Astronautics Corp. of America. Draillard’s previous experience includes more than 22 years at Dassault Aviation, rising to CFO of Dassault Falcon Jet, and v-p of finance for Honda Aircraft.
“Establishing the senior executive team is the first step in growing our aviation-focused platform,” said New State Capital senior partner Daniel Han. “We are pleased to welcome Chad and Claude to their new leadership roles and believe their aviation and management experience will prove invaluable as New State Aviation Holdings seeks to expand both organically and through acquisitions.”
Requires inspecting the collective bellcrank-K to determine ifit is correctly installed and hasa correct position marking, as well as making any necessary corrections. Prompted by report that acollective bellcrank-K was found incorrectly installed on a helicopter.
Requires replacing each affectedemergency flashlight with a serviceable part. Prompted by a report ofrestricted collectivelever movement caused by entanglement of the emergency flashlight strapwiththe cargo hook emergency release lever, causing the emergencyflashlight to leave its seat.
Requires inspecting the tail boom at the VHF antenna attachments and, depending on the results, repairing or modifying the tail boom skin. Prompted by a report of corrosion found on the external tail boom skin under the VHF antenna.
Requires an inspection to verify conformity, and replacement if necessary, of certain tail rotor blades (TRB). Prompted by a report of geometrical non-conformities in the TRB root section discovered during an accident investigation of an EC130B helicopter. Due to the similarity of design and production requirements, certain TRBs for the EC120B were inspected and geometrical non-conformities were also found.
Requires replacing affected GPS receivers and prohibits installing those GPS receivers. Prompted by reports that certain Thales GPS receivers provided, under certain conditions, erroneous outputs on aircraft positions.
Requires installing a placard in the cockpit, in full view of the pilots; a functional check of the main rotor and tail rotor servo actuator solenoids and any necessary corrective actions; a modification, unless already done; and, after corrective actions or modification, optional removal of the placard. Prompted by a report that a modification of the electrical wiring of the hydraulic system was incorrectly done on certain helicopters, and a wiring non-conformity caused the solenoid of the tail rotor load compensator to de-energize when the “HYD” cutoff switch was activated.
Requires determining whether certain oil and fuel check valves are installed, visually inspecting the oil and fuel check valves for any cracks, and, depending on the inspection results, removing certain parts from service. AD also requires removing affected parts from service and installing serviceable parts, and prohibits the installation of affected parts. Prompted by a report that certain oil and fuel check valves are susceptible to cracking.
Requires revising the non-normal procedures section of the airplane flight manual associated with the spoiler electronic control unit EICAS messages. Prompted by a report that the design of the spoiler control system causes certain EICAS messages to be posted intermittently and repetitively during flight and on the ground, and flight crews must action the appropriate checklist each time these messages appear.
Model(s): Passport 20-17BB1A, -18BB1A, and -19BB1A
Published: February 14, 2022
Effective: March 21, 2022
Requires revising the airworthiness limitations section of the maintenance manual and the operator's existing approved continuous airworthiness maintenance program to incorporate a reduced life limit for certain high-pressure turbine rotor stage 1 disks. Prompted by a report of a manufacturing quality escape that requires a reduction to the life limit of certain high-pressure turbine rotor stage 1 disks.
Supersedes but retains requirements of 2014-21-03, which mandated repetitively inspecting the yaw control damper support attachment points for a crack, and adds a new requirement to install an improved support.
Requires repetitive inspections of the angular clearances of the tail gearbox (TGB) and, depending on the findings, replacement of the TGB with a serviceable unit. Prompted by a report of loss of tightening torque on the nut that attaches the TGB bevel wheel.
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