Textron Aviation Realigns Denali under Beechcraft Brand
Textron Aviation’s new Denali turboprop single will no longer be branded under Cessna as the company realigns the program. Now known as the Beechcraft Denali, the aircraft will join the Beechcraft King Air 260 and 360/360ER as part of Textron Aviation’s high-performance turboprop product lineup.
“The Beechcraft Denali represents our continued strategy to invest in clean-sheet and current products in both our Beechcraft and Cessna iconic brands. Beechcraft turboprops are renowned for their versatility and reliability, and the single-engine Denali is a perfect complement to this legendary family of products,” said Textron Aviation president and CEO Ron Draper.
Meanwhile, the Denali development program has recently achieved several milestones as it continues to gain momentum toward an anticipated first flight later this year. Earlier this month, the first GE Aviation Catalyst engine was installed on the Beechcraft Denali prototype and the aircraft was powered on for the first time. Engine runs are expected to start next month. To date, the Catalyst engine has completed more than 2,300 hours of ground testing and will soon be flown on a King Air testbed.
Two other Denali flight-test articles are also in development, and three additional ground-test articles will be used for the airframe static and fatigue tests, as well as for cabin interior development and testing. FAA certification of the Denali is anticipated in 2023.
FAA OKs QTA’s Composite Inlet for Gulfstream G350/450
A carbon-fiber engine inlet replacement barrel from Quiet Technology Aerospace (QTA) has been STC’d for the Gulfstream G350 and G450, marking the eighth airframe to be FAA STC approved for its inlet corrosion solution. This STC offers the only terminating action currently available for aluminum engine inlet cowl inner barrel corrosion on the G350/450’s Rolls-Royce Tay 611-8C turbofans, the company said.
QTA’s solution replaces the aluminum inner barrel with a composite barrel that not only eliminates the root cause of the corrosion issue but also results in a weight savings of 30 pounds per inlet. It comes with a lifetime warranty that remains with the aircraft’s serial number and transfers to any future owner.
To minimize aircraft downtime, QTA offers a guaranteed fixed-price inlet exchange program that keeps aircraft in operation. For operators undergoing a major inspection, QTA can also upgrade a complete set of inlet cowls for the customer’s aircraft in four weeks.
Other models currently STC’d for QTA’s carbon-fiber inner barrel replacement program are the Bombardier Learjet 60 and Challenger 300/350; Gulfstream G200 and G280; Hawker 1000; Dassault Falcon 2000LX/EX; and Embraer Legacy 450/500 and Praetor 500/600. The company has installed more than 250 inlet barrels on these aircraft models since it started the program in 2015.
Embraer Deliveries Rebound To 34 in Q2
Embraer is continuing to see a rebound in deliveries, handing over 34 executive and commercial jets in the second quarter. This was double the 17 deliveries the Brazilian manufacturer reported a year ago when the pandemic had shuttered most of international travel and also exceeded 2019’s second-quarter shipment tally of 26 aircraft.
Executive jet shipments jumped from 13 a year ago to 20 in the most recent quarter, propelled by a boost in Praetor deliveries from three in second-quarter 2020 (one Praetor 500 and two 600s) to eight in the same span this year (three 500s and five 600s). Phenom 300 deliveries also strengthened in the second quarter to 11, compared with seven a year ago. In all, Embraer delivered 12 light jets and eight large jets in the second quarter.
For the first half of the year, executive jet deliveries increased to 33, compared with 22 a year ago. Light aircraft deliveries rose from 14 in the first six months of 2020 to 22 this year, while large jets climbed from eight to 11 year-over-year.
Backlog has returned to pre-pandemic levels, reaching $15.9 billion by the end of June, Embraer reported. This is up $500 million from a year ago.
Epic Aircraft has tapped Broadie’s Aircraft at Fort Worth Meacham International Airport (KFTW) as its authorized service center for the central southwest region of the U.S. Founded in 1946, Broadie’s Aircraft is a Part 145 shop that offers turbofan, turboprop, and piston aircraft maintenance and avionics services and repair.
Under the authorization with the Bend, Oregon-based airframer, Broadie’s Aircraft will be able to support the Epic E1000, newly certified E1000 GX, and legacy experimental Epic LT with inspection, maintenance, and repair services.
“Broadie’s Aircraft’s highly skilled and experienced staff, combined with their reputation for integrity and excellence, make them an ideal partner to support our customers,” said Epic CEO Doug King. “As Broadie’s Aircraft celebrates its 75th anniversary, we are pleased to be aligned with Epic Aircraft,” added Broadie’s Aircraft general manager Kurt Cessac.
Meanwhile, Epic is finalizing agreements with additional service center partners to establish a nationwide service network that will span all U.S. time zones and strategic geographies.
Canada To Relax Covid-related Border Restrictions
The Canadian government is further opening its borders to fully vaccinated U.S. travelers to enter the country beginning August 9, calling the move a “first step” before permitting entry to other international travelers on September 7.
Travelers must have completed a full course of vaccination with a Canadian government-approved vaccine at least 14 days before entering and must use the ArriveCAN portal to submit travel information. Eligible travelers then would not have to quarantine upon arrival. Passengers are still required to have a negative Covid-19 molecular test result before arrival but will need a post-arrival test only if randomly selected. The mandatory testing requirements remain unchanged and other restrictions remain in place for unvaccinated travelers. Currently, only essential travelers are permitted to cross the border. Crews are already exempt from testing and quarantine rules.
Transport Canada is expanding its Notam that currently directs scheduled international commercial passenger flights into Montréal-Trudeau, Toronto Pearson, Calgary, and Vancouver airports. As of August 9, international flights will also be permitted at Halifax Stanfield, Québec City, Ottawa, Winnipeg, and Edmonton. However, the government advised residents to avoid non-essential travel outside Canada.
Embraer Legacy 600 and 650 owners and operators will now have fewer routine maintenance tasks to perform in less than 12-month intervals because of analysis of fleet data, as well as a review of original MSG-3 analysis and application of optimization process, the Brazilian airframer told AIN.
Among the maintenance tasks that can now be done at 12 months are the operational checks of the nosewheel steering system disengage and air-ground system. Not included are “out-of-phase tasks” such as a general visual inspection of the first-aid kit and operational check of anti-icing system messages, which still need to be accomplished at their specific intervals. However, Embraer officials noted that some of the out-of-phase tasks can be accomplished by a certified mechanic at the owner/operator’s base with the required resources, which will increase aircraft availability and reduce maintenance and operating costs.
The worldwide fleet totals 265 aircraft—157 Legacy 600s and 108 Legacy 650s, according to Embraer. “The improvement [that] was submitted to and approved by the aeronautical authorities…reinforces Embraer’s commitment in providing continuous maintenance programs improvement to the customers and operators as an after-sales support, including out-of-production products,” said Embraer Services & Support v-p of technical services and product support Sérgio Cunha.
Transport Canada Revises ADS-B Advisory Circular
New Transport Canada Advisory Circular 700-009 Issue 03 removes all previous coverage of airworthiness and special authorization requirements for the installation and approval of ADS-B avionics and associated equipment. Instead, Issue 3 focuses on enhanced guidance material applicable to ADS-B operational and maintenance considerations.
Airworthiness and installation considerations previously found in Issue 02 will appear in a forthcoming AC, although Transport Canada did not provide a timeline on when that would be published. Additionally, appendices have been added in the new AC to assist operators in understanding various requirements for the safe operation of ADS-B-equipped aircraft. While the requirements needed to obtain special authorizations (SAs) have been removed, there has yet to be any indication of where SA information will be published.
Meanwhile, the ADS-B mandate in Canada has been under an indefinite suspension since November 2019. It was originally slated to begin in February 2021 but was placed on hold in response to stakeholder feedback. According to Nav Canada, the postponement of the mandate will allow the ATC management organization to develop a regulatory framework with Transport Canada, as well as provide additional time for the equipment certification process associated with antenna diversity requirements.
Bell, Jet Aviation Stand Up New Australian Rotor Repair Shop
Bell has named RBI Hawker Australia as a Bell Customer Service Facility, making it the fifth maintenance provider in the country so designated.
Based in the Brisbane suburb of Eagle Farm, RBI Hawker Australia, a joint venture between Jet Aviation-owned Hawker Pacific Airservices and Bell, will provide rotor blade repair for all Bell models, as well as for the Leonardo AW139 and AW109 series. The company recently received its Part 145 maintenance organization approval from the Australian Civil Aviation Authority (CASA) for its new 10,860-sq-ft (1,000-sq-m) facility.
“Today’s announcement demonstrates Bell and Jet Aviation’s commitment to continually expand service offerings in the region and contribute to Australian sovereign capability with advanced blade repair capabilities in-country,” said Chris Schaefer, the helicopter manufacturer’s director of international support and service. “Through our long and successful relationship with Jet Aviation on international helicopter aftermarket support, I am confident that RBI Hawker Australia will be successful in providing our Asia-Pacific customers industry-leading rotary repair services."
Requires the replacement of certain Fadec B digital engine control units. Prompted by reports of error messages on Fadec B digital engine control units caused by blistering of the varnish on the digital engine control unit circuit board.
Requires a one-time inspection and cleaning of the indicating/recording systems control unit affected parts and, for other helicopters, repetitive inspections and cleaning of the affected parts, as well as any necessary corrective action(s). This AD also includes requirements for (re)installation of affected parts. Prompted by report of a strong burning smell followed by smoke in the cockpit during flight of an EC130B4. An investigation determined that the root cause of this event was a short circuit inside the control unit due to the presence of foreign object damage and/or dust.
Supersedes but retains the requirements of EASA AD 2017-0125, which mandated repetitive inspections of the tail gearbox oil level and magnetic plug after double bearing replacement, as well as replacement of the tail gearbox pitch control rod bearing with a serviceable part. Updated AD requires inspection of the tail gearbox magnetic plug at reduced intervals and, depending on findings, using new criteria, accomplishment of applicable corrective action(s). This AD also extends the calendar time limit for replacement of affected parts, and amends the applicability by removing reference to SA366G1 helicopters.
Supersedes but retains certain requirements of AD 2011-18-52, which mandated revising the life limit for certain part-numbered tail rotor blades, updating the helicopter's historical records, repetitively inspecting each tail rotor blade for a crack or damage, and, depending on the results, replacing the tail rotor blade. Updated AD revises certain requirements from AD 2011-18-52 and expands the applicability to include newly-designed tail rotor blades. Prompted by the manufacturer developing improved tail rotor blades using different materials and establishing life limits for each improved blade.
Requires revising the airplane flight manual and applicable corresponding operational procedures to update the flight management system limitations. Prompted by a report that certain airplanes have navigation units with outdated magnetic variation tables.
Requires measuring the 9-degree frame flange for the correct edge distance of the four attachment holes for the stretcher support and inspecting for cracks; repairing the frame, if necessary; and installation of a reinforcement plate. Prompted by a quality control check that revealed some stretcher attachment holes were improperly located on the frame where there was insufficient edge distance.
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