Eviation’s Alice To Fly This Year

Four years ago, Eviation Aircraft CEO Omer Bar-Yohay introduced the all-electric Alice, a nine-seat, all-composite aircraft targeting the short-range regional airline market. Now, the full-scale prototype Alice is at the Paris Air Show and Israel-based Eviation has secured a “double-digit” order for the $4 million airplane from U.S. regional airline Cape Air. 

“When we started in 2015,” Bar-Yohay said, “we were written off as delusional at best.” At the time, he promised to bring the full-scale Alice to Paris 2019. “This is the pinnacle of an insanely long effort,” he said.

Alice is equipped with three 260-kW Siemens electric motors fitted with Hartzell variable-pitch propellers, with one on each wingtip and one fitted to the tail. The prototype brought to Paris has a completed interior, BendixKing AeroVue avionics suite, and Honeywell’s new lightweight fly-by-wire flight control system. 

Alice's lithium-ion batteries weigh 8,200 pounds, which is 60 percent of the airplane’s 14,000-pound mtow. Performance of the Alice as a regional airliner includes range, with 45-minute reserve, of 565 nm and 240-knot cruise speed at 10,000 feet. The concept, from the beginning, was to develop an airplane that small regional airlines could use for trips that are just too expensive in larger turbine-power airplanes, including serving smaller airports where most airlines can’t cost-effectively operate.

First flight of the Alice is planned by the end of this year.

FAA Publishes Cirrus Vision Jet AD

In response to three recent in-flight incidents that resulted in the grounding of the Cirrus SF50 fleet, the FAA has published a new airworthiness directive for the Cirrus SF50 light jet, reinforcing the emergency AD issued in April.

To address the instances of engagement of the single-engine jet’s stall warning and protection system (SWPS) and/or the electronic stability and protection (ESP), even in cases when sufficient airspeed and proper angle of attack (AOA) existed for normal flight, the AD reiterates the agency’s mandated replacement of its AOA sensors with improved AOA sensors.

The airframer and AOA sensor manufacturer Aerosonic identified the probable root cause of the problem as an AOA sensor malfunction due to “a quality escape in the assembly of the AoA sensor [part number 4677-03] at Aerosonic.” Cirrus issued a service bulletin with instructions for replacing the suspect sensor.

As the agency found that the condition presented an immediate danger to pilots and passengers of the jet when it issued the emergency AD, it waived the usual notice and comment period. As the conditions still exist, the FAA adopted the new AD without prior opportunity for public comment, but for those wishing to do so, any such comments must be received by August 1.

Constant Aviation Receives Brazilian Mx Nod

Cleveland, Ohio-based MRO provider Constant Aviation has added to its list of international approvals after receiving certification from ANAC, Brazil’s civil aviation authority, to conduct maintenance support for Brazil-registered aircraft. In addition to airframe, avionics, and engine maintenance, the company is approved to conduct non-destructive testing.

According to the company, the certification process entailed onsite audit and inspections from Brazilian authorities, Portuguese language versions of specified manuals as well as staff members fluent in the language who could serve as interpreters for customers. Along with Cleveland, Constant also has facilities in Mesa, Arizona; Las Vegas, and Orlando, Florida.

“Certainly, the proximity of our Florida location to South America opens additional opportunities for us to welcome international clients,” said Stephen Maiden, Constant’s president and CEO. “Our network of facilities across the United States has experience working with international authorities including TCCA, DGAC, and EASA.”

MRO Urges Operators To Mind the (Z) Gap

Dallas Airmotive is reminding operators of Bombardier 300-series Challengers, Gulfstream G280s, and Embraer Legacy 450/500 twinjets that it's time to have the Z-gap on their LPT2 rotor blades inspected, if it's been more than 4,000 hours since the last borescope inspection on their HTF7000 engines. Engine OEM Honeywell issued a service bulletin in 2017, stating that there is a possibility on high-time engines for the blades on the second stage low-pressure turbine to separate, leading to vibration and potential damage to that engine section.

To avoid this, the engine maker instructed operators to review the Z-gap once the powerplant exceeds 4,000 to 4,200 hours. If the blades pass the inspection, they can remain in service until the next scheduled inspection. If not, Honeywell’s Special Pricing Notice SPN #02 will offer discount pricing if replacement blades are required. For Honeywell MSP plan holders, this repair is covered.

According to Dallas Airmotive, its field service representatives can perform the required inspection on-wing, and if replacement blades are required, can have the aircraft back in service within a week. For engines not covered by MSP, the MRO provider will offer a special rate for the inspection and repair.

Pilot in Break-up Flight Not Instrument Rated

The private pilot and owner of a turboprop-converted Piper PA 46-350P that broke up in flight following an encounter with weather in IMC had filed a Part 91 IFR flight plan, although he did not hold an instrument rating, according to the NTSB preliminary report on the June 7 accident near Castalia, North Carolina. The private pilot-passenger in the copilot seat was instrument rated, but he had not logged any actual instrument time or instrument approaches during the 12 months before the accident. All four occupants perished.

Preliminary ATC data indicates the aircraft was on a northeasterly ground track at FL270 when the pilot reported that they were entering an area of rain. The airplane was then observed climbing to FL273, “followed by a rapidly descending right turn and loss of radio and radar contact,” said the preliminary report. ATC weather radar showed that the airplane was near heavy rain and thunderstorms at the time of the accident.

The airplane was manufactured in 2007. In 2017, the original reciprocating engine was removed and a Pratt & Whitney PT6A-35 turboprop engine was installed per a JetProp STC. An annual inspection was completed on April 29. Total time on the airframe was 1,449 hours and the engine had accumulated 226 hours in service since new.

EASA OKs Safran Arrano Engine For Airbus Helicopters’ H160

Safran Helicopter Engines has received EASA type certification for its new Arrano 1A engine that is powering Airbus Helicopters’ new H160 medium twin. The Arrano is a new-generation engine designed to power four- to six-tonne helicopters and produce between 1,100 and 1,300 shp. Engine features include new-generation digital controls and an efficient two-stage compressor with new variable inlet guide vanes (IGV).

The components improve engine thermal efficiency and yield a fuel burn that is up to 15 percent lower than comparable in-service engines, Safran said. The gyratory combustion chamber uses fuel injectors made using additive manufacturing techniques (3D printing). The Arrano 1A was designed to be more easily serviced and maintenance time required is half of that of previous generation engines according to Safran. The company offers operators complimentary services with the engine including its electronic engine logbook (BOOST) and health monitoring.

Arrano program director Cyrille Ressejac-Duparc said the new engine “features low operational and support costs, easy maintenance, and a lower environmental footprint. After a test campaign of 10,000 hours, including 2,000 in flight, we are now ready to support H160 entry-into-service.” The Arrano first flew on the H160 in 2016. 

Dallas Airmotive Joins Online Marketplace

Engine support specialist Dallas Airmotive is the latest aviation maintenance provider to join online repair quote marketplace MRO Insider. The online tool, which is free for aircraft owners and operators, allows users to post their aircraft maintenance needs on the site, which automatically notifies qualified subscriber service facilities. Those shops can then upload a price quote for the work.

Dallas Airmotive represents the second international MRO to subscribe to the service, bringing its 11 locations throughout North America, South America, Europe, Africa, and Asia.

“Adding Dallas Airmotive to our network allows us to continue to expand the resources available to our growing list of more than 600 registered corporate aircraft,” said Andy Nixon, MRO Insider co-founder and vice president of sales. “Despite having a handful of engine maintenance providers already subscribed, we hope to really begin to ramp up the number of engine and APU work being requested through the site, especially the TFE731, JT15D, and PW300/PW500 lines.”

Meggitt Wins Work On Cessna Denali, SkyCourier

Meggitt has been awarded a multimillion-dollar contract to provide the fire-protection systems on Textron Aviation’s new Cessna Denali single-engine turboprop and 408 SkyCourier utility twin turboprop, the UK-based aircraft supplier announced yesterday. “Meggitt has a longstanding relationship with Textron and we value the trust they have placed in us to deliver world-class fire-protection systems,” Meggitt Airframe Systems president Chris Allen said.

Deliveries of the fire-control systems are expected to begin later this year, according to Meggitt. A supplier to the aerospace, defense, and energy industries, Meggitt has expertise in advanced composites, avionics, and braking, engine, fuel and safety systems.

Both the Denali and SkyCourier are expected to make their first flights this year. FedEx is the SkyCourier’s launch customer with an order for up to 100 of the high-wing aircraft that the Wichita-based airframer announced in November 2017. FedEx officials said at the time of the announcement the SkyCourier would replace some of the Cessna Caravans and ATR turboprops in the package delivery company’s fleet.