Video

Cirrus Now Owned by Chinese Investors - So What?

Submitted by Jason on Fri, 04/22/2011 - 11:00

As mentioned in a Cirrus Press Release and on AVweb, a Chinese company called China Aviation Industry General Aircraft Co., Ltd. (CAIGA) purchased Cirrus Industries Inc. at the end of February. There have been some mixed feelings about this deal, and we're still waiting to see if it's going to cause any major changes in the company.

Footage of Sikorsky X2 Setting 260kt Speed Record

Submitted by Jason on Sun, 01/16/2011 - 18:14

Jud just pointed me to this video...official footage from Sikorsky of their X2 technology demonstrator setting a record speed of more than 260 knots in a helicopter. The video quality is great and it's interesting to hear the actual cockpit communications and see the cockpit cameras.

Turbine STOL CH 701

Submitted by Jason on Sun, 01/16/2011 - 11:42

If you're anything like me, this project is probably a little beyond the abilities of the average AviationBull fan. However, it's such a fun idea that I can't resist posting it. This is a video of Scott Ehni's CH 701 equipped with a Garrett JFS 100-13A Turboshaft engine.

Iran Unveils First Squadrons of Ground Effect Vehicles

Submitted by Jason on Fri, 10/15/2010 - 18:58

The EAA just posted an article containing this video. It's about a new type of amphibious aircraft that Iran has just introduced into service. The aircraft are designed to fly in ground effect though, as you can see in the video, they can climb to higher altitudes. It's definitely a unique aircraft and it'll be interesting to see how they employ it. The ground effect vehicle (GEV) is called the Bavar 2.

VSS Enterprise Makes First Glide

Submitted by Jason on Wed, 10/13/2010 - 12:25

Chris Christiansen: Homebuilt Hero

Submitted by Jason on Wed, 10/06/2010 - 17:19

I'd love to build my own airplane. The performance, efficiency and fun available with experimental aircraft seems to double or triple what's available in the certified aircraft market at equivalent prices. The avionics (like Dynon's new Skyview system) do practically everything the most expensive stuff from Garmin or Avidyne at a fraction of the price. What's holding me back? Time and expertise. At least, that's what I've always told myself..."I'm just too busy to build the aircraft of my dreams and enjoy amazing flying..."

For better or for worse, Chris Christiansen just blew that argument out of the water.

X2 vs X3 vs V-22: Battle of the High-Speed Helicopters

Submitted by Jason on Sat, 10/02/2010 - 06:50

One thing a pilot can never get enough of is speed. With airplanes and rockets, you can get about as much speed as you want...as long as your bank account is fat enough. With helicopters though, there has been an upper limit...until now.

Retreating rotor stall happens at the point where the vehicle is moving forward faster than the rotor is spinning. It causes all kinds of problems and has limited the top speed of helicopters for years. (See DynamicFlight.com for a good discussion of the phenomenon.)

Several companies have been working on ways to overcome this limitation and get faster helicopters. The first one to hit full production was Boeing's V-22 Osprey. It rotates the rotors so that they'll act more like propellers. It's a decent solution, but it involves a lot of moving parts...including rotating a pair of huge turboprop engines 90+ degrees. Other companies have other ideas.

Will Klapmeier and Kestrel Become the Next Cirrus?

Submitted by Jason on Wed, 08/25/2010 - 19:00

I don't think anyone can argue that Cirrus co-founder Alan Klapmeier is an aviation genius. He started an airplane making company from scratch that with only two main models has dominated the piston single market for years. That company is currently working on a very promising VLJ prospect with several hundred pre-orders. Though Klapmeier is no longer with Cirrus, they are still going strong. The Duluth News Tribune mentioned Monday that Cirrus sales are up 5% this year. That's a stark contrast to sales being down overall worldwide.

Klapmeier came up with a great product and had the vision and leadership to bring it to market. Now, he's set his sights on a new aircraft: the Kestrel. This 6-place composite turboprop is a great next step for an SR22 owner and boasts performance numbers that beat a major competitor, the Socata TBM-850, and threaten to leave most of the VLJ fleet in the dust. It looks like this aviation genius has another great product and is posed to turn Kestrel Aircraft Company into the next Cirrus.

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