Breaking News

31.07.2010 2:00

Oma Sud Skycar Debuts At AirVenture

Despite the name, the Skycar is not trying to be a flying car -- it's an all-new twin-pusher GA utility aircraft now being manufactured by the Italian company Oma Sud. The multipurpose airplane can be equipped for executive use, medevac, or cargo, company President Valter Proietti said at EAA AirVenture on Tuesday. Oma Sud has been a subcontractor for other aviation companies such as Boeing and Airbus for about 30 years, and the Skycar is its first venture into producing an airplane of its own. "It has Italian style," said Proietti, "and it's simple to fly." The airplane is EASA certified and the company hopes to have FAA certification in hand by the end of this year. For the U.S. market, they are based in an office at Miami International Airport. The price is set at about $975,000. [Read more]

31.07.2010 2:00

Jeppesen Dips Toe Into Social Media, Might Swim

There's a new iPad app, and it's from Jeppesen ... which you can now also find on Facebook in the form of its JeppDirect page, and both are new to the world as of this week. They're calling the iPad app "Jeppesen Mobile TC." The "TC" stands for terminal charts. The app allows users to view and search terminal charts and interact with them using tools like "favorites." It's available to JeppView electronic navigation charting service subscription customers at no additional charge. As a first mobile media offering, Jeppesen plans to use feedback from Mobile TC users as a development guide for future mobile applications, which they say we should expect. Meanwhile, on Facebook, Jeppesen also unveiled its JeppDirect page, which supports its JeppDirect.com product sales website by sharing promotions and community experiences. [Read more]

31.07.2010 2:00

Austro Engine Update

Diamond Aircraft says its in-house diesel engine, the Austro, is performing as expected after about a year in service and fleet life of about 11,000 hours. In a podcast interview with AVweb at EAA AirVenture Thursday, Ken Shaelkin, Diamond's director of customer support, said there are 132 engines in service and many have gone through the 300-hour inspection of the flywheel, alternator and high-pressure pump. He said all components are behaving and wearing as expected and customers are reporting no problems with the engines. The highest-time engines have almost 500 hours on them and that's another maintenance interval. [Read more]

31.07.2010 2:00

Roush-Shelby Mustang Raises $375,000

It may be an aviation event but a car stole the show at the Gathering of Eagles fundraiser at AirVenture Oshkosh 2010 Thursday. The Ford SR-71 Mustang, the first-ever collaboration between NASCAR owner Jack Roush and the legendary Carroll Shelby, raised $375,000 for Young Eagles at auction. The car is, of course, an instant collectible and was purchased by an unidentified buyer from Texas. The sale was made more poignant by the crash of Roush's Premier 1 in a landing accident at Wittman Field on Tuesday. [Read more]

31.07.2010 2:00

Cluster Balloonist Launches From AirVenture

Jonathan Trappe, a certificated balloon pilot who has redefined the concept of lawn-chair-small-balloon flying, launched from EAA's AirVenture grounds on Thursday evening in his cluster balloon system with the aim to probably fly all night long. As of 10 p.m. Thursday night, he had crossed Lake Winnebago and was tracking southeast, making about 7 mph at 6,919 feet, according to the track displayed on his website. Trappe crossed the English Channel in his rig in May, and has the process of inflating, assembling and flying his aircraft down to a science. AVweb was there as he prepared to launch on Thursday afternoon, and we will have a video later in the week. [Read more]

31.07.2010 2:00

Why Wait? Eclipse Jets Ready To Fly Home

"We'll take other airplanes as trade-ins -- and if a customer has a deposit on another jet, we'll take that in trade, too," Eclipse Aerospace President Mason Holland told AVweb at EAA AirVenture on Thursday. Holland flew into the show in his own Eclipse jet, but it was parked off the field at an FBO -- quite a different kind of presence from the original Eclipse company, which occupied a sprawling space right in the center of the show. Holland is selling what he calls the Total Eclipse, refurbished and upgraded lightly used jets from the original fleet of 260 airplanes. "Forty percent of the fleet has been upgraded now," Holland said, in just 10 months of operation. He has hired 145 staffers in Albuquerque and plans to re-start production as soon as the market demand returns. [Read more]

31.07.2010 2:00

Photos from EAA AirVenture 2010: Air Shows!

Click for more photosSo what did Mariano and Adam get up to today? They seem to have stayed out of trouble by taking in the afternoon air show (and, we'd wager, probably a few bratwursts). [Read more]

31.07.2010 2:00

The Skycar: A Five-Seater with a Hatchback

Oma Sud, an Italian aircraft company that builds parts for the likes of Airbus, has it's own unusual new twin. AVweb's Mary Grady took a closer look at EAA Airventure Oshkosh.This video is brought to you by Bose Corporation and WxWorx XM WX Satellite Weather. [Read more]