The bushplane was not at AirVenture in part because the flight testing is still ongoing. Van’s engineering staff, which was recently split into development and quality-assurance arms, has focused on other projects but has been back to flying the engineering prototype RV-15 since April. The aircraft is expected to get the team’s full attention this summer.

• READ MORE: The Evolution of Van’s Aircraft

Right now, the team is planning to test a number of different configurations on the existing airframe, including a smaller wing of about 160 square feet—the current wing is 172 square feet. Because the existing airplane has very good low-speed capabilities, the goal is to trade some of that for a bit of cruise speed, though Rian Johnson, Van’s head of development engineering, says the company is happy with the speed it has now.

Of course, reducing wingspan, which is how they intend to make the change, will require balancing aileron and flap areas and may call for other control-system changes to maintain the handling balance they now have (and like).

• READ MORE: Van’s RV-15 Prototype Progressing Through Development

The engineers have been tweaking the tail feathers, including changes to the stabilator’s anti-servo tab gearing and other details. One of the current tests involves a mechanism that doesn’t fit inside the tailcone, so it’s outside as a proof of concept. Van’s didn’t necessarily want to show it off in this configuration. Johnson noted that it plans to test a conventional tail as well, one that’s close to but not exactly like an RV-10’s.

As previously mentioned, a new fuselage will be built that moves the wing aft 4 inches and subtly tweaks the relationship of seat/wing/engine. The windshield will have more rake, giving the RV-15 a sleeker profile.

Johnson also said that there will be changes to the instrument panel, which was originally placed to help ensure good over-the-nose visibility. He noted that the current RV-15 has better visibility than even some nosewheel RVs, so the panel can get some ergonomic tweaks and not lose that view. It’s not expected that the company will change the powerplant, which is currently a Lycoming IO-390.

Editor’s Note: This article first appeared on Kitplanes.

The post Van’s RV-15 Production Pushed to Late 2025 appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Jack Poff, the founder of Shumway “Innernational” Airport (IL05) in Effingham, Illinois, hopes that the facility will still be used as an airport once it’s sold.

“Well, I sure hope we do get to sell it as an airport, because at the point it doesn’t sell that way, it’ll revert back to farm ground,” Poff said. “And that would absolutely break my heart. I can tell you that I put enough work, love, and TLC into this property that I would hate to see it be anything else.” 

To understand Poff’s attachment to the airport with the 2,338-foot grass runway, you have to look back at why it was built. In 2006, the construction professional by trade decided to find a piece of land suitable for a runway, following the reentrance into aviation after a long break.

“After I got married and started raising a family, I was out of aviation for quite a while,” Poff said. “But after my son was born, he started getting interested in remote control airplanes, and we joined a club here in the area. The fellow that owned the place where we flew the remote-controlled planes decided to sell the property, and it was no longer going to be available for us to use.”

Poff explained that flying remote control planes ultimately turned into flying fixed-wing aircraft again and the desire to own his own airport. That’s because the two had nowhere suitable for him and his son to fly. 

“Along the same time, I went up to EAA AirVenture [in Wisconsin] with my son, and we ended up over in the homebuilt section,” he said. “I had been out of aviation for a while, so I was asking some of the homebuilders what they would recommend, as far as planes to build. And they said, ‘definitely a Van’s.’ Within a year or so, I decided that we were going to start in on an RV-9A build.

“I bought the different kits to assemble and started working on them in my garage. It got to the point [in the build process] that I told my wife, ‘Now you’re going to have to start parking outside because I need more room to build my airplane.’ She told me that I was going to have to find somewhere else to build it. Along the same time, I was also looking for a place for the remote-control field. And then I thought, ‘Well, in for a penny, in for a pound. Why not go ahead and find enough property to have a full-scale runway?’” 

Poff started talking to a local farmer who, after some persuasion, was willing to part with some of his land. But it would take several acquisitions to piece enough parcels together to create a suitable landing site. He wound up with 37.72 acres, where he built a 5,200 square-foot hangar/shop and an attached 2,344 square-foot, three-bedroom apartment.

The airfield has served its purpose well. For nearly two decades, Poff has flown an RV-9A from it, albeit a different one than he purchased shortly after his first visit to Wittman Regional Airport in Oshkosh. He now believes that the time he spends mowing the airstrip will be better used toward finally finishing his nearly complete RV build.

“Sometime in the middle of doing all of the work last summer, I decided that I was spending an awful lot of time working on the airport and the runway,” he said. “But again, no time to spend on building the airplane, which now is going into its 20th year of construction. So, I’m getting really close, but I’m not done yet. I just want to finish it up. And frankly, after hosting fly-ins the last 15 or so years, I shouldn’t get all of the fun. Someone else should enjoy it.” 

Poff said that over 350 people and 65 aircraft attended the last fly-in the airstrip hosted in 2022. It included a pulled pork luncheon cooked by his wife, Darlene. 

“Before I decided to sell the airport, I decided to improve the runway,” he said. “There were a couple of places where it was a little bit rough and there were some different things that I wanted to do. I wanted to move it 10 feet farther to the north to give it more development potential. If you’re going to develop lots, you need all the extra space that you can get. So we decided to [do that on the south side of the runway]. The airport was closed during all of 2023, and we got the grass planted at just the right time. It really looks great.

“Shumway Innernational has always been a favorite of all people that like to land on grass. I’ll say it’s their favorite place to land here in southern Illinois. And it’s even better now, in better shape than it’s ever been.”

The post Illinois Grass Strip Airfield Ready for Next Generation of Owners appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

In many cases, that trust is bought with the standardization, quality control, and testing that goes into type and production certification. However, that has its limits, not the least of which are the oft-disparaged cost of certified models and a certain inability for significant customization. As Henry Ford said of the Model T: “You can have it in any color you want, as long as it is black.”

When looking for a less expensive, more flexible option, would you buy and fly an airplane your hangar neighbor built?

Most of us can probably agree that it depends pretty much entirely on the neighbor in question. For Tyler Gibbs, 27, who flies out of California’s Corona Municipal Airport (KAJO), it was a decision that just made sense.

Family History

About a year and a half ago, Gibbs purchased a Van’s Aircraft RV-4, a two-seat experimental/amateur-built (E/A-B) airplane, from his older brother. It’s his first aircraft, though he says it won’t be his last. While he trained in certified models, he had some exposure to the world of experimentals through his brother, opening the door to the possibility when it came time to find his own airplane.

• READ MORE: Robinson Helicopter Co. Names New CEO

Flying runs in the Gibbs family: His father, brother, and sister-in-law are all pilots. Even so, it took a bit for Gibbs to take the controls himself. In spite of, or perhaps because of, the early exposure to aviation, he had graduated from college and was working at the family trailer sales business before the flying bug finally bit.

Once it had, he didn’t look back. He earned his private pilot certificate, followed promptly by his multiengine and instrument ratings and commercial pilot certificate. With those in hand, he began to work as a pilot for hire, picking up gigs flying skydive jump planes and towing gliders. With two and a half years of aviation experience, Tyler is pursuing his glider rating and beginning to look toward earning his CFI.

About a year after getting his private certificate, Gibbs decided it was time to purchase his own airplane. Aircraft ownership was not a new concept in the Gibbs family either. The family has owned a number of airplanes over the years, including a Cessna 172 and 210. But, like flying, aircraft ownership wasn’t something Gibbs had really considered for himself.

• READ MORE: ICON A5 Receives FAA Primary Category Type Certification

Once he decided it was something he wanted, he didn’t have to look far to find the one that suited him best. His brother had an RV-4 (N527CG) he was willing to pass along.

N527CG had several owners before coming to Gibbs, having been built by Luther Arthur and flown for the first time in 1991. Gibbs’ brother bought it from a friend years later. He and his wife flew it for almost four years before selling it to Tyler.

There’s a lot to be said for buying a known aircraft from a trusted source, especially when taking the step from certified models to experimentals. For those not familiar with the segment, E/A-B aircraft aren’t subject to the same construction and maintenance rules as their certified counterparts—though the RV-4 is made from extremely conventional materials wielded in very conventional fashion, and all experimentals are required to have annual inspections. They can be built and worked on by pretty much anyone and modified to suit the builder. It’s also safe to assume that no two builds—even if the same plans or kit components were used in construction—will be exactly alike. That’s an adventure for a first-time E/A-B buyer, for sure.

With N527CG, Gibbs had the advantage of direct knowledge of the aircraft’s maintenance and operational history. Prior to coming to the Gibbs family, the aircraft was repainted with its current World War II U.S. Army Air Corps-inspired livery.

When Tyler’s brother owned the airplane, the engine was rebuilt after it developed an oil leak. During the overhaul, the Lycoming O-320 received some new additions, including electronic ignition and a conversion to fuel injection.

Assessing a Homebuilt

As Gibbs’ story might suggest, there are a few things to consider when buying a used E/A-B that might not come up when purchasing a certified aircraft. To start, a potential buyer will need to study up on the model they intend to purchase. The goal is to develop a solid idea of what a well-built example should look like, what types of problems are most common to the design, and what kinds of modifications are likely to crop up. If possible, a look at the plans for the kit can help provide a better sense of how everything should fit together. Buyers looking at Van’s designs have another tool in the drawer: Because of the popularity of all of its airplanes, it’s easy to find “comparable” examples, and several shops have popped up around the country that specialize in RV maintenance and prepurchase inspections.

In Gibbs’ case, he had a source on hand who knew the aircraft nearly as well as the original builder. Not to mention, the RV-4 wasn’t his brother’s first experimental— and Gibbs had experience helping him work on several of those. That familiarity made it a comfortable, reliable purchase, and a solid choice for a first aircraft.

When examining a potential E/A-B buy, the first thing to look at is the overall quality of the build. It’s usually safe to assume that an aircraft with significant problems on the surface (i.e. wavy fiberglass or deformed rivets) is likely to have other, not-so-visible issues underneath. A clean, tidy build with no obvious faults is a good place to start when considering a used experimental.

N527CG is a beautifully built and maintained aircraft with a long and well-documented history. Having been in the family for four years—with significant engine work done during that time—it doesn’t have many surprises left. While Gibbs’ particular situation might be hard to come by for another first-time E/A-B buyer, it does bring up the importance of taking the time to talk with people who know and have worked on the airplane. If a builder isn’t excited to talk about the trials and triumphs of making an aircraft, it’s probably time to look for a different one to buy.

Another aspect to pay close attention to with an experimental is how the builder might have modified the design from the original plans or kit components. Mods are common in this segment and can significantly affect the performance and handling characteristics of the model. While this provides a lot of room to adapt a design for its intended mission, it is a potential trouble spot for a buyer who will be tasked with figuring out exactly how, where, and why the aircraft differs from factory specifications and to understand if the nature of the modification is common (therefore vetted by the fleet, or at least some of it) or an outlier. In general, the fewer mods the better when it comes to buying a used E/A-B.

As previously discussed, N527CG received its biggest mod while in family hands and was then flown for a meaningful period of time. Post-modification performance reports were likely to be accurate. Even so, Gibbs says his first flight in N527CG was a memorable experience. He’d completed his tailwheel training in a Cessna 140 and flew with a friend to get in some dual in a different RV-4 before heading out in his own airplane. Gibbs was smart to do so, but even better are full transition courses available for most RVs that have proven to reduce risk for pilots new to the type. With the engine modifications giving it more power (and being solo in the cockpit), it took off like a rocket. As it should: The RV-4’s maximum gross weight is 1,000 pounds less than a Cessna 172’s of similar horsepower.

While it seems obvious, it is important to take the time to check which equipment has been installed before buying an aircraft. Returning to the flexibility aspect, the options can vary far more widely in an E/A-B than in a certified model. An airplane outfitted with old, unsupported avionics isn’t a great place to start unless the buyer is planning to overhaul it themselves. Especially for a first-time E/A-B owner, it is worth looking for an aircraft with an updated panel.

The panel in Gibbs’ RV-4 is set up with a Dynon FlightDEK-D180, Garmin GTR 200 radio, and BendixKing KT-71 transponder. While the current avionics aren’t exactly getting any younger, he has plans to update them in the near future. Since he is already aiming to do the work necessary to make the aircraft IFR-capable, what it came with is of less interest than it might be to a buyer who doesn’t want to perform any panel work any time soon.

When it comes to assessing a used homebuilt, another thing to look at is which engine and propeller the builder chose to install. A good prospect will have an engine and prop specifically listed by the kit manufacturer. When it comes to reliability, accident records, and resale value, alternative options—those not named by the manufacturer—generally don’t hold up as well.

• READ MORE: Across the Generations at Continental Aerospace Technologies

In the case of N527CG, the engine selected when it was built makes the list. However, the modifications make it a little less of a slam-dunk for a buyer looking for the perfect homebuilt prospect. A stock O-320 produces 150 to 160 hp. Gibbs reports that post-rebuild, the modifications to N527CG’s engine have boosted power above the stock 160 hp. While he had insider intel on the work done and how the aircraft performed afterward, a buyer less familiar would need to put in extra effort to ensure they knew what they were getting.

As a final note on purchasing considerations, when buying a used experimental aircraft (any aircraft, really), a thorough prebuy inspection conducted by someone familiar with the specific model being considered—or at least who knows homebuilts—is highly recommended. The upfront cost of an inspection can keep a “great deal” from turning into a money-guzzling, unflyable, uninsurable headache in the long run.

Owning an RV-4

N527CG has been Gibbs’ for a year and a half. During that time, he has flown it all over the West Coast, building tailwheel time, commuting to work, and mostly just having a great time. These days, the aircraft is based at KAJO, where he is also a member of the California Flyers Club.

In terms of reliability, the airplane hasn’t needed much of anything beyond regular upkeep. In Gibbs’ words, it’s a simple airplane with simple maintenance needs—just a really good aircraft. It has also proven to be a good example of what’s available beyond the occasionally narrow world of certified airplanes.

Flight Future

When asked about his aviation goals, Gibbs says he is thinking hard about getting into aerial firefighting. He’s also very interested in teaching and believes he will always want to spend at least some of his time with students after earning his CFI. When it comes to aircraft ownership, he has no plans on stopping with the RV-4. He is thinking about adding an airplane more suited to traveling cross-country with a family—something like a Cessna 310.

Also on his bucket list, proving that it can be hard to walk away from experimentals once you’ve had a taste, is building an RV-8.

E/A-B vs. Certified

There are always a great many things to consider when buying an airplane. Not only is it a significant investment, it is one in which we trust our lives—and those of our family and friends. With that in mind, it might be easy to assume that flying anything not built in a factory, even ages ago, increases the risk. Rather, like the rest of aviation, it usually comes down to making good, well-reasoned choices.

A certified model with a murky maintenance history and more stop-drilled cracks than solid surface should raise flags with a buyer in much the same way as weirdly rippled sheet metal on a homebuilt.

On the other hand, a good example of each airplane is a ticket to adventures defined by arguing pattern etiquette, grumbling about fuel prices, and knowing that no one else is doing it right, for the love of Orville and Wilbur.

Also, there’s that feeling when the wheels leave the pavement and the sky opens up in front of you. You know the one.

A Brief Look at the Van’s RV-4

Manufactured by Van’s Aircraft, the RV-4 kit is a clean-sheet design and the first two-seat model in the company’s extraordinarily popular RV line.

It logged its first flight in August 1979, and kits are still available for sale, though now in limited production. To date, there are well more than 1,400 kits on record as having completed their first flights.

The RV-4 is an all-metal, low-wing monoplane that seats two in a tandem configuration. Van’s lists the model as having a top speed of 213 mph (185 knots) with a 180 hp engine, typical empty weight of between 903 and 913 pounds and gross weight of 1,500 pounds. It will carry 32 gallons of fuel and 50 pounds of baggage.

Manufacturer-listed engine options for the RV-4 include the Lycoming O-320-D1A/D2G, IO-320-D1A, and O-360-A1A. Van’s notes that the model was designed for engines between 150 and 160 hp, but engines between 125 and 180 hp are commonly installed and work well.

According to estimates collected by the company, building time for an RV-4 averages between 2,000 and 2,200 “person hours,” with the caveat that many builders don’t log every minute they spend in the shop.

Kit price for the RV-4 is listed at $32,365.

Just add an engine, prop, interior, paint, avionics—and your time.

This column first appeared in the November 2023/Issue 943 of FLYING’s print edition.

The post Buying a Van’s RV-4 Is an Experimental Adventure appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Yet as demonstrated by broad participation in art, music, or sport, individuals seek more than practical solutions. Sometimes the activities that inspire us most are those which free our minds and lift our spirits.

The aircraft in this portion of FLYING’s Buyers Guide this year might be called “joy machines,” for their mission is to elevate you—physically and emotionally.

Welcome to recreational—and, yes, affordable—aviation. To offer a taste of the 158 aircraft the FAA has accepted as special (fully built) light sport aircraft (LSA)—plus more than 100 kit-built models—I’ve divided the subject aircraft into several categories, with three outlined here. These aircraft are good representatives but between them account for just a small percentage of the models available.

Buyers enjoy many diverse choices, one of which might be perfect for them. I encourage you to explore the segment more fully at ByDanJohnson.com (to become AffordableAviation.com), now a member of the FLYING family.

Our Favorite LSA

Light sport aircraft have been part of the aviation firmament for almost 20 years, and over that time, some models established themselves even as newcomers regularly arrive. The way the FAA accepts (not “certifies”) these airplanes allows rapid improvement, which has stimulated surprisingly fast progress. What will happen as the Modernization of Special Airworthiness Certification’s (MOSAIC) recent rulemaking comes to conclusion looks like it will only serve to expand upon the grand variety and capability we witness on the market—such as expanding the envelope of the Bristell SLSA featured in our opening spread, and in the April 2023/Issue 936 edition of FLYING.

• READ MORE: We Fly: BRM Aero Bristell SLSA

The Evektor Harmony is a next-generation model following its SportStar, which will forever hold the title of the first special LSA accepted by the FAA in April 2005 only weeks after the new sport pilot/light sport aircraft regulation was released. Flight Design’s CT was accepted the same day.

Being first often conveys some advantage, but in an industry where new ideas often emerge, a successful producer cannot long rest on past achievements. Based in an aviation-rich area of the Czech Republic, Evektor steadily upgraded its SportStar through a series of alterations. Later, the company introduced the Harmony with added sophistication.

The Harmony uses a more advanced compound wing—the leading edge does not form a straight line—to bring performance up to the top of the category (restricted by present regulation, which may change with MOSAIC). Pilots who fly the Harmony say it feels like a legacy GA airplane.

The Jabiru J-230D, hailing from Australia, is the result of years of development, beginning long before light sport aircraft came along. When FAA’s rule hit in 2004, the Down Under designer and manufacturer was quick to adapt its kit products to the new market.

The J-230D resembles the company’s J-400, a four-seater. That many seats aren’t permitted on LSA, so out they came, leaving an aft interior bigger than a Cessna 150. A third door sized for people brings the easiest luggage area loading among LSA—you can easily take your pet along. Jabiru is a rare airframe manufacturer that also makes its own engine. When you hear the word “Jabiru” (a large bird), you need to think airplane and powerplant, though the engines are also used on other airframes. A J-230D with the 6-cylinder Jabiru 3300 can readily hit the top speed among LSA.

The 2020 FLYING Editors’ Choice Award-winning Texas Aircraft Colt relies on the great success of a predecessor Brazilian design, but the Colt is all American. One of the newer aircraft to the LSA fleet in the U.S., developers had the advantage of seeing what pilots were buying…and what they were requesting.

With its conventional yoke control, the Colt breaks a familiar mold in LSA, an overwhelming majority of which use joysticks in various forms. A refined aircraft, the Colt is beautifully appointed inside and out, attracting pilots seeking a legacy GA airplane look in a ground-up-new design that can be operated by a sport or higher-certificated pilot exercising the no-medical privileges of LSA.

Built in Hondo, Texas, with local support, the Colt joins the best of an experienced Brazilian aircraft designer with American airplane-building capability in the U.S.

Seaplane LSAs

Seaplanes quickly earn a special place in some aviators’ hearts because of their unique ability to land on water and for the versatility that amphibious gear affords. The FAA recognized this interest and allowed 110 pounds more gross weight for qualifying seaplanes and also permitted amphibious gear. With a water-going craft, you have vastly more places to make a landing, whether for a pleasant visit or an emergency.

From its first announcement, pilots could see ICON’s A5 LSA seaplane was something distinctive. Its hull and fuselage blended form and function to retract gear invisibly while providing stability on the water. When its wings were electrically folded, jaws dropped; many envisioned how to launch A5 at their local marina.

The California developer went on to a long development period where every detail was sussed out to an intricate degree. The resultant aircraft that emerged addressed FAA’s current counsel to industry: “Make these aircraft easy to fly, operate, and maintain.” Three checks for ICON engineers and company leadership. They forged ahead while maintaining the smooth lines of early prototypes.

By 2022, ICON rose to be one of the leading suppliers in the LSA industry, and those of us lucky enough to have operated its well-located controls quickly acquired large smiles. A5 is simple and responsive, stall resistant, and stable. The modern sports car cabin is comfortable and spacious. Amphibious gear makes the A5 versatile and puts America’s many waterways on the list of available landing areas.

Vickers Aircraft closely observed ICON after it made a big splash with the A5. Vickers, based in New Zealand, saw an opportunity to achieve even more with its Wave. And engineers took a different approach to creating it. Using modern CAD methods and software similar to Boeing or Lockheed Martin, Vickers worked for years before unveiling a product but, when it did, it flew “right out of the box.” The company remains in testing as it works toward FAA acceptance but believes it can swiftly move to manufacturing because of the detailed preparation work. Indeed, elements are already being produced. The Wave first tempted buyers with prices substantially below ICON’s eye-watering $394,000, although continued improvements and the latest engine from Rotax have pushed up its costs. All told, the Wave is an intriguing amphibian loaded with features and boasting a large interior complete with sliding doors.

Scoda Aeronautica’s Super Petrel started its life in France. It was much different before the team at Edra, now Scoda Aeronautica, took over in Brazil. Here’s another seaplane entry from the South American nation that is very big in aviation. The Super Petrel sets itself apart from all others with its biwing construction. You may not think that’s logical in the modern world, but the Super Petrel is a highly efficient aircraft. Plenty of wing area helps it leave the water faster. The shorter the water run, the less strain on an airframe. LSA seaplanes are masterful at this task, jumping off the water in a few seconds. The higher power-to-weight ratio helps, but Scoda wanted to go even further.

Scoda’s XP designation for the Super Petrel means extra performance, but you also get more airplane. The airframe was extended by 10 inches, bringing with it a bounty of benefits, including more luggage area. With Rotax’s 141 hp 915iS engine atop the center of gravity, Super Petrel leaps out of the water with great energy.

Niche Buys

The Airplane Factory’s Sling HW, or High Wing, is an all-new design clearly aimed at FAA’s coming MOSAIC regulation. A quick glance at the specifications below illustrates that Sling HW is well outside the current regulation for light sport aircraft. That’s OK for now. It can start with a kit or import a few aircraft in the experimental/exhibition category.

• READ MORE: We Break Down the State of MOSAIC By the Numbers

Numbers are bigger than for a present-day LSA, and that’s great if you seek extra capability. Be prepared to pay for it. Most MOSAIC-targeted LSA unveiled to date are often well into the $200,000s. Several exceed $300,000. Still, that’s much less than a comparable legacy GA aircraft, and Sling HW is big, comfortable, and well equipped. A sleek composite exterior helps it outperform comparable models.

These MOSAIC light sport aircraft (MLSA) are going to greatly expand the LSA range, and Sling producer TAF has long been an innovator.

It is also supremely confident in its designs and loves to demonstrate that by literally flying a new design all the way around the world. In fact, it has done so several times.

Kit-Built

Building your own aircraft involves much more than just saving money—just ask the experts at Van’s Aircraft, who offer both SLSA and kit versions of the RV-12. For most, it is a learning experience, a use of craftsmanship, or simply an absorbing hobby. When you’re done, you will know it in a way few pilots know their aircraft. You can also put in it precisely what you want.

Lockwood Aircraft’s AirCam is no light sport aircraft, but it might qualify as a MLSA. The AirCam has been such a hit that 200 have been built as kits. It looks somewhat unorthodox with its twin aft-mounted Rotax engines on a half-open-cockpit design, but you need to know why it looks this way.

The AirCam was custom designed and built for one job—taking National Geographic-grade cover story photos of Namibian jungles and African wildlife. The country’s terrain is utterly unforgiving. Clearings are few and small. The photographer, seated up front for photo missions, needs huge visibility and no obstructions. Plus, they wish to fly at the speed of nature, that is, slowly. The AirCam accomplishes all this like it was designed for it—because it was.

This story first appeared in the September 2023/Issue 941 of FLYING’s print edition.

The post Here’s a Look at Some Affordable Aviation Favorites appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Since Citation Excel deliveries began in 1998, Textron Aviation (née Cessna Aircraft) has delivered more than 1,100 units, making it the firm’s most successful jet in its 96-year history. Based on the XLS series, the newest iteration of the model, the Ascend, offers a number of features designed to extend the winning streak, including the more fuel efficient Pratt & Whitney Canada PW545D turbofans, an upgrade from the Collins Pro Line 21 to Garmin G5000 avionics with standard auto-throttles, increased payload, and more range. Scheduled maintenance interval shave been stretched to 800 flight hours or 18 months, whichever comes first.

The Ascend has new and larger flight deck and cabin windows, upgraded passenger seats, and improved acoustical insulation to soak up sound. The 8-inch dropped aisle has been filled in to create a flat floor. However, the dropped aisle remains an option for customers needing more center cabin headroom.

The Honeywell RE100 now is approved for unattended operation, freeing both flight crewmembers to focus on essential preflight chores. A host of other upgrades endows the Ascend with levels of comfort, quiet, convenience, and connectivity on par with Textron Aviation’s larger super-midsize aircraft. First deliveries are set to begin in 2025.

—With reporting by Fred George

Dassault Falcon 10X

The growth of the Dassault Aviation infrastructure at the Bordeaux-Mérignac Airport (LFBD) in western France can be attributed to the success of the Rafale fighter series, and the Falcon 7X and 8X, as well as the recent introduction of the 6X—and its upcoming big brother, the 10X. Dassault began parts assembly in 2022 to pre-pare for the final assembly of the first test articles underway this year. The all-composite wing is being built at a dedicated facility in Biarritz.

The 10X, announced in 2021, has had a long slow buildup, fitting for a jet that will be the largest built by Dassault and introduce the largest cabin of any jet purpose-built for the business aviation sector. That cabin features a new design path for the company, breaking out of the traditional mold with bold colorways and seating that looks more like that of a penthouse living room than an aluminum tube. It has already received several nods in international design competitions, including the Red Dot award from the Design Society of the U.K.

With a range of 7,500 nm at Mach 0.85—and a top speed of Mach 0.925—the 10X is powered by a pair of bespoke Rolls-Royce Pearl 10X powerplants rated at 18,000 pounds of thrust apiece and able to run on 100 percent sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). On the flight deck, the 10X gives pilots the FalconEye combined vision system, as well as carrying over the digital flight control system (DFCS) made popular on the 7X. As the Dassault pilots finish up flight tests on the 6X and move to the first 10X test platform later this year, perhaps, we’re certainly eyeing them with envy.

Dassault Falcon 6X

Long before pilots will get their hands on the DFCS sticks of the 10X, however, Dassault’s Falcon 6X will entice them to the flight deck. Now type certified under the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) and the FAA, the 6X leads the next generation of Falcons with its dual Pratt& Whitney PW812D engines. Rated at up to 14,000 pounds thrust, the powerplants propel the wide-body, long-range 6X to a range of up to 5,500 nm at Mach 0.80 and a max cruise speed of Mach 0.925.

The 6X preserves the relative short-field performance of its predecessors, with the capability to operate out of 3,000-foot runways with a partial fuel load.

The balanced field length for takeoff is 5,480 feet under ISA conditions at sea level and at the maximum takeoff weight of 77,460 pounds.

• READ MORE: We Fly: Dassault Falcon 6X

The 6X showed off its graceful, powerful ability to maneuver at the Paris Air Show in late June at the hands of pilots Philippe Duchateau and Fabrice Valette. Visitors to the display could sit on the flight deck and witness the four large-format displays, two tablets mounted on either pilot side, and roundly shaped pedestals from which to stabilize while entering data into the flight management system. It’s a well-thought-out cockpit design, with pilot-friendly touches in and around the instrument panel, such as EFB mounts. We watched passersby stroll in front of the nose through the head-up display with the FalconEye cutting through the gray and bringing everything ahead of the airplane into sharp focus.

Gulfstream G700

The race to certify the next long-range mount looked neck-in-neck between the Falcon 6X and the Gulfstream G700. With its paperwork filed and everything over but the shouting, the bird from Savannah, Georgia, first announced in 2019 is expected to begin deliveries in the first quarter of 2024.

The G700, which takes its strength from the Rolls-Royce Pearl 700 powerplants, can carry up to 19 passengers—and sleep up to 13—in as many as five flexible living spaces. The 7,500 nm range (at Mach 0.85) puts it squarely in the ultralong category, routinely cruising at 45,000 to 49,000 feet. In the conclusion of the flight test program, the G700 continued to set city-pair speed records. It flew into the European Business Aviation Conference and Expo (EBACE) and Paris on up to 30 percent SAF and marked a memorable flight from Savannah to Tokyo on SAF at an average speed of Mach 0.89.

And what’s in it for the pilot? A familiar Symmetry Flight Deck up front, paired with Gulfstream’s Enhanced Flight System, that you’d find on theG500 and G600, making the G700 a straightforward transition for aviators stepping up.

Gulfstream G800

The higher model number ascribed to the Gulfstream G800—sister ship to the G700—refers to the increase in range customers can expect when the platform debuts in a couple of years. Yes, topping the charts at 8,000 nm, the G800 achieves this on the same wing as the G700 by shortening the length of the fuselage and reducing the number of living areas to four.

The G800, currently in the heart of its flight test program, achieves the target distance powered by the same Rolls-Royce Pearl 700 powerplants, at 18,250 pounds of thrust each, at Mach 0.85. If you want to go faster—and sacrifice 1,000 nm of range—push it up to Mach 0.90. Or just get there fast by taking a shorter segment at Mach 0.925.

Gulfstream’s flight test crew flew the first test article with a finished interior—used for proving those components in worldwide environments and operating conditions—to the Paris Air Show.

A second test aircraft first flew on July 15 on a blend of 30 percent SAF and reached a top speed of Mach 0.935 during the mission.

Sitting up front, the familiar Symmetry Flight Deck offers pilots a total of 10 display screens up front—four large-format ones across the front left to right, and six smaller touchscreen displays that can be configured in nearly endless ways depending on the phase of flight, pilot preference, or during abnormal and emergency operations.

The predictive landing performance system works in the background to help prevent runway overruns—though the G800 is projected to mark a6,000 takeoff distance at its max gross weight of 105,600 pounds.

Gulfstream G400

Close kin to the G500 and G600, Gulfstream’s next answer to the large-cabin midsize question, the G400, takes its lineage from its bigger siblings. The OEM stretched the fuselage to 36 feet, 4 inches and leveraged Symmetry Flight Deck technology from the larger models to create an advanced jet boasting a best-in-class cabin cross section with up to 2.5 living areas, with 100 percent fresh air that is refreshed every two minutes.

Those fortunate passengers (up to 12, sleeping as many as five) will enjoy the G400’s projected 4,200 nm range at Mach 0.85 settings—that’s Geneva to Minneapolis—and a top speed of Mach 0.90 and a maximum cruise altitude of 51,000 feet. And that’s done more efficiently than on previous Gulfstream models. The combination of the advanced Pratt &Whitney PW812GA powerplants, wing with improved aerodynamics, and avionics management should realize up to 30 percent in greater fuel efficiency as compared to a G450 on a hypothetical 3,000 nm journey with eight passengers at Mach 0.85.

The G400 is in development alongside the G800, with its first test aircraft delivered internally and poised for a first flight later this year. Gulfstream predicts the airplane’s entry into service will be in 2025.

Bombardier Global 8000

The gauntlet thrown down in the ultralong-range market appears to be a spitting match between the Gulfstream G800 and Bombardier’s latest entrant in the Global series, the 8000. Yes, that 8000 translates directly into the expected range of the new luxury plat-form—but the Montreal-based OEM wants to not just equal but win on speed. Try Mach 0.94, according to the manufacturer’s latest claims.

And it wants to achieve that speed without sacrificing passenger comfort. Bombardier has developed what it calls the Smooth Flex Wing to blend control and agility with the ability to ride the bumps well. Like its competitors from Savannah, the 8000’s max altitude is 51,000 feet, and it will maintain a cabin altitude of 2,900 feet at FL410. Up front, the Bombardier Vision flight deck on the Global 7500 will assist pilots in managing both short and long segments. Four large-format displays sit between two EFB mounts, supplemented by the head-up display available for both the left and right seat. A fully loaded Global 8000—at 114,850 pounds—is anticipated to need just 5,760 feet for takeoff, with a landing distance of 2,237 feet.

HondaJet 2600/Echelon

In a follow-up to the introduction of the HondaJet 2600 concept—recently rebranded as the HondaJet Echelon— at the National Business Aviation Association’s (NBAA) convention & exhibition in October 2021, Honda Aircraft has made its next move in bringing the new model into its lineup. In June, the OEM revealed that development continues on the project, with its official “commercialization” or plan to pursue type certification on the clean-sheet light jet.

Intended to be a midsize jet in alight jet’s body, the HondaJet Echelon is aimed at a 2,625 nm range (four passengers and one pilot, NBA AIFR) and 450 ktas maximum cruise speed—but at 20 percent better fuel efficiency than other light jets and a 40 percent improvement over midsize models.

FAA type certification should come in 2028, with entry into service as a single-pilot-operated platform. Up to 11 people can be seated on board, with the option for nine or 10 passengers depending on crew requirements. Supply partners include Garmin for the G3000 flightdeck, Williams International and itsFJ44-4C engines, Spirit AeroSystems providing the fuselage, and Aernnova for aerostructures. Fabrication of the first airframe is underway as HondaAircraft completes initial engineering on the program.

Beechcraft Denali

Textron Aviation marked an important rite of passage in any airplane’s development program—its first appearance at EAA AirVenture in late July. The Wichita, Kansas-based OEM flew its third test article to the show in Oshkosh, Wisconsin—called “P2” in company parlance to designate the conforming airplane with a full interior for that phase of the flight test campaign.

There’s a lot you can understand much more immediately than you can with a mock-up. First, the air-plane feels like it stands roughly the same height as its Beechcraft brethren, the King Air 200 series. Once onboard, the ergonomics of the Garmin G3000 integrated flight deck harken to the Cessna CJ series but with the familiarity of the Brand G avionics. The powerplant installation includes FADEC and an auto-throttle—necessary for Garmin Autoland certification.

On the business end, the clean-sheet GE Catalyst engine is proving worthy of the investment in it, according to test pilots. As of May, the program included 26 engines built, with more than 5,400 hours of testing—figures that increase every day. The McCauley prop on the front is helping the combination to achieve even greater fuel efficiency than originally projected. The Denali will be certified with flight into known icing (FIKI) capability, completing what Textron Aviation calls “a jet-like experience.” Still, certification isn’t expected until 2025, recognizing the significant work remaining to bring anew turboprop engine to market.

Extra 330SX

The first production Extra 330SX may not be taking to the skies until next year, but the new single-canopy, aerobatic airplane is already spoken for. At a presentation at EAA AirVenture, company president Marcus Extra introduced Bob Freeman as the first customer.

The Extra 330SX improves upon the 330SC with better cooling up front on the 315 hp Lycoming and a Garmin G3X Touch flight display. The sporty airplane features high-performance ailerons, with 60 percent larger horns and modified wing tips, along with a reduced fuselage length. The combination leads to its stunning roll rate, which the company measures by mounting a Go-Pro in the airplane, taking it out for a series of rolls, then returning that video to the engineering team to calculate the rate.

Other improvements in the cockpit are proposed to deliver greater pilot comfort, including a taller stick with reduced side-to-side travel to better accommodate larger pilots—like Extra, who flew the airplane earlier this summer in a com-petition in Germany for the first time. The first deliveries will take place in2024, with the company ramping up its production space in DeLand, Florida, to meet the challenge.

Van’s RV-15

Van’s Aircraft debuted its first high-wing model at AirVenture 2022. Once more it flew the prototype to Oshkosh for the air show this summer with a few updates made to the still mostly mysterious kit in progress. Most take a bit of sleuthing to determine, but they include changes to the stabilator and anti-servo tab to improve stability and stick forces.

The ailerons have also been reshaped slightly, with hinge points moved, and changes made to the internal control system gearing influence stick throw. Van’s test pilots already report improved stick forces and control harmony.

The prototype stills runs from a fuel tank located in the cabin. Van’s plans to build new wings that will mount the fuel tanks, reported at 60 gallons total, internally, following legacy high-wing designs with this increase in pilot/passenger protection in the event of an accident.

With the wing moving back about 4 inches, Van’s will see benefits to load carrying and CG—and allow for the use of lighter powerplants than the current Lycoming IO-390, though it’s expected to be the core engine.

The airframe features unique, damped landing gear intended to smooth out vagaries in both pilot and runway surface. Van’s is sticking to its previously announced plan* to begin taking deposits 12 to 18 months after the airplane’s debut. It is likely to need at least six more months to get the design pinned down and prepare to build kits.

—With reporting by Marc Cook

*Since this article went to press, Van’s Aircraft has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection and the timeline for the RV-15 is unknown.

Tecnam P-Mentor

Tecnam Aircraft debuted its P-Mentor at EAA AirVenture 2023, though the airplane is already approved under EASA CS 23, the equivalent to FAA Part 23 certification. The P-Mentor, featured and test flown in FLYING’s Issue 939, should see the agency’s nod in early2024, according to the company.

• READ MORE: We Fly: Tecnam P-Mentor

The P-Mentor is a two-seat aircraft designed to be a primary training platform, equipped with Garmin G3XTouch and GTN 650Xi avionics and boasting almost un-heard-of fuel economy at 3.7 gallons per hour.

This low consumption translates to low operating costs for owners and renters—and means lower carbon dioxide emissions. The P-Mentor’s fuel consumption results in up to nine operating hours between refuelings.

Powered by a FADEC-equipped Rotax 912iSC3 powerplant, the heavier-than-an-LSA P-Mentor shows graceful handling characteristics and docile slow flight and stall behavior. Takeoff ground roll at less than max gross was around 1,000 feet, with a landing roll less than that on a grass strip at the company’s headquarters in Capua, Italy. The comfortable cockpit can also accept a Garmin GFC 500 autopilot for serious cross-country and IFR operations. Several flight schools in the U.S. signed orders for the trainer at AirVenture.

—With reporting by Amy Wilder

Elixir Aircraft

Elixir Aircraft, based in La Rochelle, France, has also posted a sales streak for the training version of its aircraft, with a deal closed in June on more than 100 units—50 on option—with Sierra Charlie Aviation in Scottsdale, Arizona. The agreement caps a growing order book for the OEM as it brings three versions of its single-engine airplane to market.

Most of the models—intended for flight training—feature the 100 hp Rotax 912iS powerplant with a full glass cockpit. Sierra Charlie Aviation plans to integrate the airplanes into its Aviation Career Program, an ab initio course focused on identifying varying learning styles and steering those pilot applicants toward success. The composite airframe is built through the One-Shot manufacturing process to reduce parts count.

Elixir delivered five of its 912iS versions in 2022 for a total of more than 10 made so far by press time. The company was founded in 2015 by a trio of engineers who sought to reduce costs in flight training by lowering parts count and increasing efficiency in training aircraft. The first model achieved initial EASA CS 23 type certification in 2020, with FAA validation pending.

This article first appeared in the September 2023/Issue 941 of FLYING’s print edition.

The post What’s Next in New Aircraft appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

The post Gallery: The Evolution of Van’s Aircraft appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Ten years ago, the most common panel conversions were from round dial, also known as legacy or steam gauge panels, to initial glass cockpits. According to Aspen Avionics in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and Advanced Flight Systems in Canby, Oregon, these days, aircraft owners are focusing on upgrading their panels with the latest in glass technology.

Usually it is a two-fold process, says Perri Coyne, director of marketing operations for Aspen Avionics. The customer picks out the panel they want, and Aspen sends them a recommendation for a shop to do the work.

“With 700-plus dealers around the world, you probably aren’t too far from a shop that can help upgrade your panel,” she says, adding that Aspen Avionics “literally holds the patent on a plug-in solution for an EFIS to replace round-dial, six-pack instruments without cockpit panel modifications.”

According to Coyne, over the years, the company mission has expanded to provide products to more and more aircraft types and OEMs.

“We have always been focused on providing avionics products that can grow with the needs of our customers regardless of aircraft and market,” says Coyne. “Our initial focus has been in the aftermarket

GA segment and over time have expanded to provide products to more and more aircraft types and OEMs. “It is our core philosophy to work with whatever our customers have installed or are wanting to install their panels,” she says.

Trade-Up Program

“The Trade In Trade Up Program is unique in that air- craft owners can trade in their ‘older’ Aspen displays to the latest generation of Aspen Max displays at a significantly reduced price and get a new two-year warranty,” Coyne continues. “The trade-in program is an integral part of our strategy to provide a path for our customers to capitalize on their initial investment and affordably stay up with the latest hardware and functional innovations without having to incur the large expense of having to start over with an entirely new platform. For instance, a new Evolution Pro Max PFD sells for $9,995.

“An owner can trade in their old display for a new Max display for $4,995, which now comes with stan- dard synthetic vision,” Coyne says. “Aspen units that can be traded in for the Max units include the E5 (our basic PFD), the VFR-only display, the ‘Pilot’ or the older ‘Legacy’ EFD1000 primary flight display (not Max). Additionally, if there is any factory warranty left on the trade-in display, we will add the remaining coverage of the warranty for the new display. For example: An owner trades in his current display, which still has six months left of warranty coverage; that six months will be added to the new display for a warranty of 30 months, versus 24 months.”

Upgrade the Experimental

It isn’t just certified aircraft owners who go shopping for a new panel; the owners of experimental aircraft are just as likely, if not more likely, to upgrade their panel. For the owners of Vans’s RV designs, that often means a visit to Advanced Flight Systems located in Canby, Oregon, a mere 3.8 miles from Aurora State Airport (KUAO), the home of the Van’s Aircraft factory.

“There are so many RVs out there now we are now seeing people who are second or third owner of an RV,” says Rob Hickman, an electrical engineer and software expert who some 20 years ago created an engine monitor for the RV-4 he was building—and it evolved into Advanced Flight Systems.

Just as the design of the RVs has become more refined over the decades, so have the avionics. Round dial steam gauges are almost unheard of, he says, “For every fifty glass panels we do there might be one panel with round-dial analog gauges installed for backups. Everything is driven by software and electronic circuitry.”

“It works better for today’s RV builders. They are not like people who built them 20 years ago. Today building an RV is more like an assembly product, and they want avionics that they can install as a plug and play.” Selecting an upgrade panel begins with questions about the type of aircraft and the type of flying the owner does. Panel real estate is a finite resource, and over the years, Advanced Avionics has developed several panel designs that work for most of their customers. The big questions, often answered through a video conference, are IFR or VFR, or is there an option to upgrade to IFR in the future? Many panels are designed with space to allow this. Once these questions are answered, Advanced Avionics creates a build proposal that includes the layout and the materials to be used and presents it to the customer.

Sometimes the customer’s desires can be complicated, says Hickman. “We get that all the time. We sell them the components—the trays and harnesses and the advanced control and EFIS and the switches and let them do what they want to do either by themselves or someone assigned by the builder to complete the installation.”

Most customers, say both Hickman and Coyne, are looking for panels to enhance IFR capabilities, but because of the cost, they often buy the components in a modular fashion—installing one feature, then later when they have the money, adding to it. It is not uncommon for aircraft owners to time the avionics upgrade with the aircraft’s annual.

“Our products are designed to be able to be installed in stages as the owner’s finances and flying needs grow,” says Coyne. “For example, an owner can install three Aspen displays (an Evolution 2500 Max system = 1 PFD, 1 MFD500, and 1 MFD1000) or choose to upgrade in stages when their budget allows.”

Advice from One Who Knows

You probably know a pilot with an airplane project that has taken years to finish. That can complicate the avionics selection, says Hiroo Umeno from Seattle. Umeno has performed avionics upgrades in two aircraft panels. The first was a Velocity, the second a Cessna 182. He says he learned along in the process. For starters, when you are building an experimental aircraft, don’t buy the avionics package before you are ready to begin taxi tests.

“I bought a Chelton Systems in the 2000s to put in the Velocity, and by the time I was ready for flight, my Chelton system was obsolete by the time the airplane first flew,” he explains. “Also, the numbers on the data sheets are nominal, and cutting the panel to that size will guarantee things will not fit, and you will be spending quality time with dremel tools.”

If possible, he suggests modeling everything in CAD software before you start manipulating materials.

Online Learning

The avionics manufacturers have libraries of online tutorials for pilots and aircraft owners to use to learn their new panels. In addition, most airports have a pretty good grapevine, and the local pilots know who has what in their airplane, and who can offer help to learn the panel.

Panel Plays: 5 Things to Remember When Upgrading Your Panel

1. Don’t reinvent the wheel

Ask what the avionics suppliers have in stock—you’re probably not the first person to ask for that configuration.

2. Keep in mind that IFR capability is a bonus

You may not have your instrument rating (yet), but the buddy you fly with does, and now your airplane has more versatility.

3. Do the online training

While you watch the tutorials, make notes so you can have cheat sheets in the airplane, just in case.

4. Keep a copy of the manual

Make sure it’s for the current avionics in the aircraft and keep it onboard for reference.

5. Practice with the IFR panel

While you fly in VFR conditions, go through instrument procedures so you don’t have any unwelcome surprises in IMC.

This article first appeared in the June 2023/Issue 938 print edition of FLYING magazine.

The post Upgrading Avionics in the New-to-You Airplane appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

But countering the success of the company’s designs and their unprecedented popularity were challenges compounded by the COVID pandemic, a failure by a key supplier and missteps of its own. Monday’s Chapter 11 filing gives some clues to the situation Van’s faces that pushed the company into a form of bankruptcy that most often precedes a reorganization and recovery. (Van’s is not liquidating. Chapter 11 is designed to give a company some relief from liabilities and enable a reorganization into a sustainable business.)

In the Chapter 11 declaration is this summary: “Until recently Van’s operated successfully without bank loans or other lines of credit, relying on customer deposits and earnings for its working capital.” But then Van’s faced “a combination of unforeseen, significant events occurring over a relatively short period of time increased Debtor’s [Van’s Aircraft’s] costs, doubled its normal inventory levels, slowed deliveries, and strained Debtor’s cash flow to the breaking point.” Support from founder Dick VanGrunsven since September has kept the company afloat.

• READ MORE: Van’s Aircraft Files for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy Protection

One could argue that Van’s trouble started with an issue regarding quickbuild kits. The offshore constructor failed to adequately corrosion-proof parts of the assembly, which led Van’s to a time-consuming side project to understand the nature of the problem and its scope, and construct a remedy. The issue is described in the declaration as a “multi-million-dollar setback” for Van’s. Moreover, it contributed to a growing backlog in ordered kits and extended delivery times for customers.

At the same time, there was unprecedented demand for kits during the early stages of COVID. (In fact, the entire homebuilt industry witnessed a surge in popularity, with all major kit manufacturers reporting greatly increased sales in 2020 and 2021.) For Van’s, kit sales rose from 1594 during 2019 (already a very good number for the company) to 2508 in 2020 and 3982 in 2021. According to the filing, revenue actually decreased from $31.5 million in 2019 to $31.1 million in 2020, despite a 1000-unit increase in orders. Van’s didn’t get the bulk of the kit payment until shipment. In 2021, however, the big increases in order began to show up in revenue, increasing to $37.6 million in 2021 and $52.6 million in 2022. Net income, as described in the declaration, was $2.6 million in 2019, $3 million in 2020, but dropped to $2.1 million in 2021 as investments to increase capacity began to appear in the financials. In 2022, Van’s net income turned red, with a loss of $3.3 million; it lost $1 million through the end of August this year against revenues of $43 million.

It’s important to understand that Van’s was already operating at or near capacity in 2019. Along with technical changes to the kits over time that placed more work at the factory (steps the builder would not have to perform, an expectation in the modern kit-aircraft world), Van’s found itself with greatly increased demand and set about finding ways to meet it.

Because the vast majority of the company’s kit parts are known as “pre-punched” parts and the machines that do the punching formed the production roadblock, Van’s looked for ways to increase capacity by outsourcing some of this step. One way was to have the parts normally punched instead have their holes cut by a laser. This is a common method for automating manufacture of sheet metal parts, along with CNC routers, punches and water-jet cutting. In fact, Van’s had been using laser cutting for some parts and then elected to laser-cut more of them.

Builders began to notice that some laser-cut parts would crack during the dimpling process—where the metal is formed for the purpose of installing flush rivets—and that eventually started Van’s engineering department down the path of discovering why this was happening. Many builders felt that Van’s was slow to acknowledge the problem and that by the time it did, there was a significant quantity of laser-cut parts out in the world. Van’s turned its full attention to the problem and identified the parts in question—more recently, they were able to far more accurately predict which specific airplane kits were likely to have the suspect parts. Latest estimates are that some 1800 kits are affected.

These issues would challenge many companies but they were compounded by other events, as the declaration shows. “Van’s order file doubled in the 2020 and 2021 period. At the same time, supply chain issues, and supplier shutdowns slowed productions of key components, increasing back orders and delaying order completions, requiring Debtor to hire and train more staff. Wages increased, and shipping costs rose more than four-fold during this period. Stated simply, without realizing it, Debtor was selling a high volume of aircraft kits below its cost. The combination of all these factors overstressed Van’s workforce, operating support systems and management skills resulting in a series of one-off but very costly errors.” The declaration also notes that, “Some of its senior employees with deep familiarity with both office and manufacturing process workings chose to retire during COVID.”

The picture painted is of a company overwhelmed by overlapping challenges, started by the primer issue with quickbuild kits and followed closely by a global pandemic that simultaneously cut into its manufacturing capacity, dramatically increased costs and, perhaps ironically, also greatly boosted demand. That in the effort to catch up with demand the company also lost track of internal costs and failed to increase kit prices (as one remedy) is one inescapable takeaway from the factual descriptions in the Chapter 11 declaration—and a good indication of the remedies needed to define its path forward.

Editor’s Note: This article first appeared on KITPLANES.

The post Van’s Bankruptcy: How Did It Get Here? appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

The move comes a little over a month after Van’s announced a series of changes designed to combat “serious cash flow issues, which must be addressed quickly to ensure ongoing operations.” According to the company, the problems stem from COVID-related supply chain challenges, faulty primer that led to corrosion problems on quick build kits, and recent issues with defects in laser-cut parts.

• READ MORE: Van’s Updates List of RV Parts Reportedly Forming Cracks

“As a result of this combination of issues, the company experienced serious cash-flow problems from which it could not recover through the normal course of business,” Van’s said in a statement. “During that time, Van’s built up a significant and high-value parts inventory. As we manufacture the additional parts needed to balance this inventory, we will leverage it to fulfill orders for kits and parts over the next 12 to 18 months.”

Van’s is expected to file a proposed reorganization plan with the court within the next 90 days. The company says it will continue to provide parts, service, and support, along with shipping kit orders, during the reorganization. Plans are being developed for customers affected by the Chapter 11 filing, though the company noted that those plans are ultimately dependent upon court approval.

Plans for Existing Customers

For customers who received laser-cut parts, Van’s says it has now “completed a careful, detailed review that delineates the specific list of laser-cut parts for each individual customer kit order.” If approved, the company says it intends to begin contacting impacted customers with detailed information on the parts and its parts replacement program with the goal of beginning to ship replacements this month. Van’s hopes to have delivered replacement parts to all affected customers, estimated to be more than 1,800, by the end of 2024.

Van’s reported that it is also reviewing all open parts orders, some of which will be hit with price increases. “Customers with open parts orders that require updated pricing will be contacted soon and will receive access to a website where they will be able to review and act upon the details of their existing orders and Van’s proposed order modifications,” Van’s said.

In addition, prices for kits and parts are expected to increase. Van’s plans to “begin contacting customers with open kit orders that were placed prior to the filing date within the next 7 to 10 days with an offer to apply the full amount of their existing deposits toward the purchase of the same kit, under new terms and conditions including a price increase.” Customers with deposits on kits should be on the lookout for an email with a link “to a website where they will be able to view the details of their existing order, the amount of their deposit and Van’s proposed order modifications.”

“Van’s expects to resume shipping in-stock kit orders within the next 7 to 10 days,” the company said. “We will do our best to prioritize those who have waited longest, but our kit fulfillment schedule must be financially acceptable to the court, based substantially on cash flow rather than the traditional and historical method of order fulfillment that Van’s customers have experienced in the past. We will be constrained by – and will make prioritization decisions based on – the rate and timing of order renewal, availability of in-stock parts, and our need to ship kits that generate positive cash flow. Where we are able to do so, we will also consider the age of the original customer order.”

The company says it is still working with its engine, propeller, and avionics partners to get a plan in place for customers with deposits on those products. Van’s noted that orders that don’t require modifications will be shipped as usual.

“The purpose of the Chapter 11 filing is to allow Van’s to continue to provide ongoing support for its customers, suppliers, and employees for many years to come,” Van’s said. “We understand that this situation creates a hardship for everyone involved. However, without these changes we do not see a viable path forward that would allow Van’s Aircraft to remain in business and support its customers.”

Editor’s Note: This story was originally reported on by KITPLANES.

The post Van’s Aircraft Files for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy Protection appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Van’s current challenges result from “a combination of significant events over a relatively short period of time [that have] increased costs, doubled normal inventory levels, slowed deliveries, and strained our cash flow to the breaking point,” the company says. It cites increases in manufacturing still evident from the COVID slowdown, an issue with primer used by a subcontractor in quickbuild components and the most recent problems with laser-cut parts, which were a response to help increase production capacity at a time when Van’s was experiencing historically high demand. Builders discovered that the laser-cut parts tended to crack during the dimpling process. “Although our testing proved that laser-cut parts are functionally equivalent to punched parts, belief among many builders is that they are unsuitable for use,” the company says. “This has resulted in an unmanageable number of requests to replace laser-cut parts and cancel orders. More than 1800 customers are currently affected by this issue, some of whom have received more than one kit.”

As part of the announcement, Van’s said that “starting today through mid-November, Van’s will be focused on assessing the internal changes necessary to address these issues. This means some of the typical day-to-day operations at Van’s will be affected while our team develops plans to correct the problem.”

Those changes include streamlining the company’s efforts to focus on replacing laser-cut parts for existing builders and reassessing its manufacturing processes. “During this period, shipments will be delayed, kit orders will not be processed, and refunds will not be issued,” the company says. “We will be unable to conduct factory tours and demo flights. We are adjusting our daily operating hours. Starting Monday, October 30th we will be open from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Pacific Time each business day. Our builder technical support hours will shift to 8:00 to 9:30 a.m. and 3:00 to 4:00 p.m. each business day. This is a permanent change.”

In the background, Van’s has “assembled a small team of experienced advisors to assist us” from Hamstreet & Associates, a Portland, Oregon-based firm that “leads troubled companies through financial and operational crises, and delivers results.” That team includes interim CEO, Mikael Via, who had served Glasair Aviation in the early 2000s and developed the Two Weeks to Taxi builder-assist program. Hamstreet is expected to provide financial expertise as well as other interim officers to help Van’s move forward.

Builders and potential Van’s customers are likely to wonder about pricing and availability in the future. “Van’s Aircraft faces several challenges that require us to take time between now and mid-November to perform an internal assessment of our inventory, production, and shipping capabilities as well as overall operating efficiencies,” Van’s says. “During this time, we will be evaluating all reasonable means of satisfying builder concerns regarding laser-cut parts. At the same time, we will be reviewing the costing of our parts and kits.”

Van’s is expected to issue updates via its website in the near future.

Editor’s Note: This article first appeared on KITPLANES.

The post Van’s Aircraft Announces Recovery Plan appeared first on FLYING Magazine.