Aviation Consumer

Pipistrel Virus SW: Not Just Another LSA

Little white LSAs seem to flow from eastern Europe in such a steady trickle that we’ll admit to thinking that one is mostly like another. Indeed, a peek under the cowl reveals the same engine (a Rotax 912) that yields unsurprisingly similar performance. But one that’s a standout, at least in speed, in a undistinguished field is Pipistrel’s Virus SW. Pipistrel has gained some note for having run away with the NASA Green Flight Challenge three times with various iterations of its product line, including a purpose-made variant of its Taurus motorglider. All of the Pipistrel airplanes are unique for having evolved from gliders, so they have slender, exceptionally light fuselages, high aspect-ratio wing planforms and low drag.

Rotax 912 iS: So Long, Bing Carbs

With its 912-series engines, Rotax owns the light sport propulsion market. But even though the 912s are technologically more advanced than the typical Lycoming or Continental engine, buyers have been wondering when Rotax would get around to fuel injection and electronic ignition. In early March, it did just that. At the company’s Gunskirchen, Austria, factory, it rolled out the new 912 iS, an “eco” engine with improved fuel economy, electronic fuel injection and a sophisticated, dual-channel ECU architecture with all the features you’d expect a modern aircraft engine based on automotive technology to have.

Aircraft Antennas: Worth a Close Look

Geeks to the core, we’ve always had an odd fascination with aircraft antennas. Maybe it’s our ham radio background or the fact that airborne antennas are a critical means of communicating, navigating and reporting our position to the ground. Truth is the average pilot rarely gives these critical antenna systems—fondly slanged “antlers” around the shop— a second thought. That’s until the avionics shop suggests a high-cost replacement option or they’ve deteriorated to the point of creating a system failure. Antenna work can be an expensive endeavor while fabric and composite aircraft could make the invoice even more shocking. Here’s an insider’s look at antenna maintenance, tips for upgrading ancient ones and some of the symptoms associated with deficient antennas.

Angle of Attack: Now Available for Everyone

We’re told that somewhere there’s an Israeli air tactics manual that contains the line, “Speed is life.” Good thinking for fighter pilots, but down here in the more mundane world of GA, it’s probably more appropriate to say, “Angle of attack is life.” AoA sensors in GA airplanes are as rare as $4 avgas, so we use airspeed as a proxy to get the right angle for approach and landing. One problem with airspeed is that most of us only know the right airspeed for gross weight at sea level on a standard day. If we’re light, we tend to come in fast and curse the floating landing that ensues. The other end of the problem is getting too slow, or pulling the plane into a high-g-loading stall far above the wings-level stalling speed. The result when at low altitude can be grisly.

Pilot Logbook Apps: LogTen Pro Does It All

There’s nothing wrong with a paper logbook. It’s simple, cheap and satisfying to use. But digital logbooks automatically back up, total your time for insurance, an 8710 or duty limits, and, if it’s on a mobile device, are always with you. We were shocked how many options there were for logging via an app, either as a standalone solution or paired with desktop versions. Luckily, a few solutions distinguished themselves from the pack. LogTen Pro exists both as an iOS logbook and a desktop program for the Mac. What we found impressive was that the iOS apps are almost as burly as the desktop version—better in some ways. The two obviously can synchronize, but it’s not necessary, especially with the big-screen interface of an iPad.

Pilot MyCast Morphs into Garmin Pilot

Garmin’s Pilot MyCast app has been an outlier in the Garmin family. Now it’s been revised and rebranded as simply Garmin Pilot. The changes bring some welcome improvements and make navigation similar to other Garmin products. The core change is in navigation, with a home function that calls up big-button navigation similar to the aera or GTN navigators. Functionally, it’s basically the same as Pilot MyCast, but it’s simplified and, we think, more intuitive. There’s also a dedicated direct-to button, just like other new Garmin navigators. Press and hold on the map view and you will get something Garmin calls the “radial menu.” This is a context-sensitive pop-up offering a ring of three to six large, turbulence-friendly buttons for quick weather, airport or airspace info, flight plan editing or direct-to.

Diamond’s DA42 V1: Performance Unmasked

When Diamond’s voluble CEO Christian Dries first flew the prototype diesel-powered twin that eventually became the DA42 in 2002, he said something he would later regret. The airplane would cruise at 200 knots on 10 to 12 GPH. The reality, of course, proved rather less. The DA42 was a strong seller, but a 200-knot cruiser it wasn’t. More like about 155 knots on real-world power settings, although the economy was certainly impressive. A decade later, Dries and Diamond are at it again and this time, to quote another famous CEO, they think they’ve got the goods. The soon-to-be-introduced DA42 V1 includes a long menu of aerodynamic improvements that seem to substantially improve the aircraft’s climb rate, cruise speed and engine-out performance.

Used Aircraft Guide: Cessna Hawk XP

The Cessna Skyhawk has been in near-continuous production for over 50 years and there are over 40,000 of the model out there in the world. There’s a reason for that: The design simply works. That’s not to say Cessna hasn’t evolved the design and explored variations on the theme. One of these is the Hawk XP, essentially a 195-HP 172 with a constant-speed prop. Some people think of the XP as a Cessna 182 engine in a 172 body. It’s not. Others imagine it’s an aftermarket upgrade to a stock 172. There is such a thing, but the XP was a factory model. The Hawk XP is a 172 that carries more, climbs better and cruises a bit faster than standard 172, without giving up the predictable handling or maintenance. For some buyers, that’s exactly what they need.