1. ISSUE NO. 1AEROVOGUE.COM
Y O U R A V I A T I O N W I S H L I S T M A G A Z I N E
Aero
The ultimate G650
insights
Revealing the exclusive
HA-420
Cubcrafters X Cub The
game changers
Vogue
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3.
4.
5. 12
Photographs of the month
17
Aviation Feed
20
We Fly: Honda HA-420
Honda President's Mr. Fujino's 'Tear
and sweat' experience.
24
The XCub is an ideal backcountry
machine
We reveal the postmodern of the new
country unicorn in Washington.
26
The Airbus Milestone
SIA marks 10,000th airbus A350
delivery
28
The Luxe Cribs
Inside the new Emirates A380 Luxury
First class suites.
29
The Aero Vogue Story
32
Rolls Royce delivers its first Trent 900
jet engine made in Singapore
AEROVOGUE
24
The X Cub Is An Ideal
Backcountry Machine
20
We Fly: Honda HA-
420
34
The Ultimate
Gulfstream G650
A E R O V O G U E | 5
20. djacent to the factory facility
lies the delivery hangar, which has
a lazy-Susan-like rotating platform
on which the airplane is parked
during the delivery process, giving
customers of this $4.85 million jet
a lavish look at their new airplane
while they sign the final
paperwork.
The ramp up to deliveries also
shows a level of maturity that a
regular startup would be hard-
pressed to accomplish. By mid-
April, less than five months after
the FAA inked the certification
paperwork, the company had
already delivered seven
HondaJets.
A E R O V O G U E | 2 0
Honda Aircraft’s
president and CEO,
Michimasa Fujino,
chose the over-the-
wing mount system
for the GE Honda
HF120 engines that
power the HondaJet.
Not only are the facilities top-notch, a
dealer network and an extensive service
network with support available 24/7 have
already been established. More than 50
maintenance technicians have gone
through FlightSafety’s rigorous training
program located adjacent to the factory.
Intelligent Cabin
With great excitement enhanced by gusty
winds and cool, clean crisp North
Carolina spring air, I explored N420EX,
the first production HondaJet, which has
now flown well over 600 hours. If I could
summarize the exterior and interior of
the airplane, I would refer to it as not only
stunning but also highly intelligent. The
airplane tells you what to do.
For example, the latches for the
external doors are orange on the
inside, making it easy to spot one
that is not properly closed. I found
the latches on the two exterior
luggage compartments and cabin
airstair door easy to open and close,
something pilots who value their
fingernails like me will appreciate.
AEROVOGUE
WE FLY: HONDA AIRCRAFT
HA-420
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24. XCUB: THE NEW
GAME CHANGER
by Samantha McArthur
Photos by John Adams
XCUB
POSTMODERN.
Wenatchee National
Forest,
WASHINGTON
Washington-based
manufacturer
keeps up the Cub
tradition with the
newly certified
taildragger.I could smell the pine trees below as I
turned base and the nose of the little
taildragger I was piloting pointed toward a
sheer rock wall. When I turned final, the
runway was still invisible. It was at the end
of a narrow gorge that followed down the
mountainside.
Tracking that line, I continued my descent,
skimming the treetops of the dense forest.
Finally, it appeared — the beginning of the
scenic 2,500-foot-long grass strip of Tieton
State Airport (4S6), located on the
shoreline of Rimrock Lake’s Lonesome Cove
in the Wenatchee National Forest in
Washington.
I monitored my airspeed closely, keeping it
right at 50 knots, and continued this
challenging and exhilarating approach through
the confining gorge.
As I dropped below the treetops that
surrounded the runway, my hands and feet
began the dance that is so critical in the final
stages of a tailwheel approach. Like a drummer
using the full drum set to accompany a
complicated jazz tune, I worked to coordinate
the throttle, stick and rudder pedals to make
sure the big fat main tires and trailing tailwheel
of the brand-new CubCrafters XCub touched
the green grass surface at the same instant.
A E R O V O G U E | 3 8
Straight down
the centre of the
runway. "This is
flying", I
marvelled.
aerovogue |
25. It feels just right, as any good Cub
descendant should. The same is true for the
rudder input. The angle of the pedals
provides a comfortable position for the feet,
and there is plenty of rudder authority.
Unlike older Cubs, which have heel brakes,
the brakes are on top of the pedals.
In addition to the pushrods, CubCrafters
decided to modify the aileron design. The
upper and lower surfaces of the ailerons are
now aerodynamically shaped, and the cove
was increased to maximize performance.
Another big modification that makes the
XCub easy to spot is a composite dorsal fin
that protrudes from the horizontal stabilizer
forward along the fabric-covered fuselage.
FEATURE | DECEMBER 2016
CubCrafters
kicked the
quality of the
interior way
up and
added
pockets and
cup holders.
By the time the XCub design was finalised, no
more than about one-third of the XCub and
Carbon Cub parts were the same. Rather,
some of the new features will now trickle
down to the Carbon Cub models.
Unlike earlier CubCrafters airplanes, the
ailerons in the XCub are controlled through
pushrods, making control feel more direct
and providing a swifter roll rate.
However, CubCrafters stuck with cables for
controlling the elevator and rudder. A light,
fingertip grip is all that is required around
the stick, yet the controls are by no means
sloppy.
XCUB'S
INSIGHTS
P E R F O R M A N C E
MARKET VALUE
With as much as 1,088 pounds of
useful load, a top speed around 150
mph, stellar climb performance and a
slew of creature comforts prior Cub
owners could only dream of, the
XCub is a terrific and versatile
airplane.
The culmination was the 180 hp PA-
18 Super Cub, an airplane that has
become so popular that well-
maintained ones 40 years old and
even older are selling for well over
six figures today.
The reason for the high resale value
is that Piper stopped producing the
popular airplane in 1994.
1 1 | A E R O V O G U E
COST
The first 20 XCubs will depart
Yakima for $297,500. These
airplanes will essentially be
identical with the same paint
scheme and leather interior.Two
float options, one amphibious
($69,995) and one straight seaplane
floats ($44,995), both built by
Whipline, are also available.
Aero vogue
28. The airline has been beavering away on its next-gen
suite design for three years, with the final concept
due to be signed off by December. "I hope we will be
looking at the final product towards the end of this
year and go into production for October of next
year" revealed Emirates CEO Tim Clark during a
press conference following the release of the
airline's 2015/16 financial results.
Clark has previously described the suite as being
even more private than the current closed-door
cabin, saying "we’re talking fully enclosed rooms,
with all the touches and amenities that you’d expect
in hotel or a private bedroom on a luxury yacht,
room service and so on."
Although previously expected to be launched this
year, Clark was adamant that the project was on
schedule.
"There’s no delay," he said. "It’s an extremely
complex project that we have designed ourselves in-
house with a contractor and a couple of other
designers, and when it comes to market it will be
very interesting."
Emirates exec revealing the
design will be "more like a
private railway cabin."
29. AFTER nearly 50 years as a pilot, retiring Qantas Captain Phil
Ogilvie knows the power of that famous uniform.
“I used to come home and hang up my clothes and change into
my daggy old shorts and a T-shirt,” he said.
“No one notices you at the shops. But in a uniform people nod
and smile as they walk by.”
The Bilgola Plateau resident, who’s flown celebrities such as the
Spice Girls, did his final run on Thursday
It was fittingly heralded with the traditional water cannon
salute and a ceremony put on by Qantas to mark his stellar
career.
He began working for the national carrier at the age of 17, as a
cadet and completed his training to become a pilot in July 1969.
“When the Americans were landing on the moon I was flying a
Boeing 707 to London and back,” he said.
"I'm Proud to be a part of that
History and the Qantas Family"
He was all of 21 at the time. In 1986, he became a Captain on
the Boeing 767.
“I’m a Boeing man, and I flew 707s, 747s, 767s,” he said. “I
retired from international flying in 2013 and spent the last few
years flying domestic in the 737.”
Mr Ogilvie said he was extremely proud of being a part of
Qantas.
“I’m very proud to be part of that history, and part of the Qantas
family.”
Aero vogue | Story
Captain Phil Ogilvie steps down
After 50 Years aloft
- Capt. Phil Ogilvie
30. RR Seletar Campus
Rolls-Royce, the global power systems company, today
delivered the first Trent 900 aero engine produced in Singapore
to Airbus in Toulouse, France.
Paul O’Neil, Rolls-Royce, Director of Seletar Campus, said, "The
delivery of the first Trent aero engine produced in Singapore is
a significant milestone for us. It represents a huge collaborative
effort with colleagues in the UK supporting our team here to
ensure that the engine, produced to our exacting standards, was
delivered on time."
The Trent 900 aero engine was developed for the Airbus A380
family and delivers the lowest lifetime fuel burn in addition to
its excellent environmental attributes. The Trent 900 has been
selected by 11 of the 17 airlines who operate the aircraft.
Key facts about the Rolls-Royce Seletar Campus
The 154,000 square metre Rolls-Royce Seletar Campus is the
largest aerospace facility in Singapore. Opened by the Prime
Minister of Singapore, Mr Lee Hsien Loong in February 2012,
the Campus includes a Trent Aero Engine Assembly and Test
Unit; a Wide Chord Fan Blade manufacturing facility; an
Advanced Technology Centre; and a Regional Training Centre.
The Seletar Assembly and Test Unit is a state of the art facility
designed to allow simultaneous assembly and testing of Rolls-
Royce Trent engines under one roof.
Rolls-Royce delivers the first
Trent aero engine produced in
Singapore
AERO VOGUE
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At full capacity it can produce up to 250 engines per year.
Initially Trent 900 and Trent 1000 aero engines will be built
here.
The Group’s Wide Chord Fan Blade (WCFB) manufacturing
facility is the first outside the UK to manufacture hollow
titanium WCFBs, a unique capability and technology which has
played a key role in the success of the Trent aero engine family.
At full capacity, this facility will produce over 6,000 blades per
year.
The Advanced Technology Centre is an important part of the
Group’s global network of research & technology centres which
develop advanced technologies to support core business areas.
Four key areas of research will take place in the ATC: materials
support technology; computational engineering; electrical
power and control systems and manufacturing technology
research.
The Regional Training Centre is the first Rolls-Royce training
facility in Asia. Its purpose is to develop high-value skills and
nurture talent for the future.
31. THE GULFSTREAM
COLUMN
VICTORIANS ARE
FINALLY BUSHFIRE
SAFE
Brexit stalls jet sales
The Brexit vote put a damper
on Gulfstream sales at the
end of the second quarter,
but prospects are still good
—“better than any [other]
time so far this year”.
Second-quarter revenues at General Dynamics
aerospace division, which includes both Gulfstream
and Jet Aviation, fell $124 million year-over-year, to
$2.134 billion, as completed Gulfstream deliveries
dropped by seven units, to 34. This includes 27
large-cabin and seven midsize jets, compared with
33 large-cabin and eight midsize in the same
quarter last year.
G500, G600 Programs
Accelerating
In two new buildings at
Savannah Hilton Head
International Airport,
Gulfstream’s assembly
lines for its newest jets,
the G500 and G600, are
already packed with
action.
Two of the world’s biggest firefighting aircraft will be back in Victoria
this summer to support our fire fighters and keep communities safe
from bushfires.
Minister for Emergency Services James Merlino and Minister for
Energy, Environment and Climate Change Lily D’Ambrosio today
announced $11.1 million to secure two fixed wing large air tankers,
an extra Helitak chopper and a support plane for the coming
bushfire season.
The extra firefighting aircraft will bolster Victoria’s aviation fleet,
which was critical in stopping the spread of devastating bushfires at
Wye River, Scotsburn and Barnawartha last summer.
The large air tankers dropped 72 loads – almost 850,000 litres of fire
retardant – in just over a month between December 2015 and
January 2016, providing crucial support at some of the state’s biggest
fires.
The tankers are the most effective way to drop fire retardant to stop
the spread of bushfires, with each tanker carrying more than 12,000
litres of water, retardant or foam.
A Helitak is more agile and can pick up water from lakes, reservoirs
and the ocean, removing the need for it to fly long distances back to
airports to reload.
By Jacob Walker
Four G500s are in flight-test, and the first flight-
test G600 will be handed over soon in preparation
for first flight early next year or possibly sooner.
Gulfstream hasn’t published any backlog numbers
for the G500/G600 yet, but there are two launch
customers, Qatar Executive Airways and Flexjet
Gulfstream Sees Latin
American Uptick
It’s not that aircraft aren’t
being sold in Brazil and other
parts of Latin America, but
that transactions are taking
longer to conclude,
according to Gulfstream
Aerospace,
“We haven’t seen a big decrease in discussions
about [new] aircraft, the difference has been
that customers are taking longer to make a
decision,” said Fabio Rebello, regional senior
vice president for sales in Latin America.
“There are still factors that make it
uncomfortable to make a decision [to
purchase] but we are now looking at a better
horizon that will allow us to move on.”
AERO VOGUE
AERO VOGUE | 01
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33. 34
For $US65 million, you get more than a
well-equipped cockpit. The G650's
cabin is totally luxurious.
There's room on board for eight
passengers and a crew of four.
The seats are a lot bigger than the ones
travellers get to enjoy in economy class.
During the day, the huge windows (16%
bigger than those on the Gulfstream
G550) let in lots of light.
On top of the luxury amenities, the
G650's structure and engines are
designed so the cabin can be
pressurised to a higher level than
normal.
The result is that passengers feel like
they're breathing at an altitude of
3,000 to 4,000 feet, not about 8,000,
like on commercial jets. That makes
flying less tiring and even more
comfortable.
"The G650 is the best value
jet in its class."
A E R O V O G U E
The G650 will remain the gold
standard, and it’s easy to see why.
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