.JPG)
Among the visitors this week was a big Turbo Commander turboprop executive twin, its noisy Garrett engines whining away as it went in and out. Others seen were a Piper Archer trainer, a Cessna 210, and the ever-present Cessna Skyhawks from UCM. Out of the local hangars, CFI Christian Tucker was busy flying his Cessna 150s, Les Gorden had his Beech Twin Bonanza up, I exercised my 1946 Aeronca Champion, Jim Ferguson flew his Cessna Skylane and Jeremie Platt attended to his Grumman Tiger.
Regarding our blurb in last week’s column about Elon Musk’s gargantuan SuperHeavy SpaceX rocket, no it didn’t go up this week, but it remains ready to go, if the word is given. The 400-foot tall alcohol and LOX fueled 33-engine monster will make its presence known around South Texas when it launches. The latest I heard was “this Monday”, whichever week that means.
In internatonal news, Boeing proudly announced that Chinese airlines, long holdouts, resumed flying their 737 Max airliners this week. It is well known that China is developing an indigenous single-aisle jetliner of its own, so it may well incorporate the MAX’s innovations. As can be seen in the recent first flight of a Chinese AC332 twin-turbine helicopter, which strongly resembles the Bolkow/Kawasaki/Airbus BK117, doing business in the People’s Republic requires divestiture of all intellectual property used in your product.
The FAA has announced a new VARMA (love their ever-lengthening list of acronyms) program to graciously allow off-the-shelf parts to be used in 75-year airplanes that can’t be flown otherwise. The Vintage Aircraft Replacement and Modification Article program permits non-critical things like door handles, knobs and steps to be replaced with readily available unofficial parts. The Agency well knew that owners were going to the National Aircraft Parts Association stores downtown and finding will-fit parts suitable for the job. Last month I saw a juice-can size fuel pump for a 1957 Aircoupe that had to be custom-made for $1600 just to get the old “urpcup” back in the air. Some things can be found at any price.
Our challenge question from last week was about the origin of the Lomcevac aerobatic maneuver, correctly answered by reader Jeff Turner. It was named by the Czechoslovakian discoverer of the twisting, tumbling spin, who called it a “headache.” For next week’s brain-teaser, tell us who was “The man who rode the thunder.” It has to do with thunderstorms. Send your answers to kochhaus1@gmail.com.
