22
GA
/ Vol. 5 / No.4 / APRIL 2013
Every two years, Avalon Airport
in Australia comes alive to the
whisper of sailplanes and the roar
of military jets. Overhead formation
teams, aerobatic champions and
hovering helicopters amaze the
crowds, but a good deal of action
also takes place on the ground.
The first four days of the Avalon
air show are trade days where the
aerospace industry comes together
to show their wares, network and
An aircraft making its debut public
appearance at Avalon was the
GippsAero GA10 turboprop. The
newest member of the Mahindra
Aerospace GippsAero stable,
it has retained the enduring
qualities of the popular GA8. Of
a rugged build, spacious interior
and with a very generous side
sliding door, the GA10 is being
developed to the very demanding
FAR 23 certification standards.
It is a major undertaking
to certify a new aircraft type to
such stringent safety standards,
particularly as the GA10 integrates
a new airframe and power-
plant combination. As such, this
10-seat utility aircraft and its
Rolls Royce 250 B-17 engine
have many `boxes to tick'.
Currently the aircraft is nearing
the end of its `Development Phase'
testing that dates back to its first
flight last May. It has taken the
aircraft to 20,000 feet and operated
it at both ends of its speed range
and limiting weights. All the time,
this stage seeks to ensure the
GA10's compliance in a range
of areas including aerodynamic
qualities, trim, weight and balance,
and the new Rolls Royce-Hartzell
propeller combination. On board
the aircraft possesses a complex
`Data Acquisition System'
that captures 100 parameters
relating to the flight testing.
Next the aircraft will enter
the `Certification Testing' phase
and this will involve around
150 hours of further test flying.
During this time the flight
handling characteristics, including
spinning and `flutter testing'
will be the subjects of scrutiny.
It is another involved process
supported by more than thirty
engineers and has the GA10
looking at reaching certification
in the first half of next year.
Test Pilot Tony Morris relates
that the GA10 is "progressing
well and is confident of the market
potential of the aircraft." And
looking at the interested crowd
gathering around the GA10 at
Avalon, one would have to agree.
GippsAero GA10 makes its Debut
by Owen Zupp
Air Shows
make announcements. Senior military
officers and manufacturers alike
wander the exhibition halls and
flight-lines to see what are the latest
developments and the posture of the
industry. On the weekend the public
floods in and the skies come alive.
However, if one takes the time
to wander the flight-lines, there are
some significant points of note at
this year's international air show.
From the outset, it was obvious that a
significant range of business jets were
on display. Embraer hosted a morning
brunch before the air show even
started and once things got serious it
had on display the Phenom 100 entry-
level jet, long-range Legacy 600 and
ultra-large Lineage 1000. Gulfstream
were present with both the super
mid-sized Gulfstream G280 and the
ultra-large-cabin, ultra-long-range
G650 and Bombardier showcased the
Global 6000. Falcon jets, Challengers
and Citations; they were all there.
There were also a number of privately
owned jets making an appearance
alongside target-towing Lears.
There was all manner of
technological developments on
display from radar systems to iPad
applications; however, one caught the
eye on particular. In all quarters, the
Cessna 182 Skylane holds a long-
held reputation as a reliable, versatile
single-engined aircraft. However, its
latest manifestation, the Skylane JT-A
was on display at Avalon. Externally
it looked like another Cessna 182,
but beneath its engine cowling was
the new 227-horsepower, Jet-A
fuelled, SMA diesel powerplant.
Boasting a TAS of 155 knots
and 30-40% in fuel savings, this
latest model of the trusted type
drew a great deal of interest from
onlookers and industry alike.
Similarly, the big brother of
the successful GippsAero GA8,
the turboprop GA10 made a visit.
Midway through its certification
process, the Rolls Royce powered
utility aircraft was making its
public debut away from its test
flying schedule in the skies over
the Latrobe Valley. The multi-
purpose GA10 appears to retain
all of the practical advantages
of the piston-powered model,
while offering the advantages of a
turboprop. Ideally, the aircraft will
be certified in the first half on 2014.
There was also a great deal of
unmanned aerial vehicles, or UAVs.
Australian International
Air Show
2013
Top to bottom:
One of the many packed flight-lines.
The impressive C-17 Globemaster
prepares to land.
The F-22 Raptor, star of the show.