Thu, Dec 02, 2004
Ceiling Lifted With New FAA Certification
The world’s fastest certified, piston-powered aircraft can
now fully extend its wings with new Federal Aviation Administration
(FAA) certification for operation to 25,000 feet.
The Columbia 400 wears the speed crown by virtue of its 235 knot
cruise speed at FL 250. Lancair executives say the company has been
busy completing high altitude flight testing of the Columbia 400
since the aircraft received its initial type certificate last
April. With that testing completed, the FAA has issued a type
certificate amendment retroactive to existing aircraft in the
Columbia 400 fleet with the installation of a few new
components.
Those new components include:
- a nose wheel pant
- two stall strips
- a placard
- a new pilot operating handbook giving all performance charts
including cruise, range and endurance up to FL 250.
These components will be standard equipment on all new Columbia
400s off the assembly line and will be supplied to owners of
existing Columbia 400s free of charge as a Service Letter and a new
parts kit. Company officials say that the parts kits are being
assembled right now and will be shipped within the coming four
weeks. In addition to the broader flight envelope, Columbia 400
owners also have some new optional equipment to help them exploit
it.
The new equipment includes a Ryan 9900BX Traffic Avoidance
System (TAS) and XM Weather. Though DataLink weather has been
available on all Lancair Columbias for some time, company officials
advocate adding XM weather to supplement the existing system.
"Think of DataLink as a narrowband, two-way data system and XM
as a broadband one-way download data system," said Lancair Vice
President Tom Bowen. "They are most effective when used to
compliment one another. Given the high altitudes at which the
Columbia 400 is capable of operating and the speed at which it
travels, having both systems at your disposal is an added measure
of situational awareness and, ultimately, safety." Founded in 1995,
The Lancair Company manufactures the Columbia line of
all-composite, high performance certified aircraft including the
Columbia 350 and the turbocharged Columbia 400.
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