Maximum Takeoff Weight

Florida Considers Helo Maintenance Tax Exemption
February 6, 2013 - 2:10pm

Florida state Sen. Thad Altman (R) has introduced Senate Bill 432, an act relating to exemptions from the sales, rental, use, consumption, distribution and storage tax for aircraft. The existing law exempts from the tax all labor charges for the repair and maintenance of qualified aircraft of more than 2,000 pounds mtow and rotary-wing aircraft of more than 10,000 pounds mtow.

Altman’s proposal would put helicopters on par with fixed-wing aircraft by lowering the rotary-wing mtow threshold to 2,000 pounds.

Falcon 2000LXS Will Be More Flexible
December 10, 2012 - 8:45am
Dassault’s new, widebody Falcon 2000LXS is designed with forward-edge wing slats that offer a reduction in Vref speed to 107 knots, a 4,675-foot takeoff distance and 2,300 feet for landing. Sticker price is expected to be $32.8 million.

Dassault has introduced yet another new version of its popular Falcon 2000 super-midsize twinjet. The 2000LXS combines the range and amenities of the Falcon 2000LX with the short field capabilities of the Falcon 2000S.

Aviation Mx Labor Rates Soon To Be Tax-free in Florida
December 5, 2012 - 12:31pm

Aircraft maintenance labor charges will be largely exempt from Florida state taxes effective January 1, according to the Florida Aviation Trades Association (FATA). Airplanes with an mtow of more than 2,000 pounds and rotorcraft with an mtow of more than 10,000 pounds are covered under legislation introduced and passed in mid-March during the 2012 Florida Legislative Session.

FATA worked with the Florida Airports Council and AOPA to change the language of the statute to clarify that FBOs and MROs are exempt from the “intangible tax.”

Dassault Introduces Falcon 2000LXS
October 29, 2012 - 3:25pm

At the NBAA Convention today, Dassault Falcon introduced yet another new version of its Falcon 2000 super-midsize twin. The new Falcon 2000LXS combines the range and amenities of the Falcon 2000LX with the short-field capabilities of the Falcon 2000S. The $32.8 million, Pratt & Whitney Canada PW308C-powered Falcon 2000LXS will replace the 2000LX when it gains certification in 2014.

Cessna Declares Speed War, Raising Ten to Mach 0.935
August 28, 2012 - 4:20pm
Cessna Citation Ten

On Friday, Cessna announced that it has raised the top speed for its Citation Ten to Mach 0.935, which would make it the fastest civil aircraft in service once certified. This eclipses the speed of its Citation X predecessor by Mach 0.015 and the currently stated top speed of the soon-to-be-certified Gulfstream G650 by Mach 0.010.
AgustaWestland Offers Higher Weight AW609 Option
July 9, 2012 - 7:57pm
AW609 Civil Tiltrotor

AgustaWestland (Pavilion OE1) is offering an increased-gross-weight version of its AW609 tiltrotor, which trades off some vertical takeoff capability for a higher payload limit. This will make it more attractive for some missions where vertical capabilities are not needed on departure.

Chinese-made Light Single Helo Lands CAAC Approval
July 5, 2012 - 3:40pm

China’s CAAC certified the Avicopter AC311 light-single helicopter last Thursday. In announcing the approval, the Chinese helicopter manufacturer also released more performance numbers, including a 131-knot max cruise speed, four-hour maximum endurance and 335-nm maximum range.
Chinese Certification of Avicopter AC311 Imminent
June 2, 2012 - 3:00am
AC311

The Avicopter AC311 light single-engine utility helicopter had its type certification “recommended” under China’s approval procedures last month. The Civil Aviation Administration of China’s (CAAC) type certification examination committee recommended issuance of the type certificate in a meeting held on May 4 in Beijing.
More Powerful SaM146 Certified
March 4, 2012 - 4:55am

The European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) granted type approval in late January to Franco-Russian engine maker PowerJet for a more powerful version of the SaM146 turbofan. Designated the SaM146 1S18, the engine offers 16,100 pounds of takeoff thrust, compared with the 1S17’s 15,400 pounds, thereby increasing the Sukhoi Superjet 100-95 LR’s mtow and extending its range to 2,470 nm with a full passenger load.

Bell 429 Gets Weight Increase
January 12, 2012 - 3:25pm

Bell Helicopter received Transport Canada approval today for a 500-pound increase for its Model 429, bringing the medium twin’s maximum takeoff weight to 7,500 pounds. The raised limit is an exemption to the Part 27 certification limit of 7,000 pounds and will enable the 429 to carry additional fuel reserves, increasing both range and loiter times, and enhance its IFR utility, the company said. According to Bell vice president Larry Roberts, this enhancement is especially useful for EMS and law-enforcement customers.

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