Trio’s Pro Pilot digital retrofit autopilot has a generous feature set and straightforward install, but we hoped for tighter vertical-axis performance.

You really don’t want to park them in the elements, you do need to clean them without harsh chemicals and definitely inspect blemishes and other damage.

Stemming from their sailplane heritage, Diamonds are we’ll known for slender graceful T-tails and long efficient wings. And like my cute little Diamond Katana that I earned my private certificate in nearly 25 years ago, Diamond’s latest DA50 RG is many things visually.  But unlike the Katana trainer, the muscular and aggressively styled DA50 RG […]

Our goal as pilots is to make every landing one you can walk away from. The goal of every plane designer is to make the structure as robust, repairable and survivable as possible.  With metal (primarily aluminum) airframes, the materials and design features are we’ll understood, while inspections and repairs are typically very straightforward. But […]

From Charlie Taylor’s cast aluminum block for the original Wright Flyer engine, aerospace manufacturers have been on a never-ending quest for lighter, stronger and better materials. From early airplanes constructed of doped fabric over wood substructure to metallic substructure and then to all-metal airplanes, the pursuit to achieve a higher/faster/longer-range (with more payload) flight continued […]