AOPA Pilot Magazine - April 2011 - 40

PILOT BRIEFING
SMA diesel engine certified in Europe
The 230-hp SMA SR305-230E diesel engine received certification in Europe from the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), and is guaranteed for a 2,000-hour time between overhaul. The certification was granted in January and clears the way for certification by the FAA—expected early this year. SMA, a subsidiary of Snecma (part of the Safran aerospace group), designed the engine for single- and multiengine aircraft. Maule Aircraft has experimented with the engine for years on its models. The engine is scheduled to enter service in 2012. A chief advantage of the engine is that it uses kerosene-based jet fuel, something important in areas of the world where 100LL is unavailable. Other claimed advantages include lower fuel cost and better fuel economy, plus lower carbon dioxide emissions and the elimination of all lead emissions.

Boeing woman named for NAA award
The National Aeronautic Association (NAA) has presented its 2010 Katherine and Marjorie Stinson Award to Boeing employee Nelda K. Lee. NAA awarded the Stinson Trophy at the International Women in Aviation Conference in Reno, Nevada, on February 26. Lee is responsible for flight and ground test engineering for the four military aircraft that are manufactured in St. Louis, Missouri, by Boeing. These aircraft are the F–15 Eagle, AV–8 Harrier, T–45 Goshawk, and F/A–18 Hornet. In addition to her career with The Boeing Company, Lee is a commercial pilot with instrument, multiengine, and helicopter ratings. She has flown in several Transcontinental Air Races. She is a member of The Ninety-Nines and International Women Pilots. She is serving on the board of trustees for the Amelia Earhart Birthplace Museum, and is a member of The Whirly-Girls and the International Women Helicopter Pilots. She was inducted into the International Women in Aviation Pioneer Hall of Fame in 2004. —Jill W. Tallman

Aviation charity nominated for Nobel Peace Prize
Wings of Hope, an aviation charity based in St. Louis, Missouri, that implements poverty reduction strategies to help those in need to attain self-sufficiency, has been nominated for a 2011 Nobel Peace Prize. “This is a great honor to all of our volunteers and donors,” said Wings of Hope President Doug Clements. “They are the ones who see the humanity of our fellow men and who seek to extend the hand of human kindness to them.” The organization was founded in 1962 to provide a refurbished aircraft to a nurse in Kenya who used a fabric-covered Piper to reach nomadic tribes in the desert. Now it operates in 155 countries.

Test yourself with these aviation quiz questions
By AOPA Pilot staff See answers on page 42 1. What was the code name for the secret program that evolved into the SR–71 Blackbird? 2. How many of the 32 SR–71s built by Lockheed were lost to enemy aircraft, ground fire, or missiles during the 24 years they flew over hostile territory? 3. Why do SR–71s have white main-gear tires? 4. The SR–71 windshields are made from four-inch-thick pieces of this exotic material to withstand in-flight temperatures of 450 degrees Fahrenheit. 5. How hot does the surface of an SR–71 get during high-speed flight? And what’s the hottest area? 6. More than 90 percent of the SR–71 is made from titanium, an exotic material that, ironically, could only be procured under false pretenses from this country that was frequently overflown by the spy planes.

Say Again?

ILLUSTRATION: JOHN HOLM

AOPA PILOT •

40 • APRIL 2011

AOPA Pilot Magazine - April 2011

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