By Frank Hofmann
Pilots speak in code. Being asked by a friend to serve as ballast in a new airplane has the same nuance of meaning as telling your partner that you have to do a flight because the oil needs circulating in the engine so that it won’t rust.
Having flown an Aztec for a number of years I was interested to find out what a new technology twin was like. The comparison is a little uneven since the Aztec has twice the horsepower as that of the Twin Star and carried about four times the amount of fuel. What would it cost these days to put 144 U.S. gal into an Aztec?
Although the Aztec did have more headroom, the Twin Star has adequate legroom and it is thoughtful enough to offer three doors for its four occupants compared to the Aztec’s single door for six passengers.
As an AME, it really struck me what new technology can do. For example, removing the cowlings on an old Aztec is at least a one hour chore – longer to get them back on. On the Twin Star not only is that an operation which takes seconds, but you don’t end up having cowlings sit around the tarmac, blowing in the wind. Those cowlings split and are hinged to stay on the airplane. Most pilots wouldn’t notice, but to the mechanic, what progress!
Since I didn’t get to fly the airplane I had to settle for evaluating it from a passenger’s perspective. Although the cabin is smaller than that of an Aztec, it sure is quieter, making up for comfort that way. The whole ride was smoother than that produced by the airplane I knew.
And although this airplane is fed by some description of kerosene, I could not detect any odour of the fuel. Windows are large, and the glass instrument panel is very readable from the back seats. Other than looking at a stopped propeller, the engine out event felt like a non-event – there wasn’t any of the hurried pushing of knobs and flipping of switches, nor was there any noticeable vibration on shut-down or start-up. That speaks well for the vibration mounts from which the engine is hung.
The flight was too short to do a more thorough evaluation, so clearly I need another flight to complete my work as ballast.
Now if Diamond could only add a couple of inches of headroom.
Frank Hofmann is a COPA director representing Quebec and secretary of COPA’s Executive Committee. He also represents the International Council of Aircraft Owners and Pilots Associations at the International Civil Aviation Organization in Montreal. For more information visit his website at www.hoftec.com.