First Berkut molded wing skin
Alan Staats
Renaissance Composites
3025 Airport Avenue
Santa Monica, California, 90405
310.391.1943 FAX: 310.391.8645
www.berkut.com
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 2, 1999
Santa Monica, CA.-Renaissance Composites is proud to announce that the
first ever molded wing skin for a piston powered canard aircraft has
been completed at the company's Santa Monica, Ca. facilities.
The skin, a lower wing component, incorporates the outboard vertical
stabilizer, spar caps, inner shear webs, aileron counterweight, wing
attach bolt access depression with cover plate, and molded in
depressions for the upper wing skin leading edge, cowl and vertical
stabilizer cap.
Manufactured using carbon fiber, foam and fiberglass, the new wing
will be far easier for Berkut builders to assemble and fit to their
aircraft. In addition, builders and owners of Long EZ, Cozy Mark III,
E Racer and Glassic SQ-2000 aircraft may also use these new wing
components to complete their aircraft.
The new wing will be offered in two versions: Ready for assembly and
installation, and pre-assembled by Renaissance factory personnel and
ready for final fit and finish. Berkut designer Dave Ronneberg
estimates that buyers opting for the former version will need to spend
approximately 200 to 250 hours assembling their wings.
These wing kits will be shipped "pre-jigged" by virtue of the fact
that the upper and lower wing skins will be pre-trimmed and cleco'd
together, thus insuring a "true" wing without the need for external
jigs.
Buyers opting for pre-assembled wings will need to do little more than
match the new wings to existing attach bolts, drill and fit cowl
attachments and paint their wings. Ronneberg estimates a "worst case"
finish time of 100 hours for the pre-assembled wings.
Examples of the upper and lower wing skins will be on display in the
Renaissance Composites booth (Number 441 in the North Aircraft Display
Area) at the 1999 EAA Oshkosh AirVenture.
In other news, Renaissance Composites Chief Designer Dave Ronneberg
completed the Reno Air Racing Association's Pylon Racing Seminar and
was certified to race in the upcoming Reno Air Races, to be held this
coming September.
--More-
(...Molded Wing continued)
The aircraft Ronneberg will fly in the race is currently under
construction at Renaissance's Santa Monica facility, with a first
flight expected within a month.
Sponsors for the aircraft include Sierra Flight Systems, Inc., who
will provide their incredible EFIS 2000 system for use in the race
aircraft, which will also serve as Renaissance's company demonstrator.
Sierra Flight Systems marketing executive Gordon Pratt explained that
"having our system in the Berkut will present us with the opportunity
to expand our market share within the experimental and homebuilt
communities."
The EFIS 2000 system consists of a flat panel display combining
integrally derived GPS position information with the company's
"virtual VFR" terrain mapping and display function. This allows
pilots to view a real-time three dimensional depiction of the earth
regardless of meteorological conditions. Airspeed, ground speed, G
loads, pressure altitude, density altitude, altimeter setting,
decision height, AGL readouts, angle of attack, vertical speed are
among the data the display the EFIS 2000 is capable of rendering.
Utilizing Sharp Corporation's LCD glass, Sierra Flight Systems
incorporates a unique backlighting system with five separate bulbs to
illuminate the display, rather than the traditional single "snake"
bulb which, if it fails, renders the display useless. In the case of
Sierra Flight Systems illumination system, as many as two bulbs may
fail and the display will still be sunlight-readable.
In addition to the sponsorship, Renaissance will be designated as a
distributor for both the EFIS 2000 and the EFIS 1000.
PermaGrit Corporation has also signed on as a sponsor of the race
aircraft. Manufacturers of permanent sanding materials, Permagrit is
a perfect match for Renaissance as they manufacture a product which
the company's personnel use on a daily basis to build and finish
Berkut kit aircraft.
The race aircraft and its designer/pilot Dave Ronneberg will be
prominently featured in the company's upcoming advertising campaign.
For more details, contact Alan Staats at Renaissance Composites via
email to ber...@primenet.com or via telephone to 310.391.1943.
Photographs of the molded wing skin will be available on the company's
website this afternoon.
Staats
Bob U.
>
>The race aircraft and its designer/pilot Dave Ronneberg will be
>prominently featured in the company's upcoming advertising campaign.
>
>Staats
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
The blurb above makes me nervous and it's none of my business, but...
If I was THE MAN in charge, Dave would be locked in a vault with all
my other valuables.
Company racing, yes.
Key company personnel racing, NO.
If I was THE MAN in charge and my name was Dave Ronneberg,
I would probably ignore the above. <g>
A.J. Foyt might not agree with me either.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
The race aircraft and its designer/pilot Dave Ronneberg will be
prominently featured in the company's upcoming advertising campaign.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Bob - the best of luck to ya - Urban.
Badwater Bill
see him punch in in an air race just having kicks.
Dave. Think long and hard about that one. There are many who depend
on you for technical "stuff"
How's it going with Victor?
Bill
Stephen Farris
>Santa Monica, CA.-Renaissance Composites is proud to announce that the
>first ever molded wing skin for a piston powered canard aircraft has
>been completed at the company's Santa Monica, Ca. facilities.
As I continue to play with the squiggles on my 15' long piece o' TRIAX for my
left upper wing skin, something like this sounds *real good* to me. . .
Oh yeah, then I have to fill and sand (!)
- Steve "That which does not kill me makes me stronger" F.
Stephen Farris, M2-1/2
Northwestern University Medical School
Velocity XL/RG rotting in my gar...AHEM...IN PROGRESS