Posted on 08/03/2006 8:30:46 AM PDT by KeyLargo
http://www.adamaircraft.com July 05, 2006 04:22 PM US Eastern Timezone Adam Aircraft Announces A500 Aircraft Featured in 'Miami Vice,' the Movie
ENGLEWOOD, Colo.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--July 5, 2006--Adam Aircraft today announced that the Adam A500 centerline twin-engine piston airplane will be featured in the upcoming Universal Pictures release "Miami Vice," the movie, in theaters July 28, directed by renowned director Michael Mann and starring Academy Award(R)-winner Jamie Foxx and Colin Farrell.
The Adam A500, based on Centennial Airport (KAPA) in Colorado, flew to Florida and the Dominican Republic for two extended filming schedules. Adam Aircraft pilots Jan D'Angelo and Mike McCready flew the airplane on all legs of both trips, including circumnavigating Hurricane Wilma to meet the film crew in Florida and the Dominican Republic. The Dominican Republic flight signified the first international flight for Adam Aircraft.
While shooting on location, many of the "Miami Vice" crew, including Michael Mann, Jamie Foxx and Colin Farrell, took the opportunity to fly in the airplane. For some segments, Michael Mann even personally shot the action from the cabin of the A500!
"The Adam Aircraft A500 is the ideal airplane for 'Miami Vice,'" said Adam Aircraft CEO Rick Adam. "The A500 signature twin-boom profile reaches the level of high style and high performance necessary to meet the standards of a Michael Mann production, and the footage we've seen shows off the airplane's extraordinary look, along with its superior speed and maneuverability."
The film features Adam Aircraft A500 Serial Number 002, which has:
-- Flown more than 1,200 flight hours
-- Visited more than 100 U.S. cities, airports and FBOs (Fixed Base Operators)
-- Flown more than 187,000 miles on the odometer, greater than eight times around the world
-- Holds the National Aeronautic Association A500 Speed Record Over a Recognized Course both from Las Vegas, Nevada, to Long Beach, California, and from Long Beach, California, to Denver, Colorado
About the Film
The cocaine cowboys of the '80s are gone, but Miami's Casablanca allure, the undercover cops and the attitudes of Michael Mann's culturally influential television series have been enhanced by time in the feature film version of "Miami Vice."
Ricardo Tubbs (Academy Award(R)-winner Jamie Foxx of "Ray," "Jarhead") is urbane and dead smart. He lives with Bronx-born intel analyst Trudy, played by British actress Naomie Harris ("28 Days Later," upcoming "Pirates of the Caribbean II and III"), as they work undercover transporting drug loads into south Florida to identify a group responsible for three murders.
Sonny Crockett (Colin Farrell of "S.W.A.T.," "The New World") (to the untrained eye, his presentation may seem unorthodox, but procedurally he is sound) is charismatic and flirtatious until, while undercover working with the supplier of the south Florida group, he gets romantically entangled with Isabella, the Chinese-Cuban wife of an arms and drugs trafficker. Isabella is played by the Chinese actress Gong Li ("Raise the Red Lantern," "Memoirs of a Geisha").
The best undercover identity is oneself with the volume turned up and restraint unplugged. The intensity of this case pushes Crockett and Tubbs out onto the edge where identity and fabrication become blurred, where cop and player become one - especially for Crockett in his romance with Isabella and for Tubbs in the provocation of an assault on those he loves.
"Miami Vice," as a large-scale feature film, liberates what is adult, dangerous and alluring about working deeply undercover ... especially when Crockett and Tubbs go to where their badges don't count.
"Miami Vice" stars Colin Farrell, Jamie Foxx, Gong Li, Naomie Harris and Ciaran Hinds and is written and directed by Michael Mann, who also produces along with Pieter Jan Brugge; Anthony Yerkovich serves as executive producer.
About Adam Aircraft
Adam Aircraft is a designer and manufacturer of advanced aircraft for civil and government markets. The company uses computer-aided design, rapid prototyping, advanced manufacturing techniques, and carbon composite materials to produce high-performance aircraft at attractive prices. The A500 twin-engine piston aircraft has been Type Certified by the FAA, and the A700 AdamJet is currently undergoing flight test and development. The company's largest outside investor is Goldman Sachs. Adam Aircraft headquarters are based on Centennial Airport (APA) in Englewood, Colorado, with additional facilities in Pueblo, Colorado, and Ogden, Utah. To learn more about the company, visit www.adamaircraft.com.
About Universal Pictures
Universal Pictures is a division of Universal Studios (www.universalstudios.com). Universal Studios is part of NBC Universal, one of the world's leading media and entertainment companies in the development, production, and marketing of entertainment, news, and information to a global audience. Formed in May 2004 through the combining of NBC and Vivendi, NBC Universal owns and operates a valuable portfolio of news and entertainment networks, a premier motion picture company, significant television production operations, a leading television stations group, and world-renowned theme parks. NBC Universal is 80%-owned by General Electric, with 20% controlled by Vivendi.
what is the point of such a wacked out design?
Aviation Ping
That's an ample amount of alliteration.
Safety. If you lose one engine, a centerline-thrust twin is easier to control than one with the engines mounted on the wings.
Light twins actually have a worse accident record than single-engine planes. With twice the engines, you are twice as likely to have an engine-out event, and when you do, the a standard twin-engine craft becomes a widowmaker. It is likely to stall and/or spin if you make a turn towards the side of the dead engine.
-ccm
An updated version of the Cessna Mixmaster?
Like the old Cessna 337. Push/pull idea. I think the props rotate in opposite directions making for a very stable ride. Also, should one quit, especially on take off, the forces won't want to flip you over.
Bottom line, better control and less drag.
Since it is a pusher-pull configuration (cancelling out engine torque), you very well can't have a conventional tail. This configuration minimizes fuselage cross section, thus drag.
Getting the tail control surfaces away from the engine wash makes control predictable and efficient.
Other details address streamlining and minimum drag.
-ccm
The Eclipse E500 (based in Albuquerque) just received provisional FAA certification. $1.5 million apiece.
"Vern Raburn, chief executive of Eclipse Aviation, says he has over 2,500 orders for the Eclpise E-500, most of which required a non-refundable deposit of $125,000."
Here is the link to the specs and safety information:
http://www.pilotjournal.com/content/2006/marapr/adam_a500.html
"...Another goal of Adam’s push-pull design is to revive the pressurized twin without reintroducing the risks formerly associated with those original, heavy, corporate piston twins. Centerline thrust is regarded as so safe and easy to handle by the FAA that there’s a special twin rating formerly dedicated strictly to the CLT Cessna Skymasters, but now applicable to the Adam A500, as well...."
Flight testing has been going on for 6 or 8 months and certification is expected later this year.
The A500 isn't supposed to be competitive with VLJs. It's a piston twin and is in a totally different market.
The thing to watch with the Eclipse will be any kinds of longevity and manufacturing issues once they go into production. One of the reasons Eclipse is so cheap is that they are using some manufacturing practices to keep costs down. One of those is welding a lot of structures that would be rivetted on a conventionally built aircraft. In the out years I could see some significant NDI requirements if there is ever a failure in one of those welds.
One thing I will say for Eclipse is that they are dealing with liability in a proactive way. When you place an aircraft within the reach of doctors, lawyers, business people you have to fear a rash of mishaps. Can you imagine a Kennedy buying one of these things? The $1.5mil price includes training which they have sourced out to United Airlines in Denver. Depending on your experience level after training you may or may not require some number of hours with a "mentor" pilot. I don't know how Eclipse will enforce that, but that is their intent.
You like vertical stabs? I've got just the car for you.
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