A tele-conference with the principals of the North American OMF Aircraft operation discussed the bankruptcy of their German parent company Wednesday. While the news that ANN broke recently certainly casts a negative light on the future of the highly regarded OMF 160, and its future siblings the diesel powered OMF 135D and the Four-Place OMF-250; Company President Paul Costanzo was modestly optimistic about the future of their programs. Due to legal language incorporated in the investment contract reached between SGF (the Canadian Gov't investment arm) and OMF Gmbh; the Canadian company will be able to buy controll

Hartzell tells ANN that a new three-bladed propeller is now available for a wide range of Beech Bonanzas and Debonairs. The new propeller is a hybrid design to maintain the outstanding structural characteristics of the existing Bonanza blade while incorporating improvements in the tip section like those found on Hartzell's newer "Blended Airfoil" blades. The objective was to offer a larger diameter propeller for improved performance without increasing the noise signature of the propeller. As a result, at 82 inches in diameter the new propeller is 2 inches larger than the previous Bonanza propeller and provides an increase in take-off and climb performance. Pilots are also reporting an increase in cruise performance. Like the previous Top Prop for Bonanzas, this propeller comes wit