– Air Plains Services, a world leader in general aviation engine and avionics upgrades, announced today it would exhibit again in 2023 at the annual Sun ‘n Fun Aerospace Expo in Lakeland, Fla., March 28 through April 2.
“We’re eager to return to Sun ‘n Fun for our second year to visit with current customers and develop new relationships,” said Katie Church, Air Plains president. “We’ll feature our popular Cessna engine upgrades as well as new products introduced over the past year.”
Air Plains will be in a larger exhibit space this year at MD-23 and will show off several customer airplanes featuring various Air Plains upgrades.
Air Plains boasts eight engine upgrade STCs, the widest range of engine upgrades for Cessna single-engine pistons in the industry. Five of the upgrades are branded Extreme Performance, or XP upgrades: two STCs for the 180hp XP upgrade for the 172; a 300hp XP upgrade for the Cessna 180; a 300hp XP upgrade for the Cessna 182; and a 300hp XP upgrade for the Cessna 182RG. The company also offers a 260hp upgrade for both the Cessna 182S and T models and a 260hp upgrade for the Cessna 182RG.
Earlier this year, Air Plains introduced the new 172XPα Advanced Instrument Panel developed specifically for Cessna 172 owners either planning to upgrade with its 180hp STC, or for the more than 2,500 172XP upgrades already in operation. The new avionics panel, like the engine upgrade, can be installed by Air Plains at its Kansas facility or shipped as a complete kit for local installation.
“The new 172XPα panel combines the best from Dynon and Avidyne to completely transform the 172XP cockpit for 21st century operations and to take full advantage of the 180-horsepower engine upgrade,” Church said. “We’ve already installed a number of new panels and we’re very happy with the performance.”
The 172XPα panel also enhances the utility of a 180hp upgraded Cessna 172 in a training environment as it meets all the requirements under FAA FAR 61.129(j) for a Technically Advanced Aircraft (TAA) needed for a commercial pilot rating.
Air Plains added to its stable of aircraft components, including the addition of a vernier throttle control cable for Cessna 180 and 182 developed exclusively for Air Plains by McFarlane Aviation that allows more precise throttle settings by simply twisting the knob.
Air Plains operates a full-service machine shop and will feature a number of PMA parts for a variety of aircraft parts including airboxes, adjustable airbox brackets and airbox gaskets, baffle assemblies, exhaust components, and a variety of miscellaneous parts, many available at the company’s online shop. Air Plains also offers a variety of propeller STCs from top brands including McCauley, Hartzell, Sensenich and MT.
For more information about any of Air Plains products or services, call 1-800-752-8481 or +1-620-326-8904, visit www.airplains.com. For online shopping, visit the Air Plains web store at https://shopairplains.com.
