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August 30, 2000          CLICK HERE to see actual video clips!

Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association
Members' Section

Aviation Gets a New Spark

Aug. 30 - Dr. Forrest M. Bird recently took off in his Piper J-3 Cub without spark plugs or magnetos, according to information released to AOPA Pilot Tuesday. Instead, the engine was running on SmartPlugs, a new catalytic ignition system that doesn't have moving parts and doesn't require a high-voltage source. During testing in Sandpoint, Idaho, Bird said the engine ran flawlessly between 2,300 and 2,700 rpm. The biggest advantage of the system is safety, while it also enables engines to burn low-octane fuels without detonation, weighs only three pounds, and can operate at high altitudes, said Mark Cherry, inventor of the SmartPlug, The technology was developed and tested over the past IO years by Automotive Resources, Inc. The system is internationally patented and has been licensed to kNew Corporation, a newly formed manufacturing and marketing company in Sandpoint. SmartPlug has received funding from NASA, the Environmental Protection Agency, and the Department of Defense. The company intends to, in turn, license the technology to a manufacturer that would then take it through the FAA certification process. For more information, call 208/265-2723 or e-mail smartplug@aol.com.

Phone: 208.265.2723
Email: info@smartplugs.com
SmartPlug is protected by US and International Patents.