Are The Hard Times Behind Them? To all appearances, things would seem to be looking up at Liberty Aerospace. With the recently announced availability of the Aspen EFIS system, and the announcement of a new advanced XL2 Vanguard Edition, Liberty hopes to be one of the survivors in an increasingly problematic GA market. The latest model of the FADEC-equipped two seat touring and training aircraft offers a Gross Weight increase to 1,750 pounds, and toe-brakes, WAAS enabled Garmin GPS avionics, Jeppesen Terrain Database, and entry steps, as standard equipment. New optional avionics include the all-digital Aspen Evolution Pro Primary Flight Display (PFD) system, Garmin GTX 330 Transponder with Traffic Avoidance, and GPS-coupled S-TEC 30 Dual Axis Autopilot. An Insight True Flow 500 Fuel Flow Computer, coupled directly to the GPS for live in-flight fuel management, is also available. "After recently celebrating the delivery of Serial Number 100 of the Liberty XL2, we are excited to now launch this advanced model and reach another milestone in the continued development of the XL2," said Keith Markley, President and CEO of Liberty Aerospace. "The new gross weight allows a generous payload of 420 pounds with full fuel, and toe brakes will enable Flight Schools to offer more conformity in their training programs. Add WAAS-enabled GPS avionics with Traffic Avoidance for maximum utilization of our Certified IFR capability, and the FADEC equipped Vanguard XL2 pulls far away from what little competition we had in the certified two-place market." The Vanguard model also sports a new blue-tone decal design, and the entry steps offer easier access to the cabin over the wing. Finger brakes -- often preferred by private owners for their simplicity and ease of maintenance, but increasingly rare on training aircraft -- will still be available as optional equipment. Deliveries of the new model are expected to begin in early summer of this year. Come join Aero-TV as we get an update on the XL-2 program from ...