Make that 272

Maybe it's time to begin discussing the BD-5 again.

I kinda feel like the VELOCE 600 could be the next aircraft to take the mantle from the raptor.

Over promised performance in a pressurized tube with a new airframe design built by a guy who has more time on Facebook than engineering classes.

I feel like you can safely stop listening any time some new company says “pressurized.”

And what is it about these people and canards and pushers?

It’s all marketing. Rutan showed us how good the canard design can be, and so it has become the poster child for efficiency. Pressurization is comfort and performance. If Lancair can do it so can I. Combine the two and your incredible claims might just be believable enough to get some investor capital.

this was a wild ride. I got into it a few times with the right seat captain "engineer" guy haha good times.

Everyone has moved to electric planes to scam investors. How many stories do you hear about the next game changing electric plane that will never fly but has millions invested.

I do follow Hill Helicopters now to take place of this drama. But that guy a much smarter and has a lot more money. So it's less entertaining. Actually even lost of love for that project as its taking too long and not sure it will ever fly before they run out of money.

Whats Peter doing these days?

Mike

I look forward to seeing/learning how the Hill engine performs.

In my opinion, Jim Bede was a great salesman, a mediocre engineer, and a poor businessman.

Those that have flown a completed BD-5 all say it has great flying characteristics and performance.
While the original performance calculations were overly optimistic, they were at least derived from engineering calculations.

Jim Bede was at least using known physics, whereas the Raptor appears to have been designed in dreamland.

The next-gen raptor was a hybrid, driven by electric ducted fan motors, with the rotor / stator on the outside rim of the fan. He had a prototype motor built up which of course showed the superior design operating at a fraction of the required RPM. I think he might have also had a fan in the nose, I forget if he was on the VTOL/STOL bandwagon. He had a box-style main wing.

No update on that project for a while now.

Well sounds like Peter is on the right track to get more idiots money thrown at him. Talk about electric and people throw money at you. Haha

Lots of Woke money out there looking for some change the world EV investment.
Should be in green, sarcasm.

Mike

[/color]It looks like his unducted engine is still in development.
https://www.google.com/search?q=ge+rise+ductless+engine&rlz=1C1ONGR_en&oq=ge+rise+ductless+engine&gs_lcrp=EgZjaHJvbWUyBggAEEUYOTIHCAEQIRigATIHCAIQIRigATIHCAMQIRigATIHCAQQIRigATIHCAUQIRigAdIBCDQ4MjRqMGo0qAIAsAIB&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8#fpstate=ive&vld=cid:6552c785,vid:_jiP9s6XDcg,st:0

"The prototype is expected to be flying by September 2024"

*checks calendar*

They haven't finished mounting the engines yet.

Sounds about right.

Peter had modelled the Raptor in the CFD module of Solidworks, but running a few basic calcs indicated it was well disconnected from reality.

I suspect he had a poor grasp of the need for accuracy of the input parameters, such as fluid properties, across the entire operating range. The lift/drag polar of the airfoil section in CFD was likely based on the flow being laminar for a long way from the leading edge. The actual transition to turbulent would have been further forward.

I often run into that issue my young engineers who blindly use engineering software. They usually fail to understand that the softare defaults need to be understood, rather than ignoring and hoping for the best.

I hope Phil C. has some views he could share on this.

In my opinion, Jim Bede was a great salesman, a mediocre engineer, and a poor businessman.

Those that have flown a completed BD-5 all say it has great flying characteristics and performance.
While the original performance calculations were overly optimistic, they were at least derived from engineering calculations.

Jim Bede was at least using known physics, whereas the Raptor appears to have been designed in dreamland.

All new aircraft designs should be named 'Theory'....because everything works in theory.