Maybe they just need to call it the iRaptor, position themselves as an internet flying company and make billions on the IPO.

They advertised a 300kt, 4-5 seat pressurized piston, 1500 lbs. useful load with a chute that will go 3600nm + at FL250 and fit in a T hanger. All for the introductory low price of $130k.

Let's put this in perspective:

If legislation were created today, passed by both houses of Congress and signed of by the President to make this happen using unlimited resources and partnering with Boeing, Lockheed and GE, they couldn't do it. All this ever was, was a pipe dream.

The technology (propulsion mainly) doesn't exist to make this happen at any price.

Suppose for a moment that we could snap our fingers and make this dream a reality TODAY....what's the market price for this plane? $2M? $3M?

Who'd by a Cirrus anything or a Beech anything or a Piper or a TBM?

If you’ve been following the last 30-some pages, you’ll know that the rebuttal is, “Oh yeah? Let’s see YOU design something better and bring it to market!”

He is spending his money, his time, and his everything else on the project. Maybe it works maybe it does not either way we should for a guy like that.

I remember hearing the same thing about these guys building carbon fiber planes with a parachute. It can't be done, they won't hold up, real pilots will never buy a plane with a chute, etc... they have done ok, I think they even sell jets now.

10 years ago people said electric cars and trucks would never happen 3 years ago people said electric airplanes would never happen.

15 years ago no one would have dreamed of a private company offering space travel options, or hauling cargo for NASA, much less landing rockets on small floating pads in the ocean.

Everything is impossible until someone does it. I don't know if Peter will be the guy to make the raptor thing happen or not but I don't mind cheering for him along the way. I like guys who try new things, push the envelope, think outside of the box, and try to make a difference in the world along the way.

I suspect that even if they miss their performance numbers by double digits and even if they raise the cost to $350,000-$400,000 they will be able to sell these kits faster then they can build them. Time will tell. I bet they push the throttles forward on a runway in the next few months.

Here, here! Pete shares my thinking...

Best,

Tom

So what if they finally face reality and come up with kit that delivers the same performance as a Lancair 4P for around $600k once you include all the avionics and engine costs. Would that really sell?

Sometimes there are courageous individuals who push the state of the art to new heights.

This isn't one of those cases, alas.

This is not new and unexplored territory. He isn't pushing back some frontier. People have maps he could use to retarget his project to an achievable goal. With some guidance, his effort could be more than a tragic story of optimism killed by physics.

The only drama is when it ends, and if anybody gets hurt along the way, and I don't mean economically.

Mike C.

Wouldn't that basically be a Velocity? I'm not familiar with the Velocity line but just from their website, an unpressurized Raptor looks an awful lot like a Velocity TXL w/ a car engine. http://www.velocityaircraft.com/airplan ... s-txl.html

So you've come around to now agree with what others saw 3 years ago. But at the same time, you imply they aren't being supportive enough. So help me understand this, if you see a train wreck coming, when is the supportive time to mention it?We won't know whether that's true until we find out if people get their money back from escrow.

Mooney's experience using a Porsche engine poisoned the waters for auto engines in airplanes.

Reliability in an automotive environment does not translate to reliability in an aircraft.

I am all for innovation and lofty goals. That said, just because someone believes they can jump off a building and fly doesn't make it so. Pointing that out doesn't make one a pessimist.

Some might think a parchute works fine, others might not!

I guess when its built then will have to chat again,,,,,,,,?

I hope they can pull it off......

Dave, I am not trying to play both sides of the coin. I am just saying to beat these guys up call them names, and constantly put them down seems silly to me. Yes they are over weight, behind schedule, and over budget. So is Tesla, so was cirrus at one point, same for space X, etc etc etc. When you are trying something new and attempting something that no one has ever done before things don't always go perfect. So what, the project moves ahead. Some of the weight, budget and time, came because they decided to add things, like a second turbo, AC, etc. They were not initially planned for but as the project progressed they decided to add them. Others came because they ran into an issue. For example the doors, I bet they weigh double what they planned for because of the issues they ran into and the extra hardware that was needed. They had issues with the foreplane that required added weight. Hindsights always 20/20 and its easy too. Peter has been totally transparent in this build process. He has taken suggestions and feedback from those following the process. I respect a guy who is willing to be as transparent as this guy has been thus far.

In the end I don't know if it will fly, I suspect it will, and I hope it does. Can they sell them, thats another question and I have more doubts about that. But I am still pulling for them and following their progress. I don't have a deposit for a raptor, so no dog in the fight for me. I wish them well, I pray it works and no one gets hurt along the way.

They planned a pressurized airplane without AC?