About the new engine + new airplane thing, it's a lot of risk to develop both together at the same time- conventional wisdom says it's easier to put a proven engine in a new airplane and put a new engine in a proven airframe...

... or something like that. It's a gutsy move if they can successfully pull it off, but it's also a lot of risk up front- engineering risk and business risk (you don't need a degree in business or engineering to get it either).

And again, I'm rooting for them, but it's a lot to bite off and chew.

Static thrust number of 800# is really low for an empty weight of 3200#

The Cirrus SF50 is 3600# empty and has an 1800# of thrust from the turbofan.

And I read the SF50 is a dog on takeoff.

Anyone know the static thrust of a 550 bonanza? 1200# comes to mind, but I’m not sure.

I told him that 2 years ago. Slap that engine on a Velocity XL and fly it to Oshkosh to validate your numbers. He was set on doing new engine/airframe at the same time. I love his innovation and dedication, but I don't think he's making smart business decisions.

I say when he flies he'll make 250+ TAS at FL250. I'm basing this on the currently flying Velocity TXLs that turn in those numbers.

But I also think there's a 50/50 chance it comes down under chute in the next 90 days.

The velocity TXL is around 1800# empty.

A lancair IVP is around 2200# empty.

The raptor is currently 3200# and growing.

It’ll NEVER make projected speeds. It’s way too heavy.

A high school kid with a copy of X-plane could have told him that a few years ago.

I didn’t know this thing weighed so much. I don’t think it would hardly fly or climb or land at a gross weight in the mid 4000s.

He needs to sit back and stop. There’s some psychological barrier to that occurring after spending so much time and effort. Basically it’s impossible to admit failure at this stage.

Hopefully no one gets hurt.

How is it even possible to be 1400lbs over a velocity? I thought all he really did was make it pressurized and new engine.

I am not totally sure I believe his weight numbers. Something isn’t right, or a lot of things are not right. It does suck that he has to have so much ballast in the front. It would drive me nuts to know I am flying around a bunch of ballast all the time.

Mike

In a previous video the plane came in at 2,917 empty. That's before final prime, paint, interior (I think only the front seats).

In comparison, my XL-RG empty weight is 1,874. I was about 100lbs more than I wanted to be.

Pressurization adds weight. He needs to ask himself about priorities. What is most important in this airplane. It seems that he’s trying to make a sacrifice in every category and thereby making a poor airplane for every mission.

I think pressurization is a big deal though. There are plenty of fast efficient planes that are not pressurized. Not many 5 seat pressurized prop planes out there, In fact very very few.

If this plane goes 230 TAS, FIKI, 5 adults, with a 1000nm range it would be amazing. Even it cost $300K. I realized even the above numbers are most likely impossible but I am glad he is trying. It takes guys to do things that everyone says is impossible and crazy to push us forward. Most advances have been things that should not have worked. Again I applaud him and am anxious to see what happens.

Mike

Edit- I had KIAS in error, meant True airspeed so I fixed it.

Applauding the guy’s efforts is OK but it doesn’t change physics. This thing may not actually be capable of flight.

You are right. Very very few will do what you described. A 700 hp Aerostar with the gross wt. increase to 6850 lbs. and aux fuel will do 230 KIAS, FIKI, 5 adults, with a 1000nm range all day long and you can buy one for about 300K with two real, proven aircraft engines. Maybe it's apples and oranges due to operating costs being higher for the legacy piston twin but the capability is already there.

I own an aerostar, if I could have an aerostar in the experimeenatl category, I'd do it in a flash.

Modern engine management, modern autopilots, ability to do things like fix marginal A/C with modern components and no DAR.

The airplane I'd really like is a Rutan Boomerang.

Maybe a lancair ES-P....
The Lancair IV-P looks interesting, but its killed a lot of good pilots...

Jack Pelton told the volunteers that it’s coming.
https://eaa.org/eaa/news-and-publicatio ... inistrator