They show a chute on their site.

They also show 3500 nm range...

I really hope that the test pilot makes it out alive.

It is a very interesting concept, and if he can deliver on those numbers... It will be incredible.
My biggest issue is the powerplant. Good concept, but only install this once you have a proven airframe, with 500 hours on a "normal" Turbo engine, that is tried, tested and reliable.
One step at a time...
That baby is really heavy. So you better have some serious power to lift this.
Once he has resolved the "flying issues", then move on to Jet A. Not both. He is setting himself for failure.

It’s too heavy. It doesn’t make enough power to make claimed speeds.

When asked directly, what performance numbers Peter expects from the prototype... he has no idea. I don’t think he cares. I think he just wants the escrow released so he can keep trying.

Sure, admire his determination and lofty goals. I hope the car engine gets traction.

But this project as a whole will be a failure. It will not make promised goals.

Someone said - oh, if he gets 25% of what he promised it’s a success. No it’s not! That’s a 75% failure.

It will fly, and probably be safe. He’s not paving any real new ground on the airframe.

It has potential to pioneer some advancement in the plant. Hopefully.

I'd say if he gets 90%, it's a success.

I admire the guy's tenacity, and wonder where the massive weight misses are. What parts of the air frame?

I'd say if he gets 90%, it's a success.

I admire the guy's tenacity, and wonder where the massive weight misses are. What parts of the air frame?

I agree with both of you in that the project will be overall a success if he gets it flying and it gets anywhere near 200+ KTAS.

Granted, not many people will want 2,700 nm range at 200 or even 225 kts. That's like 12+ hours in the air. Cut it down to a 1,500nm range plus reserves at 225 Kts and take that weight out in fuel and you have a good start towards lowering the overall weight.

The rest of the weight isn't going anywhere. Those composite people weren't amateurs. It's just a big cabin, a complex set of doors, retractable gear, etc. It all adds up.

If he can make a <$200k production plane that does 225 KTAS and has a 1,500nm range plus reserves, and doesn't have the critical wing loading of a Lancair IV-P, it'll beat the pants off anything else out there being currently offered in terms of price vs benefit.

We shall see.

$400,000, 225KTAS, pressurized, with a 1000nm range, new, BRS 5 seater, beats the pants off anything else out there.

I am a deposit holder.

And I really appreciate all of you out there so concerned with how I invest my money. I'm such an incompetent fool when it comes to financial matters, charitable giving or incentivizing noble causes.

Those doors won't be in a production version, should one ever make it to market. I bet there is 200lbs of savings to be had in a 2nd prototype. Still pretty far from the original empty weight estimate.

The DA50 super star is targetted at 2300lbs empty with a heavier engine.
I see no reason he cannot get down to that weight.
He should be able to get by with 60 gallons of fuel if it is as efficient as he thinks. Leaving about 800 lbs of payload.
If he took the planetary gear from a 421 or Tbone, he likely would be far ahead. And a MT prop he is revving high enough i don’t think the diesel pulses would be bad.

The problem with a 421 or TBone gearbox is the engine he is using isn’t engineered to take prop loads. It has to be transferred to the airframe some other way.

The Audi engine uses a viscous coupler for the transmission so the force is transferred into a viscous shear fluid.

I bet a hybrid viscous clutch with a 421 reduction gearbox could be engineered.

Rotational loads aren’t the problem. It’s thrust and gyroscopic loads that would destroy the main bearings on this engine in a few minutes. There’s a reason the front main bearing on an IO550 is as wide as it is.

There's the power pulses of the diesel too. For that, a viscous clutch could be right for the application (but the thrust load of the propeller would have to be addressed separately).

Thrust load would be on the gear box.