BeechTalk - BT - Raptor Aircraft 5 Seat Pressurized 3,600 NM Range Diesel

Username Protected · **Posted:** 08 Oct 2020, 16:05

Which smilie means "shaking my damn head." He used up 75% of the runway before liftoff and didn't abort?!

Username Protected · **Posted:** 08 Oct 2020, 16:41

Username Protected wrote:

Yeah that’s not good.

The issues seem like major power and design issues. Not little things to tweak.

I was really hoping it would climb well and have the power it needs but not even close.

With one person and light fuel this thing should scream. Even if he lost 1000lbs it’s still not going to perform. Really sad.

It seemed to be mushy and on the edge of stalling the entire time. To me it looked like it would try and climb but lose lift at the angle of attack it needs to climb at. How do you fix that?

I think heat is the least of his problems.

Mike

Mike I agree the heat is a small issue compared to all the other issues. It was painfully obvious in the video that he left out any kind of talk of performance. I think Peter knows by know this dream is not going to come true when it comes to the performance of this aircraft. I am sure he is trying to figure out how he can salvage something good out of all the work and money that has been invested over the past 4 years of his life. In the end I am not sure he is going to have much to show for his efforts and expense.

Username Protected · **Posted:** 08 Oct 2020, 16:53

I had heart palpations watching that. Holy crap. All I could think of was Dead man walking.

I will give him credit for being honest. He admitted he did not have the cabin door locked, just hooked. If it had come open at lift off, with very little runway remaining... This would be a very different discussion.

I don't know what his coolant pressure was, but if it has a 30 psi pop-off, the WWII fighters hit that at around 120C, 250F. Once that happens, its a short ride. The temps never stabilized until he was below 5 gph fuel flow. At 120 kts, with the gear down and the power reduced the temps were still marching upward. He was literally moments away from popping off. I doubt he could have finished the circuit back to 17 without blowing the cooling system. Putting the gear up is not going to fix his cooling issue. He is not even close to having the cooling he needs. The cooling system needs a redesign before he flies again.

He said he might find another pilot. Any pilot willing to fly that airplane, without major cooling system upgrades, after watching his video, is totally unqualified to fly that airplane.

Username Protected · **Posted:** 08 Oct 2020, 17:04

It looks like the altimiter gained 100' during the takeoff roll and then dropped 50' as soon as he lifed off and the deck angle changed a bit. As someone previously said, he needs a pitot/static test boom.

Username Protected · **Posted:** 08 Oct 2020, 17:15

Username Protected wrote:

It looks like the altimiter gained 100' during the takeoff roll and then dropped 50' as soon as he lifed off and the deck angle changed a bit. As someone previously said, he needs a pitot/static test boom.

Pitot/Static leak check won’t solve position error issues. Wind tunnel/flightests do that.

Username Protected · **Posted:** 08 Oct 2020, 17:23

Does this mean my mooney will fly on 200 hp and 3600 lbs?

Username Protected · **Posted:** 08 Oct 2020, 17:28

Username Protected wrote:

Doesn't seem particularly stable in roll, either. Winds were reported as calm.

I also get a kick out of the idea that he designed an airplane with control sticks but flies it from the right seat because the controls feel more natural to him that way.

Probably right handed. :shrug:

Username Protected · **Posted:** 08 Oct 2020, 17:35

Username Protected wrote:

Also, anyone catch his left leg in the turn to 04? Haven't seen shaking like that since my first solo...... :bugeye:

He had every reason to be shaking, I would have been too...

Username Protected · **Posted:** 08 Oct 2020, 18:35

You’ve got to admire his nerve to fly his creation. I am always apprehensive when I test fly my 56TC.

Username Protected · **Posted:** 08 Oct 2020, 18:37

Username Protected wrote:

Not sure why he does that. He's not a helo driver, is he?

He mentioned (I think) that he had more time in the right seat as a CFI.

Username Protected · **Posted:** 08 Oct 2020, 18:38

Username Protected wrote:

I believe that engine makes around 200HP based on the performance and fuel flows I saw. Continuing this madness will only result in death or injury.

You would think he would, you know, bring in a professional diesel tuner. That would require logical thinking skills though.

Username Protected · **Posted:** 08 Oct 2020, 18:56

Isn't he originally from Australia?
Don't they drive on the left, and sit on the right?

Username Protected · **Posted:** 08 Oct 2020, 18:57

He built a car.

The pitch and roll oscillations are nothing to do with the gear being down. Putting them up could be worse.

I am not sure I want to watch any more of this......but it is hard not to.

The cooling scoop on the top is likely to be a low pressure area, and likely to be a contributor to the pitch issues. It certainly seems to hinder cooling.

At what point do you stop for a proper re-think? :scratch:

Username Protected · **Posted:** 08 Oct 2020, 19:39

Username Protected wrote:

At what point do you stop for a proper re-think? :scratch:

About 2 years ago? :shrug:

There are videos of industry experts helping him out. I remember one guy had been an engineer at Scaled. I wonder what happened to all those people? Did he run them off?

Username Protected · **Posted:** 08 Oct 2020, 20:03

Username Protected wrote:

It looks like the altimiter gained 100' during the takeoff roll and then dropped 50' as soon as he lifed off and the deck angle changed a bit. As someone previously said, he needs a pitot/static test boom.

Pitot/Static leak check won’t solve position error issues. Wind tunnel/flightests do that.