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Maybe an RV-13??
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Throwing my $0.02 into the ring...I would have to agree with the aforementioned high-wing design for the discussed reasons.
There are A LOT of Cessna 170/172, 180/182/185, etc. out there, and a lot of older pilots that clearly favor the high-wing design for much easier ingress/egress. I think a high-wing version of essentially an RV-10 - available both as a taildragger or tri-gear - would be well received in the marketplace. |
Jez have you ridden in a EV? I have a idea where the frontiers of what I'd define as "Total Performance" aviation is heading and it sure looks like a happy place to me. 500 Wh/kg is about where batteries need to get to and that's only 3-6 years off (about what I take to build a RV). You could define the physical batteries shape now and even fly low endurance versions of the battery today the rest is a just another engineering project well within their comfort zone.
Now where's my tinfoil hat... Perry |
My take
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I have a new battery design, it has much higher energy densiity that li ion; when comprimised, it dissipates to inert items and doesnt create an explosion; it recharges in 15 minutes; and is lighter for the same range. It is called avgas. My problem with li ion batteries is it takes technology to keep them safe; when the technology fails, you have a bad day. For avgas and lead acid batteries, technology makes them work, if the technology fails, all you are left with are lumps of inert items. JMHO. |
Vans on podcasts
I just finished listening to a couple aviation podcasts with Van as the guest host. In the EAA Green Dot podcast - Sept 6, 2017, when they asked him at 28:24 "What's on your drawing board?",
he cryptically retorted, "I don't know, did you ever watch the Jetsons?" So... is there a flying car in the Vans lineup future or was he just messing around? I suspect he's messing around. I temper my enthusiasm with the statement he made directly before that 28:18 "Aviation is not a growth business, it's a bit of a struggle just to hold your own." He also says Vans Aircraft has seen a long shallow decline since '08. That will dramatically lower any enthusiasm to take on risky new designs. If there is some new trend that fits comfortably in their lineup, it will happen. But personally... I don't see it. And quite frankly, beyond the basic bread and butter they've been serving amazingly well for almost 45 years now. They are what they are. |
High wing vote
None of us are getting younger and everyone will someday say scurrying up on the wing, settling down into cockpit and then trying to pull yourself up and out. Legs, knees and hips tend not to sing with joy while doing the above. So, for those of us that will be transitioning from low wing to high wing with easy in / easy out would be a winner.
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https://youtu.be/PPaESFlSXVw
"Sebastian Thrun: Making flying cars a reality" Sounds like it's getting close. |
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I built my RV in 4 years, 9 months 19 days - that's from picking the kit up at the docks to registration certificate in hand. In that time I worked away 6 months of every year, moved house, and had 2 kids. Realistically, the -9 took me less than 2 years and I feel this is a realistic figure for one of the matched-hole 2-place kits. My only exposure to the RV kits before this was a former colleague who bought a -4 kit 20 years ago and I watched him set a couple of rivets. The kits certainly are doable by most anyone, and can be completed in a reasonable time if you can devote some time to it. A commentary with a decade-long time frame is likely to put a lot of people off needlessly - and part of the reason why I include my build-time as my forum signature. |
I have always been a big fan of RV's. The RV-4 prototype showed up at Oshkosh for the first time, the last time I went to Oshkosh.
But, I have never come close to buying or building one. If Van's sold a bush plane kit, with a high useful load, I would build one. This forum is THE source of info for homebuilt aircraft and systems, and I have learned a lot. I would like to say thank you to all of you for your inputs here. My Bearhawk kit gets delivered in 3 months. The kit company has been wonderful to deal with. Happy New Year. |
High speed tourer
I would love to see Van expand into the high(-er) speed touring market that was left wide open by the demise of the composite two seaters from Lancair and Glasair i.e. I have long since thought the RV-4,6,7,8 were the perfect low(-er) speed “jack of all trades” and the Glasair III was the perfect high speed version (the Rocket a very close second).
I’m looking for my next project and my dream kit would be a side-by-side Rocket, SX-300 or “metal version” of a Glasair III with RV-12 or -14 style documentation and match hole ease of assembly. 235Kt high speed cruise and an economy cruise range of 1,200 NM. Useful load of 900 to 1,000 lbs. (And for all of you that want a high wing bush plane, does the Carbon Cub EX not scratch the itch? I think the only thing that makes the CC EX shy of perfection is a factory nod towards using Oratex fabric to allow you to cover it without painting.) |
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