What if there really is a 30 knot speed mod? From racing sailplanes as well as my aerospace career, I've been involved in a number of drag reduction projects. However, it's interesting to share a fresh approach.
A few years ago, NASA conducted personal air vehicle research that focused on door-to-door trip speeds. What?s really slowing us down? While our airplanes are very fast, NASA found that inter-modal delays (example; picking up a rental car) and driving times are cutting our overall trip speeds in half. They went on to conclude that, ?strategies addressing delay are more attractive than the traditional approach of increasing cruise speed.?
What does this mean for an RV-10? Below, we can see a typical 200nm cross-country in an RV-10. After accounting for inter-modal delays and ground commute, the door-to-door trips speed is only 98.6 knots. In the second column, we can see that a conventional 5-knot speed mod has very little effect on the overall trip speed.
How can I get there even faster? MotoPOD LLC developed a patent-pending motorcycle carrier to provide pilots with immediate ground transportation at any airport. After landing, it takes around 90 seconds to remove the motorcycle, unfold the handlebars and ride away. This drastically improves trip speed in two ways:
1)Inter-modal delays: The average time spent in a rental car office is 21.5 minutes? not including the time spent making a reservation or returning the car. By comparison, bringing a street-legal motorcycle allows the pilot to transition from flying to riding in as little as 90 seconds.
2)Drive Time: Only 1/3 of public airports have ground transportation services. A motorcycle allows pilots to utilize 300% more airports and land closer to the final destination. The average drive is 11 minutes shorter.
In the third column, you can see how the motorcycle affects door-to-door speed. By addressing the weakest links in our trip, the door-to-door trip speeds are boosted by just over 30 knots! No other speed mod comes close! Furthermore, it?s probably the cheapest speed mod. A fancy prop or engine upgrade can cost upwards of $10,000/knot (trip speed). At around $15,000, the motorcycle and carrier are less than $500/knot.
When people first see my belly pod, they often ask, ?How much does that slow you down?? While this would be a relevant concern to a pylon racer, it really shows a narrow focus. As far as reaching my everyday destinations, nothing else will get me to grandma?s house faster. According to my calculations, I should be competitive against multi-million dollar jets on a typical 200nm trip.
Several of my friends have much faster airplanes and I once tried to arrange a simple race. My proposal was to select a random restaurant from a phone book and see who gets there first. The loser would pay for lunch. Unfortunately, I never found any takers. Not only were they concerned about losing the race, but they also felt that it wasn?t very fun or convenient to visit an off-airport restaurant. Perhaps more than speed, this illustrates the benefit that I enjoy most. With immediate ground transportation at every airport, I?ve enjoyed flying to new places, exploring destinations and traveling more conveniently than before.
