Thanks for asking, but no............

[Deskpilot]

I'd have a go at flying almost anything but this is one aircraft You wouldn't see my butt in.

 

http://www.barnstormers.com/eFLYER/2007/070600eFLYER.html

 

 

[turboplanner]

You don't need wings when you've got two Chev 350's DP!

 

 

[turboplanner]

Good use of a caravan jockey wheel too!

 

 

[forexjohnny]

Not what you would call a beautiful aircraft and how it flys is anyone’s guess but you can be sure it will be one of the best sounding aircraft getting around.

 

Wonder how I can make my rotax sound like that.

 

John

 

 

[winsor68]

Now this will be interesting....

 

 

[facthunter]

Contra rotating props would tame it a bit. With a long enough runway you would be ok if you don't mind seeing some fairly high approach speeds on the dial. It certainly should sound OK. I wonder what speeds it has to beat to get the record? Nev

 

 

[Ultralights]

ducted fan blade technology. wouldnt a ducted fan blade be far more efficient in an actual ducted fan?

 

 

[djpacro]

Not at high speed.

 

 

[Gnarly Gnu]

Isn't that the one featured in Popular Mechanics just recently?

 

 

[Suitman]

I reckon it would goshed lake house,shed lake house,shed lake house,shed lake house,shed lake house,shed lake house,shed lake house,shed lake house,shed lake house, whack!!!!

... taking out the shed, the house and then vaporising the lake.

 

 

[Gnarly Gnu]

There is an article in Popular Mechanics about home designed-and-built aircraft and it featured this beast. In the same article it talks a lot about another designer named Mark Stull who builds things like this:

 

 

Unfortunately Mark has just died testing one of his creations, killed by a low altitude stall it seems. "Stull had just taken off on his first test flight of a new design shortly after 3 pm on Wednesday when the accident occurred. According to a witness, he had climbed to about 50 feet when the aircraft stalled, flipped, and fell to the ground. Stull died instantly"

 

Quite sad.

 

 

[Deskpilot]

Mark and I correspond on his Ring Tail and I'm glad to say that he took on some of my suggestions. That design was very successful, unlike his last and dangerous design. I, like many others who knew him, wonder why he went down the track that lead to he demise. He will be missed by many.

 

RIP Mark.

 

 

[Gnarly Gnu]

Can you elaborate on what the later dangerous design was Doug?

 

 

[Litespeed]

So just let me get this straight...........

 

You design a aircraft for record setting speed with prop..

 

You hanker for big horsepower and love pushrod V8's

 

So you use two massive drag racing engines which are designed for very short lifespans and have huge cooling issues.

 

You worry about rotational torque and opt for contra-rotating props.

 

You build it just like a drag racer but with wings.

 

To me it looks like a hand grenade waiting to go off.

 

I would not be seen alive in that cockpit.

 

 

[Deskpilot]

Can you elaborate on what the later dangerous design was Doug?

OK. There is only this one image available as far as I know.

 

 

Ignoring the rather strange fin/rudder, the concept was a trike wing fixed to an ordinary airframe. The wing was borrowed, not Marks usual practice, and was fitted with very little incidence (AoA) How it was intended to provide roll control is still a mystery and weather the tail feathers were large enough to provide sufficient pitch and yaw is also questionable. Conventional tail feathers are known not to work well behind a delta wing. Mark had so many 'out there' ideas so who knows. It seems that, flying in a 17 Knot wind!!!!! and levelling out at 50ft., the wing stalled and the craft pitch straight down. Mark died instantly on hitting the ground. My thoughts are that he had insufficient AoA to keep the wing 'inflated'. Another mystery is as to why he wanted to keep this design secret. He just teased us by saying he was working on something different. Had he spoken up, he may well be still alive today.

 

 

[aj_richo]

Heres a later photo of the RP-4 Thing!

 

Stretch-limo of the skies... er tarmac

 

 

[Deskpilot]

:super hero:to the rescue. Surely that thing wont fly. Gob smacked to say the least.

[Potter]

I've been trying to find on the net if it's actually flown, but can't seem to find anything about it. I think it's kind of sexy, and with a helmet and parachute I'd give it a go. Whatever happens you will make the news. The Nemesis NXTs look scarier than that thing

 

 

[kaz3g]

far out,,, not sure what to say!!! He must have teste's like basket balls!!!!

I guess that's why you wouldn't catch me flying it!

 

kaz

 

 

[dazza 38]

I've been trying to find on the net if it's actually flown, but can't seem to find anything about it. I think it's kind of sexy, and with a helmet and parachute I'd give it a go. Whatever happens you will make the news. The Nemesis NXTs look scarier than that thing

Hi Harry, I checked out the NXT after you mentioned it.Wow what a machine.

 

 

[Guest davidh10]

With the duel (sic) fan, it looks more like an insinkerator.

 

The trouble with a parachute is you still have to make it to an altitude where it can have time to be effective.

 

 

[Guest Andys@coffs]

I wonder about the Pilots position being so far aft, ....pull back the stick to go up (after going down first) I always feel wierd sitting at the back of a 737 when it takes off....as though my buttis going to drag...... I also wonder what forward visibility will be like given its so far back and I image down low towards the middle of of the fuselage, I wonder if the bubble canopy has much impact on Rubber and elivator effectiveness.. There is much to wonder about with this design.... Zero/Zero ejection seat might be a nice thing to have...and a friend whose a back specialist orthopod

 

Andy

 

 

[dazza 38]

It doesnt look right.The fuse is long because of C of G.The HS doesnt look right, it looks too small.Who ever fly's it first IMO has a good chance of dying in it.The wings look too small.It remines me of a F104 Starfighter.The difference is that the F104 would had had Flight computors although primative at the time.It is well above my experience.Just thinking out loud.

 

 

[Litespeed]

I stand by my chicken reflex which says a large high powered alloy coffin.

 

 

[facthunter]

Nearly anything will fly, if you get the basics right. I'm no hero but despite the extreme looks of this machine I believe it will do "a" job.. I'd actually be willing to fly it. It probably lands at about 140 knots , but you just need a long runway and good tyres. ( and maybe a parachute as a brake). Nev