Raptor ends in corn field.

[Thruster88]

You have to admire aussie Peter Muller for his tenacity with the Raptor project. Over hyped and under engineered he was lucky not to be hurt in the second power plant failure in under 50 hours. Continental IO-550 might have been a good and cheaper option in the long run.

 

http://www.kathrynsreport.com/2021/08/raptor-aircraft-n352td-incident.html

[RossK]

Having watched the Wasabi Test Vlogs on this Airframe and then some of the Raptor ones, this is un-surprising.

Glad he is OK, looks to have done a better job than Dan Gryder !

[spenaroo]

everything in the universe is balanced...
this must be the universes check for Mike Patey

[RossK]

51 minutes ago, spenaroo said:

everything in the universe is balanced...
this must be the universes check for Mike Patey

Already paid

Draco

[Thruster88]

Raptor Next generation. Powered by hybrid engine. Power plant supposedly lighter than current engine.

 

[spenaroo]

hope the rest of it is lighter too...

"In an August 2019 video the prototype was weighed at an empty weight of 3,144 lb (1,426 kg), which is 1,344 lb (610 kg) heavier than originally estimated. At a gross weight of 3,800 lb (1,724 kg) the aircraft's useful load is 656 lb (298 kg). With full fuel of 121 U.S. gallons (460 L; 101 imp gal) the payload is −70 lb (−32 kg)"

reminds me of doing a Nav challenge (team of 3, plus the instructor. would jump in another aircraft when it wasn't your leg to fly) in the Jabiru and figuring out the order of pilots based on our weight, with the lightest first to give the maximum fuel load.
even then a full fuel load would still allow for a single pilot.

21 hours ago, RossK said:

Already paid

Draco

was referring more to the engineering side. with everything being calculated and simulated beforehand.

 

Edited August 11, 2021 by spenaroo

[Flightrite]

Like all these weaselly idea's they flounder round like a fish out of water till its dead! At least this goose is entertaining😁

[Thruster88]

If the Raptor Next Generation is a success it will be a first for box wing or closed wing aircraft as far as I can tell. Why hasn't it been done before by people like Burt Rutan?

[kasper]

54 minutes ago, Thruster88 said:

If the Raptor Next Generation is a success it will be a first for box wing or closed wing aircraft as far as I can tell. Why hasn't it been done before by people like Burt Rutan?

It would be the first fast box wing that is successful if it comes to be - but at over 250 Sunny ultralights built and sold I would say they were the first commercially successful box wing 😉  

[bull]

On 12/08/2021 at 1:35 PM, kasper said:

It would be the first fast box wing that is successful if it comes to be - but at over 250 Sunny ultralights built and sold I would say they were the first commercially successful box wing 😉  

I think Charles Legetti built the first successful box wing ,it flew very well . He did crash the two seat version unfortunetly resulting in his death.http://www.nestofdragons.net/weird-airplanes/tandemwings/ligeti-stratos/   

  A video of the prototype single seater flying,,

Edited August 31, 2021 by bull

[Flightrite]

I recall Charlie and that crash, I was there! He was being a bit of a hoon high speed low passes to impress, playing test pilot at only a few hundred feet wasn't very clever!:-(

Edited August 31, 2021 by Flightrite

[Old Koreelah]

Beautiful aircraft, looked a world-beater.

[bull]

24 minutes ago, Flightrite said:

I recall Charlie and that crash, I was there! He was being a bit of a hoon high speed low passes to impress, playing test pilot at only a few hundred feet wasn't very clever!:-(

Ah the wisdom of your hindsight is amazing, But yes you are right he was too confident and payed the price ,i think if the aircraft had gone on seriously it would have sold ,maybe,  https://www.atsb.gov.au/publications/investigation_reports/1987/aair/aair198701462/

Edited August 31, 2021 by bull

[kasper]

3 hours ago, bull said:

I think Charles Legetti built the first successful box wing ,it flew very well . He did crash the two seat version unfortunetly resulting in his death.http://www.nestofdragons.net/weird-airplanes/tandemwings/ligeti-stratos/   

  A video of the prototype single seater flying,,

And for clarity it was not a two seater that he crashed and was killed in but the pre-production / confirming prototype of the single seater.  There never was a two seat airframe taken to prototype just the single seater x 2 and they were quite different in a couple of critical areas. 
 

absolute crying shame to die in a crash but the first ever flight of a new design in front of your family and friends is devastating 

[Student Pilot]

Gordon Bedson did the same thing with his 2 seat Resurgum

[Student Pilot]

6 hours ago, Flightrite said:

I recall Charlie and that crash, I was there! He was being a bit of a hoon high speed low passes to impress, playing test pilot at only a few hundred feet wasn't very clever!:-(

The report said he stalled at 4 to 500 feet doing a slow run after flying around t height for 17 minutes, no mention of a beatup

[Flightrite]

Where you there?

[RossK]

16 hours ago, kasper said:

And for clarity it was not a two seater that he crashed and was killed in but the pre-production / confirming prototype of the single seater.  There never was a two seat airframe taken to prototype just the single seater x 2 and they were quite different in a couple of critical areas. 
 

absolute crying shame to die in a crash but the first ever flight of a new design in front of your family and friends is devastating 

That's confusing actually, as the ATSB report says the prototype had 340 hours flight time and it was the production version that crashed after 17 minutes.

Doesn't say whether it was single or two seats though.

"This aircraft was intended to be the production version of the "Stratos" aircraft. The prototype version had successfully flown some 340 hours. The production model incorporated significant changes made by the designer/pilot."

[kasper]

5 minutes ago, RossK said:

That's confusing actually, as the ATSB report says the prototype had 340 hours flight time and it was the production version that crashed after 17 minutes.

Doesn't say whether it was single or two seats though.

"This aircraft was intended to be the production version of the "Stratos" aircraft. The prototype version had successfully flown some 340 hours. The production model incorporated significant changes made by the designer/pilot."

Both airframes were hand built without molds.  Each was very different from each other in some ways bit both were very different as it came to the stall behaviour that Charles found to his great cost 17 min into the first flight of the second airframe.

 

The 340 hours was on the original airframe - it was VERY small - Charles was VERY small - I barely fit into it and I was only 16 and under 5'8" when I shoehorned myself into it (never flew it - just sat in it).

Second airframe had very different cockpit size and the rear wing / shroud and prop setup were changes as was the relative sizing of the control surfaces and control throws.

 

Both airframes still exist - but the second was not repaired after the crash  

 

[Flightrite]

7 hours ago, kasper said:

Both airframes were hand built without molds.  Each was very different from each other in some ways bit both were very different as it came to the stall behaviour that Charles found to his great cost 17 min into the first flight of the second airframe.

 

The 340 hours was on the original airframe - it was VERY small - Charles was VERY small - I barely fit into it and I was only 16 and under 5'8" when I shoehorned myself into it (never flew it - just sat in it).

Second airframe had very different cockpit size and the rear wing / shroud and prop setup were changes as was the relative sizing of the control surfaces and control throws.

 

Both airframes still exist - but the second was not repaired after the crash  

 

I only recall the accident in small detail. It sure was an odd design. The guy had a few friends/helpers hanging around him on the day & old Doc (who owned Penfield) was there also but it sure looked weird his design and when it finally went in I think to the south of the drome it disappeared behind some trees but was heading earthbound straight down into a very rocky outcrop. I'm not 100% sure but I think he wasn't wearing a bone dome either, Crazy! There was also a fatal crash of a Gyro copter, another crazy!:-(

Edited September 1, 2021 by Flightrite

[Thruster88]

The picture of the Stratos in the latest sport pilot magazine makes it look very short coupled. When trying to pitch up the increasing drag from the low elevator out front would not be helpful I am thinking.