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A faster bush plane...

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Georden

Well-Known Member
Joined
Sep 17, 2006
Messages
165
Location
Calgary, AB Canada
Thinking of something like a ch701, but with effort taken to reduce drag as much as practical. Most aircraft with the low speed abilities I want top out at 80-100 mph, but also drag reduction in this category of aircraft is pretty much ignored. I'd like to set a goal of 150 mph top speed with 100 hp and a 30mph stall speed. Around 1100lbs gross weight for off airport use, maybe up it to 1300 when flying off a longer strip to gain some useful load.

I need to carry 450-500lbs of people and fuel, so a target of <650lbs empty

Nothing in my concept is high tech, just a mix of ideas from fast and slow aircraft.

So.. the wing is #1 here, low wing loading, highest aspect ratio possible without excessive span. Large fowler or slotted flaps across as much as possible. Drooping ailerons and automatic retractable leading edge slats. Sticking with a strut braced high wing seems like the best compromise, but only a single streamlined strut.

Fuselage is standard, side by side two seat high wing.

Large tail surfaces for low speed effectiveness.

Getting the ground angle steep enough to really use the slats requires long gear and off airport use requires large tires. I've been figuring out a way to retract the wheels. It causes some packaging issues, and will eat up some of my useful load, but since small tires and tight wheel pants aren't an option I think there will be large gains from retracts. What I've come up with places the retracted wheels at the sides of the fuselage ahead of the cabin, partially alongside the engine.

Aside from that it's just normal drag reduction, optimized cooling design, eliminating air leaks, gap seals etc.

Any thoughts or inputs? Seems like a concept that has been somewhat ignored. There are some that come close to the specs I want, but they aren't really off airport designs.
 
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