All the talk about the Raptor being nothing but a Velocity with pressurization got me wondering what it takes to properly pressurize a home built plane.
Would it be possible to pressurize a Velocity ?
What kind of modifications did it take to pressurize the Lancair IV ?
There's very little to be found on the net. From what I could find, the Lancair relied heavily on Piper Malibu parts for the actual pressure regulations.
My thoughts on pressurizing a Velocity would be to only have one door with a double handled latching system like the IV-P. Reinforce the frame around the door. Thicker windows with some kind of gasketed/o-ring free floating frame that pushes from the inside. Controls on legacy airplanes seem to be sealed with boots. Would PM's idea on the Raptor of sealed bearings work instead boots, or would the bearings start binding as they see uneven pressure loads ?
Even a light pressurization of 3psi would allow cruising in the mid-teens without a nose tube and maybe cruising in the low 20's with just a nose tube instead of face killing mask.
Would it be possible to pressurize a Velocity ?
What kind of modifications did it take to pressurize the Lancair IV ?
There's very little to be found on the net. From what I could find, the Lancair relied heavily on Piper Malibu parts for the actual pressure regulations.
My thoughts on pressurizing a Velocity would be to only have one door with a double handled latching system like the IV-P. Reinforce the frame around the door. Thicker windows with some kind of gasketed/o-ring free floating frame that pushes from the inside. Controls on legacy airplanes seem to be sealed with boots. Would PM's idea on the Raptor of sealed bearings work instead boots, or would the bearings start binding as they see uneven pressure loads ?
Even a light pressurization of 3psi would allow cruising in the mid-teens without a nose tube and maybe cruising in the low 20's with just a nose tube instead of face killing mask.