Capt.Crash'n'Burn
Cleared for Takeoff
Does anyone know what the safety record of Velocity Aircraft is??
Specifically the XL and TXL models.
Specifically the XL and TXL models.
Does anyone know what the safety record of Velocity Aircraft is??
Specifically the XL and TXL models.
How do you quantify that? Accident rate versus one of the following?:
by number of kits finished and flying?
By number of hours flown?
My ONLY concern with the velocity is with the seats. Flimsy as hell. Lost a friend in a SIMILAR airframe with SIMILAR seats in Alabama a few years back during an otherwise survivable off airport landing.
Hard data notwithstanding, if you build it right, flight test it right, and put a reliable powerplant on it, my opinion is that its just as safe as the pilot flying it.
Canard Aviation Forum reposted (with permission) the article I wrote on canard safety statistics:If you want to get info from the folks who are building and flying canards, I'd look for those online forums. There USED to be a CanardZone and a Canard Aviation Forum, both with the same software used for this board...
Since there are no flaps I assume the landing is fast, like another poster mentioned. Therefore, if you loose your engine, you're going into terrain fast. Wit the added speed one would need a larger area in which to set down. Since the energy of the impact increases with the square of the velocity, and one needs a pretty good sized field to set down, there might be a bit or peril there.
All that said, I imagine something that slick would glide fairly well, so you would increase your chances of finding a suitable landing strip if the mill took a dump.
BUT... if properly built, flight tested and operated within CG limits, it WILL NOT STALL, so you dont have to worry about the whole "stretch the glide scenario" where you stall over the trees and then nose dive in.
I wouldn't be surprised if that predetermined speed in a Bonanza, Mooney or other fast 4-6 seater is pretty darn close to the minimum flying speed of a canard 4 seater similarly noted.
The aircraft lands hotter than most trainers, but good pilot technique and NAILING your numbers will result in landings on your average public airport without problems. This is not a short field/soft field plane however.
I would be very surprised. Stall on a Bo is 59kt, 70 for a Velocity.
Agreed. Hey, no need to get defensive. I think they're great aircraft, and would happily fly one if I had the AMUs. I was just pointing out that in a pinch you might loose a few options over their factory made brethren. On the other hand, fast landing speeds are not that uncommon for fast experimental aircraft.
One option for the canard crowd is VG's. Reputable people in the community have tested them (on the canard AND main wing simultaneously) and found a 5-7 knot decrease in minimum airspeed with minimal top-end speed loss.
Just a consideration.
But realistically, having a 300 lb engine in front of you is <usually> a good thing if you have an off-airport landing.
One thing that seems to be whispered but rarely openly discussed in the canard community is low speed roll authority, or lack thereof. A friend sold his Velocity because that characteristic was sufficiently bothersome.
Okay, Velocity owner / pilot chiming in.
4) I have NO idea what this "low speed roll authority" thing is ... must really be whispered. How about having your friend explain what he means. You can fly final with nothing but the rudders if you want, they actually teach that during Velocity transition course. If you want a coordinated turn, get your feet off the floor. If you don't care, use the stick. The plane goes where it is pointed pretty easily.
Any questions, shoot.
I find it interesting that I find this thread after just today seeing a Velocity ad in Kit Plane magazine which boasts 253 KIAS at 75% cruise. Yes, I did a double take to make sure it was kts and not mph.
My friend lives in an airpark that has a paved runway located between rows of trees. His comment was that the Velocity was touchy going in there because crosswinds caused roll excursions and the airplane lacked the aileron authority at low speed to quickly correct the excursions, or words to that effect. I've also seen comments on various canard forums which hinted at less than stellar roll authority.
By the way, I built an RV, but I'm hoping to get a ride in a Cozy Mk IV one of these days. We have a third family member now, and an extra seat or two would come in handy.