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Raptor Kit Aircraft

We're creating a new kit aircraft that we'll help you build and then you'll fly 4 or 5 people in spacious comfort at 300 knots.

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Raptor Kit Aircraft

Raptor Kit Aircraft

Raptor Kit Aircraft

Raptor Kit Aircraft

Raptor Kit Aircraft

We're creating a new kit aircraft that we'll help you build and then you'll fly 4 or 5 people in spacious comfort at 300 knots.

We're creating a new kit aircraft that we'll help you build and then you'll fly 4 or 5 people in spacious comfort at 300 knots.

We're creating a new kit aircraft that we'll help you build and then you'll fly 4 or 5 people in spacious comfort at 300 knots.

We're creating a new kit aircraft that we'll help you build and then you'll fly 4 or 5 people in spacious comfort at 300 knots.

Peter Muller
Peter Muller
Peter Muller
Peter Muller
1 Campaign |
Atlanta, United States
$900 USD 5 backers
0% of $400,000 Fixed Goal Fixed Goal

How did this all start?

So I am a flight instructor who was born in Australia but I've been living in the U.S. for the last 20 years. I have been flying for about 10 years and ever since I started I could never understand why all the small planes were so small. Why can't they be spacious like a car? Over the years I have researched many planes but I couldn't seem to find one that had everything I was looking for in a plane. So a few months ago I decided I would design my own with no initial intention of where that might lead.

The first requirement was that it was roomy, like a mid size sedan or SUV with around 62" across at the pilot shoulders. I wanted to feel comfortable because I really like to do cross country travelling where you might be spending 4 hours on board. So I started with a virtual box which would outline the cabin space comfortable for 6'2" passengers and proceeded to create an aircraft around those dimensions. 

The next requirement was it had to look cool. Most planes are ugly and you have to paint stripes on them just to attempt to make them look exciting. I wanted my plane to be sleek and sexy (no stripes necessary). So I started with a sleek shape. I wanted the windows to have the a wrap around effect, like my plane was wearing a cool pair of shades. I also wanted this effect without tricking anyone using paint. I knew it would be difficult, but possible, to construct a frameless window.

Next I wanted a canard design because inherently they are faster than a conventional tractor design. They call it a tractor because it's slow like a tractor :^P. In a tractor design the horizontal tail must generate downforce to keep the aircraft stable because the center of lift from the main wing is behind the center of mass. In any aircraft you need to be developing lift overall so creating downforce anywhere on the airframe seems like a waste of energy. A canard design has the center of mass between the main and fore wings and so both are generating lift to keep it stable. This is a much more efficient design. Also with a canard design the forward wing or fore plane is at a higher angle of attack and therefore will stall before the main wing. When this happens the nose simply drops a little and the fore plane begins flying again. Therefore it's not possible to stall the main wing. If the main wing can't stall then there is no way to spin a canard design and therefore they are safer. No ballistic parachute required.

Then I decided that I wanted to reduce drag wherever possible and go for a cruising speed at altitude of 300 knots true. At 25K feet this equates to 200 knots indicated. That's about 345mph or 556kph across the ground. Now we're going places! The sleekest airframes are composite construction (no rivets) so composite was the way to go. Obviously I would want to be able to pressurize it if I was going to be flying that high and composite construction also provides the strength required.

Next on the list was visibility. Most of the planes I have flown have the engine out the front and a high (too high) glare shield so the visibility out the front is nothing short of horrible. I wanted it to be like my car where I can see everything and the hood or dash are nowhere near my line of sight. For example, in a Cessna 182 the top of the glare shield is only 1 inch below my horizontal line of sight. I cant even imagine how someone shorter could fly that plane without sitting on a couple of phone books. Anyway, in my design the top of the glare shield is 6 inches below my line of sight, even lower on the passenger side. Not only that, the seats slide on an incline so shorter passengers will sit higher when they slide their seat forward. For a change your spouse will be able to see out the front and will enjoy flying even more.

The next consideration was how it would be powered. Most light aircraft use piston engines that burn 100 octane low lead fuel. This fuel is more expensive than other fuels and becoming even more so as it is considered a specialty fuel by the oil companies and eventually it will be phased out much like leaded auto fuel was. Diesel engines in aircraft are becoming available but they are heavy and require a lot of air for cooling. That air requirement creates drag. Recall that I am going for low drag. The ideal engine was a small turboprop. They burn jet fuel which is readily available (and will be for decades) and is cheaper than 100LL. So I did some research and found the Allison (now Rolls Royce owned) M250 series engines. They have been around since the 60's and are a reliable engine with a fuel burn of about 21 gallons an hour at altitude. So let's see, 345mph @ 21 gph works out to about 16 miles per gallon. Not bad considering you'll be taking 4 or 5 almost anywhere in no time. This is cheaper than driving if you factor in hotel overnight stays that are inevitable on longer trips. 

OK, so that was the plan. Now the question remained, would I be able to design such an aircraft. I decided to try and just see what happened.

So as you can see below it turns out I can. Before you check out all the details let me finish the story. About 2 months into the design I figured it was a viable proposition so I decided to take a trip to Florida to visit a composite construction company that uses 5-axis CNC milling machines to make pieces and ultimately molds from a design like I have done. Everything was cool there and they can quite easily create the initial parts and then molds from those pieces. Using those molds, pieces can be created again and again. At this point I figured that it would be selfish of me to create only one of these planes so let's make molds and allow others to create the plane as well.

So the next step was to find someone to help me build it once the molds are ready. So I headed off to a composite shop, also in Florida, and after spending a day there and learning a lot I got on the web and did some more research and came across the website of a guy named Jeff Kerlo who had already designed, built and flown his own canard aircraft a few years earlier. My immediate thought was 'this is the guy I need to talk to'. So I gave him a call and an our later he called me back and we talked for about 3 hours. I showed him my design via the web page that I had created a week earlier and he was excited about it. Turns out he's back in Atlanta so the next morning I'm in the car headed North. I met with Jeff and he *IS* the guy and not only that, he wants to partner with me and create a company from this design. Turns out he planned to do the same thing with his aircraft but it did not work out for various reasons that are too detailed to go into here. Anyway, he already had figured out a 4 week in house initial build process and setting up a facility and tooling in Atlanta. So it seems like we were destined to meet and tackle this project.

So I spent a full day talking with Jeff and he gave me loads of ideas for changes and improvements to the design. Since then I have spent the last 4 weeks making all the changes and what you see below is the result of all that. 

So now here we are, trying to raise the money to get started via Indiegogo. We think this design can really change what a small aircraft should be like but we need your help to prove this to the world. The question remains... will enough people think this is cool enough to want to be a part of it? We shall see. Thanks for reading my story.

If you want to learn more about Jeff Kerlo click here v-raptor.info

For even more details and pictures check out our website www.raptor-aircraft.com

Design Analysis and Drag Reduction

I have done a lot of flow modeling to ensure that the design does not create any unwanted disturbances that can result in dreaded drag.

This plot shows the vorticity or turbulence. I would still like to clean up the intake a bit but it was considerably worse on my first design.


Background coloring shows how the cabin shape accelerates the air thereby creating lift. The colors on the airframe show the relative air pressure distribution.

Background colors show surrounding air pressure and airframe colors show shear stress levels.

This plot shows air density distribution.


Area Rule Analysis of Airframe when compared with other designs

Although first discovered by a German, in the 50's a bright NACA engineer independently discovered the Area Rule and it was later used on the F102. Before the changes suggested by the Area Rule the aircraft was not able to go supersonic and afterwards it readily made Mach 1.2. All they did was modify the fuselage to have a coke bottle shape where the main wing was. That's a performance gain of close to 30%. 

Here you can see the improvements that were made to the F102. Note that the cross sectional plot was improved but was still not ideal.


The cross sectional area transition smoothness that was achieved with the Raptor design is beyond what they achieved back then and will result in a major drag reduction, improved performance and greater efficiency.

The area rule plot shows that pressure changes are almost perfectly smooth as air flows from nose to tail. This design is a huge improvement over traditional tractor configurations. Compare this smooth bell curve with the plot from the Cirrus SR22 below.


As you can see from the chart above that overlays the cross sectional area over the airframe profile, the design of the Raptor results in almost a perfect area rule distribution. This means that instead of having pressure fluctuations as the air moves around the aircraft the pressure instead increases smoothly and decreases smoothly. This minimizes any turbulence and further reduces drag. 

With a conventional tractor design there is a big jump in cross sectional area where the cockpit and wing begin and likewise a large drop where they end. Then you have another increase and decrease on the tail section, These abrupt cross sectional area increases and decreases on conventional aircraft create large pressure fluctuations which disrupt air flow creating turbulence and therefore create a lot of drag. This new design virtually eliminates this problem.

As you can see here the pressure fluctuations over the airframe of the Cirrus are dramatic. These cause turbulence and ultimately drag. It's called a 'tractor' configuration for a reason... tractors are SLOW.

Compare the area Rule distribution of the Raptor with this one of the Cirrus SR22. As you can see there is an obvious problem with this design. The widest part of the cockpit is in the same longitudinal position as the wing. This results in a maximum cross sectional area that is 33% larger (160 vs. 120 in the chart) than the Raptor. So even though the Raptor has a wider cabin than the SR22 it's maximum cross sectional area is way less, meaning it can squeeze through the air without having to displace as much air as what the SR22 does. This makes for a much faster and more efficient design.

You can read more about the Area Rule here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Area_rule.

Cabin Space

The Raptor has, by far, more interior cabin space than any GA aircraft. The cabin is 62" across at both the pilot and back seat passenger shoulders. Compare that with only 49" for the Cirrus (even less in the back). Even a KingAir only has 54" of cabin width. Not only that but the back seats of the Raptor have just as much leg room as business class on an airline. The seats are cantilever suspended on carbon fiber braces allowing you to place your feet or bags underneath without the hassle of seat leg posts. This is truly state of the art design and ergonomics.

As you can see here there is as much space as your regular SUV. This pic shows the 4 seat option but you could just as easily install a bench seat in the back and carry 5 people.

There's no need risk falling by having to climb up on the wing to enter this aircraft. Just slide on in. The seat is at 32" which is higher than a car seat but lower than an SUV making it the perfect height for everyone to easily get in and out. The doors are 48" wide allowing easy access to the back seats.

As you can see from this cross section there is loads of space. These passengers are 6' tall. Notice the knee room for the rear passenger.

If we take the roof off (and part of one guy's head. ouch!) you can see again how much space there is. There's enough room for the back seat passengers to place their luggage on the floor next to them.

Of course if you wanted to put 3 across seating in the back the width at shoulder level is 61". That's definitely a comfy back seat for the kids.

There's also plenty of head room for even the tallest person. The seats slide on an incline and so as the seat moves forward it comes up. With the increased visibility of not having the engine out front even the shortest pilot will have a great view out front. The rudder pedal position will be adjustable so whether you're 5' or 6'5" the aircraft will feel like it was made just for you.

Side sticks allow precise and comfortable aircraft control while not blocking your view of the panel.

The instrument panel is designed to tilt back for easy access when installing or maintaining the avionics.

A great view for the pilot with the glare shield not blocking the view out the front yet everything on the panel is still readily visible. Note that the camera angle is somewhat tilted down for this view. The top of the glare shield is about 6" below your horizontal line of sight.

Copilot also gets a great view and will have an optional pop-up instrument or iPad panel that retracts to be hidden in the dash.

Even the back seat passengers get a great view out the front.


Specifications

Wingspan is just under 32' 9", length is just under 20' 7".

Excellent visibility for pilots and passengers. The rear seats are slightly higher and offset to the center.

Exhaust configuration for turboprop can also be used for piston option.

A single large intake where the airflow is the fastest provides for all the air requirements. This also reduces drag by not having multiple inlets and outlets.

The air intake will be channeled to provide intake air for the turboprop as well as cabin air. For the piston option it provides intake, cooling and cabin air. In the piston option the spinner diameter will be reduced to allow cooling air to escape. We are still in the process of designing a variable intake opening so just the right amount of air can be taken in.

Build Process

All customers will come to our build facility to be located in Atlanta, GA to spend the first 4 weeks under supervision while they build their airframe. At the end of that period the airframe will be complete. You can then take it home or complete it at our facility. It will be up on the gear and all composite work will be complete. Engine, avionics, interior and paint will remain to be completed on your own schedule.

All parts will be created from molds prior to you beginning construction of your airframe. This way you will see immediate progress from day one. This new approach to construction means that you can have your plane done in half the time of traditional composite construction methods that instead require a great deal of custom fabrication.

All of the parts will either be molded or CNC cut virtually eliminating the need for the builder to fabricate anything.

An example of how a wing rib will look ready for installation into the spar and wing.

Given the precision of CNC of machining, all of the parts will fit together with ease thereby reducing build time and ensuring that your aircraft has the highest quality possible for a home-built. All of the parts have been flanged and where indenting is not possible or practical we will have a jig for accurately locating each part.

Engine Options

The aircraft was designed to accept an Allison/Rolls Royce M250 turboprop that produces 420-650 hp but it could it just as easily be fitted with a Pratt and Whitney or Walter engine or a piston engine that provided at least 260 hp. In the future it could also use an electric powerplant if one becomes available. Note that the Allison engine only weighs just over 200 lbs. The weight saving over other engine options comes back to you as increased useful load. For example, if you decide to install a TSIO550 instead, you lose 350 lbs of useful load due to the increased engine weight. 

As for the Allison engine there are many variations and depending on availability we may look into setting up a channel where we can convert those used in Bell helicopters from the turboshaft configuration to a turboprop. These engines should come in at around $100K reconditioned. The design has been around for over 50 years. Their TBO is over 3500 hours and they are extremely reliable and efficient and are the perfect fit for this project.

Performance

With the Allison engine it should climb at least 3000 fpm and max cruise at 300 KTAS at FL250 while burning 21 gph. With a 260 hp engine it should cruise at 200 KTAS on 12 gph. Fuel capacity is 52.3 in each wing and 28.9 gals in the sump tank behind the rear seats. The total of 133.5 gals should provide a range of 1600nm with IFR reserves.

Design Advantages and Safety

A canard aircraft such as this has many advantages over a conventional design. Note that the Wright brothers original aircraft was a pusher canard design. They had the right idea from the start but somehow the tractor(slow) design became more popular. A canard aircraft will not stall and therefore will not spin. In fact you can hold the stick all the way back and the aircraft will gently rock while you maintain full aileron control. This means there is no real need for a ballistic parachute because with the stick all the way back the airplane will sink with a rate not much faster than with a parachute. 

Another huge advantage for a canard is that both surfaces are generating lift whereas on a tractor design the tail is generating down force which is simply a waste. On any aircraft the faster you go the more you have to trim the plane nose down because the surfaces generate more lift that you no longer need when simply trying to maintain altitude. On a tractor design this nose down attitude actually increases the angle of attack on the horizontal tail and it generates more down force that must ultimately be negated by the elevator being trimmed down. That combination creates even more drag. On a canard both surfaces reduce lift as the attitude goes nose down and less lift means less drag. Simply put, canards are more efficient and therefore faster and more efficient than a tractor design.

Having the engine in the back improves forward visibility and provides for safety in case of an oil leak or engine fire. You can also safely have passengers enter and exit the aircraft while the prop is turning without worrying too much about them getting close to the prop. 

The prop in the back also eliminates the need for right rudder on climb out. Also, the noise is behind you making for a quieter cabin.

Other Options

The cabin will be pressurized providing superior comfort for you and your passengers. The glass will be 5/8" Lexan providing not only for safety in the case of a bird strike but also durability. 

If the demand is there, a fixed gear option will also be available. This would involve locking pins on the retractable gear that could be removed at a later date if the option to switch back to retractable was required.

Pricing

The kit will most likely be priced at $80K and provide everything except, engine, avionics, paint and interior finish. All interior panels will be included and will just need to be covered. Allison engines are available reconditioned for around $100K and we will be making efforts to get a ready supply of them at reasonable prices. You should expect to spend about $250K total for a turboprop version or $190K total for a piston version.

Construction

Given that all the parts will already be cut and no major fabrication is required the build time should be as low as 500 hours, perhaps even less. It will be very similar to building an aircraft model from a set of pre-molded plastic parts, more assembly than fabrication.

Where are we at now

The design phase is about 98% complete. At this point the funding needs to be secured. As soon as funding is confirmed a reservation will be made for the molds to be constructed. Molds could be ready as soon as late March and the first prototype aircraft construction will begin immediately.

Where does your contribution go

Your contribution will initially pay for the molds to be constructed by a professional shop that uses 5 axis CNC machines to mill a plug version of each part. They then create a mold from that part. The molds will then be transported to the build center and the first set of parts will be created. Assembly will begin. An engine will be procured and fitted. Avionics, electrical, interior and paint will be completed and the aircraft will have it's initial 40 hours flown. At that time the barnstorming tour will be planned and all contribution rides fulfilled in a timely manner. Kit's will become available soon after the first flight.

Where do we go from there

Hopefully there are other people out there that find this aircraft design exciting and want to build their own. If that's the case, kits will be available as well as support and help to get each of them flying as quickly and safely as possible. 

Please spread the word of this project to all of your friends. Your help is greatly appreciated.

Colors other than white will be possible. Please see our website for other examples.

Thanks very much in advance for your support.

Peter

For even more details and picture check out our website at www.raptor-aircraft.com

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Choose your Perk

Supporter

$10 USD
Every dollar counts and with your contribution you can tell your friends that you helped get the Raptor flying.
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Enthusiast

$25 USD
Your contribution gets you a coffee mug with our logo on it.
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February 2014
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Fan

$50 USD
Obviously you want to help promote this project so we'll provide you with a cool T-shirt with our logo so you can let the world know you support us. If you find us at an airport during a barnstorming tour and you're wearing your shirt you will have the chance for a flight in the Raptor if time permits.
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March 2014
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Big Fan

$100 USD
For your contribution you will get a coffee mug and a T-shirt. If you find us at an airport during a barnstorming tour and you're wearing your shirt you will be first in line for a flight in the Raptor if time permits.
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March 2014
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Super Fan

$500 USD
Once the first aircraft is flying we will be doing a barnstorming tour of the U.S. and with your contribution you are on the list for a flight when we come to your city. If you decide to purchase a kit we'll subtract double your contribution from the kit price. You will also receive a T-shirt and a coffee mug.
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December 2014
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Passenger

$1,000 USD
Once we're flying, your nearest airport will absolutely be on our barnstorming tour and you are guaranteed a 30 minute flight in the Raptor and will get to fly it yourself. If you decide to purchase a kit we'll subtract double your contribution from the kit price. You will also receive a T-shirt and a coffee mug.
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December 2014
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Co-Pilot

$5,000 USD
We'll come to your closest airport and pickup you and a friend or spouse and transport you for up to 1000 miles to a city of your choosing and cover overnight accommodations, dinner, breakfast and return flight. What better way to experience what the Raptor can do for you. If you decide to purchase a kit we'll subtract $3000 from the kit price. You will also receive a T-shirt and a coffee mug.
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December 2014
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Pilot

$10,000 USD
You get a 1 hour demo flight in the Raptor when we come by your town on our barnstorming tour. You are first in line (based on your contribution date) for the kits as they become available and if you decide to purchase a kit 1.5 times your contribution is deducted from your total kit price. You will also receive a T-shirt and a coffee mug. Be the first to have your own Raptor.
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December 2014
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