Genghis the Engineer
16th Jan 2012, 11:05
Following the Supermarine Spitfire / not-a-Spitfire thead got me thinking.
Like, probably most people, I have a handful of "before I die" life ambitions. One or two have already happened, one or two others have been knocked firmly into the long grass - but one is still with me, which is that at some point in my life I'm flying something that I designed, built, and test flew myself.
I've from time to time mucked about with some ideas of a ducted fan high performance microlight loosely modelled on the HP118, also a dull but very practical idea for a long range short field tourer.
Then I thought - what about a replica Hurricane? Modernish technology, but as close as possible to the real thing visually - and one can have a go at some reasonably representative handling as well.
A page of of back of envelope sums in my morning tea break came up with a couple of possibilities, both 1:1 scaled - so same size and shape, not scaled down.
(1) 750kg MTOW, 120hp flat 6, 120kg payload (pilot + fuel), certified as a non-aerobatic light aeroplane, 35 knot stall speed, around 1000fpm climb rate, about 90kn cruise speed. Probably do-able for around £30k for parts.
(2) 2200kg MTOW, 430hp V8, 300kg payload (pilot + fuel), certified as an aerobatic light aircraft, probably +6/-2.5g, 55 knot stall speed, around 1700fpm climb rate, maybe around 160kn, probably do-able for around £50k in parts.
Both would be a big job, but I know I've got the skills to do it - even if it would take years. What's anybody think about either possibility? Is there a market? Would people be interested instead in a manufactured version for maybe three times the price? Should one compromise and try for a 2 seater?
I'm guessing that once the design's been sorted, an aeroplane could be built in a couple of thousand man-hours. It seems like quite a fun project to me, but would be far more gratifying if other people wanted to buy or build them as well.
G
Like, probably most people, I have a handful of "before I die" life ambitions. One or two have already happened, one or two others have been knocked firmly into the long grass - but one is still with me, which is that at some point in my life I'm flying something that I designed, built, and test flew myself.
I've from time to time mucked about with some ideas of a ducted fan high performance microlight loosely modelled on the HP118, also a dull but very practical idea for a long range short field tourer.
Then I thought - what about a replica Hurricane? Modernish technology, but as close as possible to the real thing visually - and one can have a go at some reasonably representative handling as well.
A page of of back of envelope sums in my morning tea break came up with a couple of possibilities, both 1:1 scaled - so same size and shape, not scaled down.
(1) 750kg MTOW, 120hp flat 6, 120kg payload (pilot + fuel), certified as a non-aerobatic light aeroplane, 35 knot stall speed, around 1000fpm climb rate, about 90kn cruise speed. Probably do-able for around £30k for parts.
(2) 2200kg MTOW, 430hp V8, 300kg payload (pilot + fuel), certified as an aerobatic light aircraft, probably +6/-2.5g, 55 knot stall speed, around 1700fpm climb rate, maybe around 160kn, probably do-able for around £50k in parts.
Both would be a big job, but I know I've got the skills to do it - even if it would take years. What's anybody think about either possibility? Is there a market? Would people be interested instead in a manufactured version for maybe three times the price? Should one compromise and try for a 2 seater?
I'm guessing that once the design's been sorted, an aeroplane could be built in a couple of thousand man-hours. It seems like quite a fun project to me, but would be far more gratifying if other people wanted to buy or build them as well.
G