Celera 500L makes first official appearance
 

A very interesting concept. Numbers are impressive, if proven true.

Otto Aviation this week unveiled the Celera 500L, a six-passenger pusher-prop business aircraft powered by a single 500-hp Red A03 diesel engine. To date, the company’s full-scale prototype has completed 31 test flights. Otto said FAA certification is expected in 2023, with service entry to follow in 2025.

According to the company, the submarine-shaped aircraft will have a maximum cruise speed of 391 knots and a range exceeding 3,900 nm, while offering a stand-up cabin and fuel economy of 16 to 22 nm per gallon. To achieve this efficiency, Otto said the Celera 500L employs “extensive” laminar flow over the fuselage, wings, and tail surfaces.

The company also claims that the airplane’s carbon emissions will be about 80 percent lower than comparable business aircraft and 40 percent lower than current airline aircraft.

“Our goal was to create a private aircraft that would allow for direct flights between any city pair in the U.S. at speeds and cost comparable to commercial air travel,” said William Otto Sr., chairman and chief scientist at Otto Aviation. “In many cases, individuals and families will be able to charter the Celera 500L at prices comparable to commercial airfares, but with the added convenience of private aviation. We believe when the price of private air travel is competitive with commercial air travel, an enormous market opportunity will result.”

https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-n...iness-airplane

It looks like....well *giggle* The stated performance figures sound impressive.

https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune....76dbfcb0d5.jpg

Impressive number indeed. But crosswinds might be tricky....

There are some interesting data points in their documents, such as a 50,000 ft cruise altitude at 460 mph, with propulsion by a 530 hp V12 diesel.
Do these numbers make any sense?

It does look to be a hot rod, shades of the Ted Smith Aerostar or the Mitsubishi MU-2.

We shall see how this transfers to reality but wouldn't a small turbine be more efficient?

Every year we see "revolutionary" new aircraft -designs - very few of which make it through the (extremely expensive and lengthy) certification process................ it costs an awful lot of money to get to the stage where you can actually try and sell them

Well at least this one seems to be actually flying...

The laminar flow drag reduction is interesting. Would this still work with cabin windows?

I read somewhere the claim that the windows will not affect laminar flow due to design and layout.

I'd be interested to know what the takeoff and landing speeds are going to be.

Mmm the landing gear looks like a similar rear facing turboprop with..... very bad landing gear....

No-one deliberately builds windows that will induce more drag. But there are practical limitations to how closely you can match adjacent surfaces when they are the same material, never mind having to cope with different materials with different properties. Count me as highly skeptical that the claims for laminar flow can be sustained in revenue service.

Instead of windows, how about 6 flat panel displays of what's outside ?

I would think propeller technology will be a limiting factor at the altitudes mentioned.