New Life For Coltishall?
Thread Starter
No longer will the site's fleet be so dependant on the curvature of the earth as a prerequisite to committing aviation...
Mind you, there is currently an RC model-flying club using the site who may not be so pleased at the news.
PDR
Mind you, there is currently an RC model-flying club using the site who may not be so pleased at the news.
PDR
Join Date: Feb 2006
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Swift Aircraft Features
The Swift is an all composite low wing, single piston engine, two seat side by side seated aircraft, which promises high performance together with the ability to carry a full payload – full fuel, crew and baggage.
The Swift is fully aerobatic (+6/-6 g), is CS-23 compliant, meets EFTS requirements and has had safety of operation as a fundamental design constraint.
The Swift will prove to be one of the most versatile designs of its time, designed with one airframe to house a range of engines from 100 HP through to 200 HP, including AVGAS and AVTUR variants, with initial certification to CS-23. Instrumentation installations can range from standard “old school” dials to the most advanced EFIS or any combination of these.
It will boast a high design temperature of 108°C meaning that it will be the only composite aircraft in the GA arena to be able to be finished in an all black scheme and be operated in the desert. The ability to be painted black will mean that it can be made “easy to see” and can accommodate any conspicuity guise. Other features will include a Ballistic Recovery Parachute (BRS) and in-flight emergency canopy release for extra safety. The spacious cockpit boasts 1.24m of width with plenty of headroom and will include ergonomic seating for unrivalled support and comfort. With a high capacity luggage area, interior design standards never before seen in this class of aircraft, custom colour schemes and an in-house custom decal design service, it will be an aircraft with eye-catching accents and high quality details. Moreover, it will be the first aircraft to be designed, manufactured and certified in the UK for over two decades.
Unparalleled Comfort
One of the unique aspects of the Swift is the high level of ergonomic design in the canopy including a wide sliding cockpit, which can be slightly open when taxiing, plenty of baggage space, useful additions such as power sockets for your GPS and other electronic devices, cup holders for your water bottles and car style air vents for temperature control.
Finely Honed Controls
The control linkages are via pushrods as opposed to cables for enhanced durability. For ground steering, the Swift has a steerable nose wheel instead of reliance purely on differential braking. However this functionality is also present with toe brakes on the rudder pedals.
Composite Construction
The Swift is predominantly of glass fibre construction with carbon fibre wing and empennage spars. This enables the use of compound curves that are beneficial for both aerodynamics and aesthetics.
Elliptical Profile
The wing and tail have a distinctive elliptical profile. The wing section on the Swift has a laminar flow section that is tolerant of bug deposition
http://www.swiftaircraft.com/SwiftAi...-GB201611b.pdf
For ground steering, the Swift has a steerable nose wheel instead of reliance purely on differential braking.
PDR
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Is it me, or is the wing a little bit "Spitfire"?
The only aircraft fitted (to my knowledge) with RTR (redacted thrust reheat) so the poor thing could fly with one engine.
Having been stationed twice in Norfolk (Watton and Neatishead) and worked for the County Council I wish them well. That would make two light aircraft manufacturers in Norfolk, the other at Little Snoring
If you land with a bootfull of rudder to kick the drift what's going to happen as soon as you lower the nosewheel? On "bigger" aircraft the nodewheel steering is disconnected from the rudder pedals in flight, and the nosewheel is either locked fore/aft or castoring. In either condition it must be physically disconnected from the rudder pedals. That's a complex kind of linkage to implement in a non-powered mechanical link - especially for a safety-critical item.
PDR
How long will it take to get certified, and then actually producing revenue. Start-up costs will be significant. Hope financing is secure. Wish them well, but challenging market to get into, IMHO
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How many of them have steerable (rather than castoring) nosewheels Lfoppy Kiln?
If you land with a bootfull of rudder to kick the drift what's going to happen as soon as you lower the nosewheel? On "bigger" aircraft the nodewheel steering is disconnected from the rudder pedals in flight, and the nosewheel is either locked fore/aft or castoring. In either condition it must be physically disconnected from the rudder pedals. That's a complex kind of linkage to implement in a non-powered mechanical link - especially for a safety-critical item.
PDR
If you land with a bootfull of rudder to kick the drift what's going to happen as soon as you lower the nosewheel? On "bigger" aircraft the nodewheel steering is disconnected from the rudder pedals in flight, and the nosewheel is either locked fore/aft or castoring. In either condition it must be physically disconnected from the rudder pedals. That's a complex kind of linkage to implement in a non-powered mechanical link - especially for a safety-critical item.
PDR
Pipers such as the PA-28 have solid rods and the nose wheel turns with the rudder input if I remember correctly.
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Last edited by NutLoose; 18th Oct 2017 at 10:42.
Interesting design feature not seen for some years - exhaust pipes within the fuselage (and passing under the seats) and exiting behind the cockpit. I do hope the owners have a nice stock of (in date) CO detectors.
No, it isn't just you! That certainly looks very elliptical. Which makes no sense, because the Spitfire's elliptical wing was intended to allow (relatively) high Mach numbers, something this aircraft will have no need of. Additionally, an elliptical wing is difficult and expensive to produce - all those curves require lots of compound curves in the surfaces.
Puzzling!
Puzzling!
No, it isn't just you! That certainly looks very elliptical. Which makes no sense, because the Spitfire's elliptical wing was intended to allow (relatively) high Mach numbers, something this aircraft will have no need of. Additionally, an elliptical wing is difficult and expensive to produce - all those curves require lots of compound curves in the surfaces.
Puzzling!
Puzzling!
As to the elliptical planform, I wonder what the stall behaviour will be like?
Sadly Green Marine at and formerly Lymington went out of business recently. There will be redundant staff with high tech lay up experience hope they can get after- hope they can get after them
Okay. I reckon the stall speed will be relatively high for an aircraft of this size and weight ...... unless they do something remarkable with the wing profile.