Questions tagged [experimental-aircraft]
For questions about experimental aircraft that have not been granted a type certificate by a regulatory agency.
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Why did the AvroCar fail to fly above 3 feet?
I don’t quite understand why the AvroCar didn’t reach more than 3 feet? Was it a ground effect keeping it at that height and it didn’t have the capability to fly higher?
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1answer
180 views
Could this helicopter's body be a flying wing?
This question: Could a helicopter fly like a plane? asks if a helicopter can turn sideways using additional wings to tip forward to allow the rotor blades to act as a propeller. The tail-setter and ...
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2answers
127 views
Would a long pole help stablize a jet pack?
Jet packs are classically worn like a book-bag on the back. Would it be more stable if the exhaust ports were separated? Would the jet pack be easier to control if the turbines were at the ends of a ...
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4answers
410 views
Could a helicopter fly like a plane?
Could a wing be added to a helicopter to allow the entire craft to tip 90 degrees forward allowing it to fly faster like a plane?
I understand that there would be major modifications to be made but ...
-2
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1answer
209 views
Would a ringed propeller have any advantage over a standard propeller? [closed]
I am curious to know if a ringed propeller would have any advantage over a standard propeller. I have spent a long time searching the Internet for a ringed propeller and an analysis of it but so far I ...
4
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2answers
317 views
Has a small airplane ever been air launched from a heavy-lift helicopter?
I would like to know if a small airplane, like a Cessna, has ever been air launched from a heavy-lift helicopter, perhaps as a stunt or as an aviation experiment?
I think it would have been a simple ...
0
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1answer
110 views
What rotors would be best for atmospheric reentry?
What rotor blade set up would be the best for entering Earth atmosphere or to shed speed before landing in place of a parachute?
I understand that the longer blades are more efficient, but are not as ...
3
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0answers
54 views
Minimum runway width for SSC Stratolauch
What is the minimum runway width for the Scaled Composites Stratolaunch vehicle? 1?
Is this determined by the separation between its fuselages (and thus undercarriages), or its outer engines (to ...
8
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1answer
234 views
How are businesses able to use experimental aircraft?
I saw businesses like this using military jets to sell rides to civilians. Since warbirds are considered experimental aircraft, does the FAA issue special certs to fly them commercially?
According ...
3
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2answers
89 views
Where can you find wind tunnel visualization data online?
I was wondering if there was a repository of flow visualization results somewhere online, preferably of wing sections categorised in some manner.
2
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1answer
124 views
Has the FAA ever granted a LODA for compensated instruction in a non-LSA E-AB?
I have been trying to find a list of granted LODAs to get this question answered. No joy. I am considering purchasing a Sling TSI E-AB. It would be great to be able to instruct in it for compensation.
6
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1answer
614 views
Can an amateur-built aircraft ever be used for commercial activities?
There are some non-recreational activities, such as aerial photography, wildlife observation, environmental monitoring, etc., that seem well-suited to certain amateur-built aircraft. The open-cockpit ...
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3answers
385 views
Can a Rutan Quickie be made into a legal Part 103 Ultralight?
I was was thinking about buying a 80s rutan quickie q-1, it has a 18 hp motor. I want to get a ultralight but I like this one because it is fast. Can I get a motor that would be within the ...
0
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1answer
262 views
Why does the Aurora D8 have vents on the bottom of its fuselage?
The Aurora D8 is a concept of an experimental aircraft (not an actual aircraft for now), described in this site. It's discussed in this question here on Aviation.SX.
I was watching the embedded video ...
0
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1answer
121 views
Airfoils designed for reverse flow [duplicate]
This question might seem strange as almost all aircraft have the air flowing over the wing in only one direction. However if you wanted to design an airfoil would have a good L/D in the forward flow ...
5
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2answers
503 views
How can someone without a pilot's license arrange an initial test flight for a homebuilt aircraft?
I think this has more to do with culture and expectations than actual rules, so maybe this might attract opinionated answers, but I still want to know what people think:
If a person were to construct ...
2
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1answer
177 views
What are the FAA's requirements for an experimental type certificate?
What is required by the FAA to obtain an experimental type certificate for a manned prototype aircraft?
4
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1answer
649 views
Is it legal to rent out an experimental aircraft?
Is it legal to rent out an E-AB aircraft (not a light sport aircraft)?
The aircraft will not be used for hire or compensation but to rent out to a pilot who wants to fly from point A to point B.
...
0
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0answers
88 views
Can you own a fractional portion of a kitplane or experimental airplane?
I understand that experimental/kit planes can't be used for 'training for hire', i.e. an option of leasing them to flight schools is out. But... is it possible to own such aircraft on the fractional ...
0
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2answers
370 views
Could a blimp maneuver using a sail? [closed]
How do you build a sail for a blimp/hybrid airship and what would it look like? Similar to a sail boat how could a blimp maneuver without propellers? Can a blimp sail against the wind? Wind can travel ...
0
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0answers
103 views
Will the Honda CG 125 engine be able to lift a 200kg weight at 2100 RPM? [duplicate]
I found a Rotex company engine with a maximum RPM of 5800. However, company allows 70% mean 4000 RPM, so I'm sure that 2100 RPM will be enough for lifting or take off and be able to climb. I have ...
5
votes
1answer
351 views
What would be the effect of skinning over the gap in fixed leading-edge slats?
The Zenith STOL CH-750 experimental aircraft uses a modified NACA 650-18 airfoil (having a 17% fatter-than-normal thickness) with a fixed leading-edge slat. In an effort to reduce drag and improve ...
2
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1answer
830 views
Can I do an instrument rating checkride in an experimental aircraft?
The EAA has a document that strongly suggests that IFR operation in Experimental Aircraft is legal. The necessary equipment is described in 91.205. Provided all this is met, as well as all other IFR ...
5
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3answers
558 views
What are the factors required to estimate the minimum required power for an experimental aircraft of a specific mass?
I have already viewed these questions:
Basic aircraft performance: how can you calculate the required power?
How can I estimate the required T/O power for propeller aircraft?
But is there a ...
-1
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4answers
636 views
Spinning wing heat dispersion dynamics for Mach 24 and beyond?
Could a spinning disk dropped from orbit survive speeds faster than conventional aircraft in our atmosphere? Does the rate of spin matter when dispersing heat? Does a spinning disk create stability ...
22
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1answer
1k views
What was enabling control to the pilot on the Snecma C-450 Coléoptère?
Looking at the Snecma C-450 Coléoptère, I was wondering about the (4?) fins towards its tail:
Source: Wikipedia
Were they able to pivot to help the pilot control the aircraft?
If not, what else ...
9
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3answers
671 views
Has anyone researched or built an aircraft that controls pitch and roll by pumping liquid within the airframe?
I am confident I have seen an article couple years ago about a "static surface aircraft" (or at least a concept of it) with no control surfaces, which uses a "wet mass" to adjust its roll and pitch.
...
1
vote
1answer
230 views
Are experimental aircraft exempted from the 2 year transponder and avionics checks?
Experimental aircraft and LAS. The 2 year verification test for avionics , transponder and altitude encoder. Are experimental aircraft exempted from this test or they must comply ?
6
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1answer
926 views
May I fly with passengers on a homebuilt experimental airplane with only a simple PPL?
So I’m in the market for a small two-seater. I see a lot of homebuilts and experimentals listed that are perfectly priced. I have my private pilot certificate but that’s it.
Would I be able to fly ...
7
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1answer
564 views
What is this Lockheed Martin plane?
It's on a Lockheed Martin banner showcasing the company's iconic planes. The plane to the left on a crimson background is the U2, and the plane to the right on a blue & tan background is the C130.
...
5
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1answer
570 views
How come there is no attempt at an “inter-meshing rotorprop” high-speed helicopter?
There are some prototypes of high-speed helicopters, such as the Eurocopter X³ (X-Cubed), Sykorsky X2, and older ones such as the AH-56 Cheyenne.
At high speeds, forward and backward traveling rotor ...
57
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2answers
9k views
What is this odd aircraft?
What is this aircraft? It was parked at transient parking at the Southern California Logistics Airport. It is a pusher prop driven plane with a conventional tail. High aspect ratio un-swept wings. ...
3
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2answers
774 views
If I were to scratch build a helicopter, as the manufacturer, would I need a pilot's license to fly it?
If I were to scratch build a helicopter, as the manufacturer, would I need a pilot's license to fly it while its in the experimental stage? This is in the USA, but I'd be interested in how it plays ...
6
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1answer
284 views
Which FAA regulations apply to the Stratolaunch?
(Image source)
Which FAA regulations apply to the Stratolaunch being built by Vulcan Aerospace and Scaled Composites?
Do they follow the same regulations for the type cert, production and CofA (...
7
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1answer
214 views
Can (part of) the fuel in your tanks be considered “property carried for compensation or hire”?
This question brings up that an experimental category aircraft cannot carry "persons or property for compensation or hire". However, this raises a question regarding civil-registry refueling tankers (...
asked Feb 22 '17 at 23:55
UnrecognizedFallingObject
8,9393 gold badges24 silver badges86 bronze badges
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2answers
649 views
May a commercial pilot transport an owner in the latter’s experimental aircraft for compensation?
Say Olive Oyl owns an RV and wants to hire Popeye, a commercial pilot, to fly her to the beach in her aircraft, which has an experimental certificate. May Popeye legally accept compensation for this ...
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2answers
632 views
Could flywheel type gyros stablize a plane?
An aircraft carrier has massive spinning gyros to keep the ship upright against waves. Do planes of any type have gyros like those used in satellites? Not instrument gyros. In the picture below ...
3
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1answer
463 views
Why does the NASA GL-10 Greased Lightning run on diesel?
I've been reading about NASA's experimental GL-10 Greased Lightning tilt-wing aircraft with interest.
My understanding is that this is a diesel-electric hybrid aircraft uses stored electrical energy ...
0
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4answers
901 views
What is a blimp called if it is designed not to be lighter than air?
I have not found a name for a this type of vessel what class a vessel is it? Could it operate similar to a parasail if dropped from a high altitude or orbit with air far thinner then operational ...
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0answers
171 views
Is it technically feasible to dampen the control stick in an Autogyro?
The control stick in a gyrocopter is too wobbly for a glider pilot's liking. Is there a way to dampen the stick in a Gyrocopter [Eg. the Air command] to make it feel as smooth and light as one would ...
2
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2answers
541 views
Could the vertical stabilizer be removed on the NASA X-57?
I was reading this article about how NASA will develop this new X-57 X-plane which has many tiny electric motors mounted on the wing.
Now, I wonder: How come this aircraft still has a vertical ...
0
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1answer
394 views
What are the design goals for NASA's X-57? [duplicate]
There have obviously been work going on prior to the X-57 announcement (see LEAPTech and Joby Aviation http://www.jobyaviation.com/LEAPTech/). However, what does NASA actually think they will achieve ...
7
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1answer
1k views
Why do forward-swept winged fighters have the main wings in the back?
These are the only 2 fighter jets I know of with forward-swept wings. (Su-47 and X-29, they're both still experimental). As you can see, they both have their wings in the back, not the middle.
Why is ...
0
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1answer
265 views
Where can I find a free/cheap small airplane wing?
I am looking for a small airplane wing (e.g. Cessna 172, but not necessarily) to run some experiments prior to seeking an STC for a modification I am working on. Do you know where I can find a free ...
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3answers
8k views
What is the procedure to turn a certified aircraft into an experimental aircraft?
Last year at EAA Airventure I saw a helicopter (can't remember the model, but it was something like a Eurocopter EC135 or similar with a full glass cockpit). It was US registered (N-Number tail) but ...
2
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2answers
603 views
What are some alternative benefits to electric propulsion?
The context I am asking is regarding if electric motors could ease the fuel cost, take off weight, or runway length if they were set up in 'hybrid' configuration with regular hydrocarbon engines.
If ...
7
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2answers
624 views
How much could human power add to the endurance of an electric gyrocopter?
If we take a single seater electric gyrocopter like this one, could a human-powered propeller like this add to the endurance of the aircraft? The gyrocopter only needs a 32km/h forward speed to stay ...
5
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2answers
323 views
Can a gyro-copter soar?
If one centers the gyro-copter in a thermal and then simulates a hover facing headwind; can the gyro-copter climb up like that ?
Is it technically possible or is it advisable....
46
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1answer
5k views
What is the purpose of the extra wheel on the XB-70 main gear?
This photo of the XB-70 Valkyrie's main gear shows a small wheel between the two main wheels:
Courtsey of AirPigz.com
This smaller wheel doesn't touch the ground, though I can see where it might as ...
25
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2answers
5k views
What is this red canister on the tail of the YF-22?
On the tail section of the YF-22 further back in the image below, there is a red canister. What is that canister for? I suppose it is for some flight testing purposes from what I can see.
I can't ...
