And they seem to have found a solution to the endless yoke vs sidestick debate…
I can’t get my head around the “removable wings” thing. They may well be light enough to handle around on their own (supposing the unsuspecting passengers lend a helping hand), but what if they’re half full with fuel sloshing around? Is one going to have to d!ck around with fuel line connectors if you take them off?
No, it doesn’t make sense at all. It makes sense only with gliders or possibly with an aircraft whose wings weigh something which 2 people can pick up. There are fluid connectors which don’t leak when you disconnect them but think of the potential for contamination, etc. Also the weight would be way too high with any fuel inside.
And they seem to have found a solution to the endless yoke vs sidestick debate…
That isn’t ideal either (no obvious arm rest) but probably better than a centre stick, which gets in the way of anything on your knees.
I can’t get my head around the “removable wings” thing.
IF fuel is carried in the wing then that is an issue yes. But do we know? There are enough light planes that carry all fuel in the fuselage. And it would not be difficult to “engineer” a little cart, perhaps fitted around the wing with a belt or so, to enable a single person to handle the separated wing halves. Gliders all have such contraptions, though rather for moving the plane around behind a car.
And oh yes, centre sticks are as old as three-axis ultralights. Being left-handed, I’d not like to have one, or I’d have to get used to flying from the right-hand seat.
Removable wings have been used on past light aircraft designs as a way to facilitate bringing the thing home for winter. Not really applicable to a jet which probably needs to earn its living year round, by its nice for maintenance if anything is easily removable. These wings could probably be lifted by two people with fuel drained – for example I moved some Lancair IV wings over the weekend with another guy.
Having been in an airliner that ingested a bird into one engine on takeoff, I view the single open ‘vacuum cleaner’ intake with somewhat jaundiced eyes. The Piper Jet prototype shared the same engine configuration and provoked the same reaction from me.
Having been in an airliner that ingested a bird into one engine on takeoff, I view the single open ‘vacuum cleaner’ intake with somewhat jaundiced eyes.
Don’t need to worry about that, it comes with a parachute.
That isn’t ideal either (no obvious arm rest) but probably better than a centre stick, which gets in the way of anything on your knees.
No, that’s definitly not better than centre stick. IMHO this is the worst solution I’ve ever seen.
Of certified designs the Victa Airtourer, Bölkow Junior and various Zenith designs have used a center of the cockpit stick, and probably others, generally with some kind of spade grip or Y at the top. Everybody thinks it’ll be weird but it actually works OK.
No, that’s definitly not better than centre stick.
?? This is a centre stick, or what am I missing?
?? This is a centre stick, or what am I missing?
This is one center stick both for pilot and copilot in the middle of the aircraft between them.
I must say it looks rather cool (not the stick)
Stick : Between the legs
Side stick: Stick on the side (F-16, Rutan style)
Center stick: Between the seats
Everything else is for cars and boats.
I have flown a Zenair and a Jabiru with center sticks. Looks much worse than it actually is.
