FAI, NAA To Recognize New Category After March 1
Kris Maynard of Fishers, IN hopes to be the first person in the
world to set a record for Aircraft Efficiency. Beginning March 1,
2008 the Fédération Aéronautique
Internationale (FAI) and the National Aeronautic Association (NAA),
the governing bodies of world and United States national aviation
records, will begin to recognize aircraft efficiency as a new
category of world aviation records.
"Aircraft and aerospace companies around the world are realizing
the need to increase fuel efficiency through advancements in
aerodynamics, development of lightweight components and improvement
in power plants along with the adaptation of alternative fuels and
engines," said Maynard. "It is appropriate that the world aviation
record governing bodies now facilitate efficiency performance to
stand alongside those records for speed, distance and
altitude."
Maynard has already received an Official Sanction approval from
the NAA to attempt this record beginning March 1. For the record to
be official, Maynard must use observers assigned by the NAA. Those
officials will approve his course in advance, weigh the aircraft
prior to and after the attempt and review the detailed data from a
sealed flight recorder that will be placed on board his aircraft.
The record will be stated in km/kg of fuel expended.
The course Maynard must
fly will be a triangular course of at least 1190 km (740 sm) in
length. The course must be flown non-stop, and non-refueled. The
location for the record attempt has not yet been selected.
Maynard's aircraft is an Aviat Husky A-1A, equipped with a
Lycoming 0-360 engine and a 76" Hartzell propeller. Low power
settings used throughout the flight are expected to yield a fuel
burn rate of around four gph.
"The Husky is truly a remarkable airplane," says Maynard. "Last
summer, as a prelude to this upcoming record flight, I tested the
endurance limits of my Husky during a non-stop flight that lasted
13 hours, 2 minutes and 15 seconds. That was done, as this attempt
will be, on standard 52 gallon fuel tanks."
"To put this
performance in perspective, I can tell you that in 1986 the
Voyager, piloted by Dick Rutan and Jeana Yeager, would have
recorded an efficiency rating of about 13.84 km/kg. That is about
23.45 mpg. My Husky will, hopefully, post a record of about 12.2
km/kg. That converts to about 20.7 mpg and represents about 88% of
the fuel efficiency of the Voyager. That's not bad for a production
aircraft."
Maynard adds he's unaware of another production aircraft in the
US that comes close to that level of efficiency. "A Cessna Skyhawk
achieves about 16.5 mpg at economy cruise and a Bonanza might reach
16 mpg on a good day," Maynard asserts. "I hope to throw down the
gauntlet. It will be interesting to watch as other pilots pick up
the challenge of efficient flight."
Maynard's flight will be sponsored by Fastener Specialty, Inc.,
the Grand Prairie, TX manufacturer of aircraft fasteners that
supplies fasteners to about 90% of the production airframes in
America; AeroShell Oil, and ICE, an Indiana apparel service
company.
"My goal is two-fold," says Maynard. "First, I want to post an
efficiency mark that is respectable, and being the first person in
the world to do so will be icing on the cake. My second goal is to
draw attention to the record category itself and help focus
competitive energy throughout the aeronautical industry towards
improving airplane efficiency."
Maynard has posted 10 world and United States national aviation
records in the past few years, including a United States
Transcontinental Speed Record.