Learning to Fly Fast
By Rob Finfrock
After feeling the wrath of not one, but two hurricanes during
Florida's volatile storm season last year, Sebastian-based Velocity
Aircraft has recovered to full production status, while operating
in a facility approximately half as large as before.
"We're all sort of scrunched together in a smaller environment,
which is not the best of circumstances," said Velocity's Scott
Baker at AirVenture 2005. "But it's what's going on for
moment."
Velocity, manufacturers of assembly kits for the racy
canard-wing SE ("Standard Elite") and larger XL model aircraft, in
either fixed or retractable gear versions, is on track to produce
42 kits this year. Demand continues to exceed supply, with the
anticipated delivery date of March 2006 for a kit ordered
today.
"It's an airplane that has unique styling, a unique look to it
that has its own appeal," said Baker. "When you combine that with
the wonderful flying characteristics of the airplane and the fun
factor, it really is unmatched." According to Baker, those
characteristics include the benign stall characteristics inherent
to a canard design.
"Velocity is a 200-knot aircraft, using 280 to 300 horsepower
engines," said Baker. "To be able to slow that aircraft down and
demonstrate stalls to prospective customers at 60 to 65 knots, with
your feet flat on the floor, with a smile to your face… that
is something unheard of."
Owners have the luxury of choosing from a variety of engines for
their airplanes, with typical choices including the 310 hp Teledyne
Continental IO-550-N2B (with or without FADEC controls) and the
Textron Lycoming IO-540 series on higher horsepower versions.
Lower-rated power plants are also available.
Also available for either version of the Velocity is a new
diesel power plant. Produced by DeltaHawk, the compact 90-degree
V-4, 200 hp turbocharged-and-supercharged diesel can run on any
type of jet-or-diesel-fuel, and will provide economy cruise fuel
consumption figures as low as 7 gallons-per-hour, according to
Baker.
Baker says that many pilots of lower-powered, more conventional
aircraft are finding the Velocity to be a reasonably easy step up,
although there are many differences.
"I think the biggest change a new Velocity pilot has to go
through is the notion of flying fast," said Baker. "In a training
kind of aircraft such as a 172, the pilot is typically thinking
three miles ahead of the aircraft. It's a new experience to think
20, 25, or 50 miles ahead of the aircraft."
Landing technique also has to be refined slightly for the
Velocity. "In a Cessna trainer-type aircraft, the game is to keep
pulling back on the yoke until the aircraft finally stalls in the
flare," said Baker. "During the flare in a Velocity, as the
aircraft begins its natural settling toward the runway what you
must banish that descent using elevator pitch forces, so that your
job is to allow the aircraft to continue to settle, but every so
slowly allow that settling rate to drop to almost nil."
Velocity provides training at their facility in Sebastian to
teach transitioning pilots the unique aspects of their
aircraft. The company also provides builders with the chance
to attend workshops as needed for assistance and education in
building their airplane.