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.

FMI: www.velocityaircraft.com