Mon, Jul 25, 2005
Proven Mechanicals In A New Package
It looks like Airwolf. It's a kit helicopter. It uses a
certified Lycoming 160 or 180 horsepower engine and its mechanicals
are already flight-proven. It's built by a company that's been
building kit helicopters since 1978, nonstop. What is it?
It's the new Interceptor from Canadian Home Rotors, maker of the
Safari kit helicopter (once known as the Baby Belle). It is a new
cabin set upon standard Safari mechanicals. The first example of
the machine has a notice-me black canopy on a notice-me-NOW purple
frame: there's no missing it.
The Interceptor has already been shown to a smaller gathering of
hardcore helicopter buffs, Homer Bell's helicopter fly-in.
Representatives of Canadian Home Rotors told attendees at the
fly-in last week that the new cabin is strictly intended to offer a
choice of styling. The kit is available in a quick build
version.
The classic bubble canopy of the standard Safari will remain
available. Customers have a choice of the futuristic style of the
Interceptor, or the classic vibe (and better visibility) of the
original "bubble" helicopter. The Interceptor can be flown with the
gull-wing doors open.
The standard Safari bubble is actually identical to the
certified Bell 47 canopy. The engine is a certified Lycoming O-360
of 160 or 180 horsepower.
There are no published performance figures for the Interceptor
yet, but they are expected to be extremely similar to those of the
mechanically identical Safari. The Safari has a gross weight of
1,450 lbs. It has a top speed of 100 mph (87 kt) and cruises at 85
mph (74 kt). It can go about 200 miles on 28 gallons of fuel.
CHR is displaying in two places at Airventure 2005: Location
588C at the Ultralight/Rotorcraft airfield and in Location 184 near
Hangar B in the main aircraft display. We're hoping to have more
details and a closer look at the Interceptor this week. Aero-News
wants to thank Dr. Jerry Carter for some of the photos, which he
took at Homer Bell's.
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