While at Oshkosh last
year, I came upon a very interesting craft called of the Valkyrie. It was a very
futuristic looking aircraft, more like something coming from NASA than from an ultralight
manufacturer. While the factory did not have a plane up and flying at that time it did
have several aircraft in the prototype stages. It was with, some disappointment that
they still did not have a flying model at Sun N Fun. Nonetheless the factory did
indicate that a prototype would be flying by mid-May.
For the novice looking at the Valkyrie it looks like
it has at canard of front, but according to Dreamwings owner John Hunter this is a forward
flying surface which provides 9 percent of the aircraft lift.
According to John the
designer who is a long time Pterodactyl pilot, the design came about with input from many of his flying buddies from the
Capital Area flying club. A great deal of composites are used in the Valkyrie design, this
has enabled the manufacturer to meet the weight criteria necessary to fit part 103 and for
the two place ultralight training exemption.
For example the total weight for aircraft wing
comes in at only 26 pounds. Another interesting aspect of the design is that the craft can
be either a single place ultralight, a two place ultralight trainer, or experimental, by
simply removing the extra seat and control system.
Of course to meet the weight limitation
the engine would also have to be changed. To be a illegal 103 ultralight the weight limit
as a single place the engine can't weight more than 70 pounds. The aircraft on
display was a two place which is being registered in the experimental category. Power on
this plane was a four-cylinder, four stroke 80 hp Jabiru engine, built-in Australia.
Equipped with this engine the empty weight of the craft is 350 pounds. The Valkyrie uses
standard stick and rudder controls with differential ailerons and slotted flaps, seating
is tandem. In a single place configuration, takeoff roll is expected to be about 75 feet.
Cruise at 70 percent power is calculated at 110 mph, with a climb rate of approximately
1000 feet per minute.
The factory is planning on offering the ultralight
version of the aircraft ready to fly. With an experimental or amateur built kit taking
roughly 350 hours to build. In this kit the customer would be required to bond the upper
and lower skins together, and install the usual nuts and bolts for the control system,
seats, instrument panel etc. Basically an assembly process with a little bit of gluing and
bonding.
The factory is also planning on offering a two engine
version of the craft called Hooligan. This aircraft is being developed for those pilots
flying over inhospitable terrain who require the reliability of another engine.
(pictures courtesy of Dreamwings, someone borrowed my camera, without asking, thus no 35mm
shots)
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