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The potentially revolutionary Celera 500L aircraft

thedrive.com

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Re: The potentially revolutionary Celera 500L aircraft

#11

Post by karlkatzke »

It seems to require a pretty seriously long runway to take off. On a warm day, we’re talking international airport length runway.

While pistons are cheaper than turbines, that’s because almost all of the approved pistons on the market use 1940s or earlier technology. They are very, very, very simple machines. They are still extremely expensive.

This engine is very complicated, even for an automotive engine. It’s got some revolutionary attributes, but it also has a bunch of single points of failure that would mean traveling in this airplane over long distances and large bodies of water isn’t a good idea.

I’m frankly not holding my breath. While they’ve got a bunch of buzz around them, that and a working example are like 1/10 the battle in the aircraft industry. Wish them the best for trying to advance the art but many more established and better funded folks have tried and gone bankrupt before them.

Re: The potentially revolutionary Celera 500L aircraft

#12

Post by donw »

You don't see a lot of pusher-configuration aircraft. I wonder if they plan on using the same design for a military UAV?

Having a multi-fuel capable engine is a pretty clever design choice, and I imagine the improved aerodynamics come from the combination of the pusher configuration and the lack of windows (the latter enables a lighter, stronger, and more streamlined fuselage).

Fuel consumption looks to be about double a Cessna 182 (18-25 gal/hour), but that's rather good for an aircraft of this type.

One question did spring to mind: why have they styled it after a vibrator?

Re: The potentially revolutionary Celera 500L aircraft

#14

Post by bgorman »

Judgmentality wrote: post #7

The idea of being stuck in a plane for hours with no windows is...odd.

This is the future of airplanes. Windows add cost and reduce the structural integrity of the plane.

Commercial airlines are already removing them.

https://www.bbc.com/news/business-44383220

Re: The potentially revolutionary Celera 500L aircraft

#15

Post by bigtones »

Speed seems to be almost comparable to a turbine aircraft in cruising speed if you go by their numbers, despite it being V12 piston prop driven. Cruising speed of the 500L is 450 mph and the cruising speed of a Gulfstream IV is 520 mph.

This air frame looks uncannily like the failed Planet Satellite in 1948 though.

Re: The potentially revolutionary Celera 500L aircraft

#16

Post by ceejayoz »

donw wrote: post #12

You don't see a lot of pusher-configuration aircraft. I wonder if they plan on using the same design for a military UAV? Having a multi-fuel capable engine is a pretty clever design choice, and I imagine the improved aerodynamics come from the combination of the pusher configuration and the lack of windows (the latter enables a lighter, stronger, and more streamlined fuselage). Fuel consumption looks to be about doub…

> I wonder if they plan on using the same design for a military UAV?

A mockup of a UAV version is shown in the article.

Re: The potentially revolutionary Celera 500L aircraft

#17

Post by metalliqaz »

donw wrote: post #12

You don't see a lot of pusher-configuration aircraft. I wonder if they plan on using the same design for a military UAV? Having a multi-fuel capable engine is a pretty clever design choice, and I imagine the improved aerodynamics come from the combination of the pusher configuration and the lack of windows (the latter enables a lighter, stronger, and more streamlined fuselage). Fuel consumption looks to be about doub…

it is much faster than a C182. if it flew at Cessna speeds it might be about even

Re: The potentially revolutionary Celera 500L aircraft

#18

Post by jdhn »

I'm kind of curious as to why they went with the engine that they did instead of something based off of Chevrolet's LS engine architecture, but tuned for the unique demands of planes. Seems that they place efficiency as a high standard, and the LS series of engines are pretty efficient in terms of how much power they generate vs how much space the engine takes up.

Re: The potentially revolutionary Celera 500L aircraft

#19

Post by joshyeager »

karlkatzke wrote: post #11

It seems to require a pretty seriously long runway to take off. On a warm day, we’re talking international airport length runway. While pistons are cheaper than turbines, that’s because almost all of the approved pistons on the market use 1940s or earlier technology. They are very, very, very simple machines. They are still extremely expensive. This engine is very complicated, even for an automotive engine. It’s got…

The article says its typical takeoff run is 3300 feet, which is about half what a 737 needs. I don’t know a lot about airplanes, but that seems like a pretty short runway length requirement. What am I missing?

Re: The potentially revolutionary Celera 500L aircraft

#20

Post by charliemil4 »

donw wrote: post #12

You don't see a lot of pusher-configuration aircraft. I wonder if they plan on using the same design for a military UAV? Having a multi-fuel capable engine is a pretty clever design choice, and I imagine the improved aerodynamics come from the combination of the pusher configuration and the lack of windows (the latter enables a lighter, stronger, and more streamlined fuselage). Fuel consumption looks to be about doub…

> One question did spring to mind: why have they styled it after a vibrator?

“It’s all about the laminar flow”[0]

[0] https://www.ottoaviation.com/technology

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