Four Lycoming 390X (840 hp total) on a experimental aircraft?
My main concern is at the bottom of this brief exp. aircraft description:
(4) IO-390x----8 pass----all metal-----high wing (2engines per wing)-----constant speed propellers-----retractable land gear-----bede's honeycomb panels-----bede's tubular wing spar-----2 air cond.-----top notch inst. and avionics and safety devices------custom leather interior-----very high lifting capability-----yokes----5 ft wide fuselage-----
Please give me a rough estimate so you have me dreaming until I buy RDS Aircraft Design software...
What wing design should I use?
How much weight will it be able to lift (pass and cargo)?
How fast will it go (Never exceed speed)?
What main concerns do you have?
What do you suggest?
Answers & Comments
Verified answer
Eight passengers says it all. An experimental aircraft cannot be licensed to carry passengers for hire and even if it was legal you would never be able to get insurance. Unless you have about $300 million to get it certified you would only have empty seats.
Most of your questions can't be answered until you specify the required cruise speed, range payload curve and required runway length. You're almost asking how long is a string.
For rough numbers just investigate some airplanes with the same passenger load and horsepower. Here's a Cessna 421 as a start.
Until Lycoming makes an IO-390, I suggest you google DeHavilland Heron. Somebody STCd 4 Lycs to replace the Gipsy Major engines originally installed.
I wouldn't recommend 2 engines per wing on an aircraft with a 5 ft wide fuselage. I would make it have a top speed of 300 mph, a maximum takeoff weight of 2,000 lbs. You might want to ask people who have actually done something like this before.
http://www.moller.com/
I think we've all had this dream at some time; Best leave it that way.
A leather interior? Well now you're just being stupid..........