Nathan Young wrote:

On Fri, 17 Feb 2006 16:49:40 GMT, Don W
wrote:


Hi Jim,

I was _mostly_ kidding about jettisoning the engine.


Devil's Advocate: Why is a pusher/canard the design requirement? It
would be much easier to use a 250kt Lancair ES-P as the root design
and adapt it to use a chute.

True. And it also solves the design for pressurization problem, the
250KT Vne flutter problem, etc. It just makes too much sense to be
a good solution ;-)

Of course the fastbuild kit and a new IO-540 will set you back about
$160K before avionics, paint, and interior. You could just add another
$60K and fly away in your factory certified used Cirrus SR22 sans
pressurization, but with the ballistic chute.

The inclusion of a chute somewhat offsets the reduction of stall/spin
safety in going from a canard to conventional layout.

I'm not as concerned about stall/spin as I am airframe/control failure
or engine out over hostile terrain. I noticed a few high altitude
breakups in the accident reports on my other favorite dreamplane--the
Lancair IVP.

Don W.