Flight Design Continues Work On C4

0

C4 mockup at EAA AirVenture

Flight Design is moving along with its work on its four-seat aircraft, the C4, company leaders said at EAA AirVenture on Tuesday. Since the first flight,in April, the proof-of-concept aircraft has flown several more times, performing tests at weights up to 2,640 pounds gross. The aircraft has demonstrated a rate of climb of more than 950 feet per minute, a stall speed of less than 54 knots, and a projected cruise speed of 145 knots. Those numbers are expected to change, however, with more detailed testing and more refinements of the design. Technical director Oliver Reinhardt said the aircraft will incorporate the company’s “safety box concept,” with a stiff crash-absorbing cabin structure plus advanced seat installation and restraint systems, to protect the occupants. That concept is in the research stages, with tests planned at NASA’s Langley Research Center in Virginia.

Safety box concept/Flight Design

The design has attracted attention for the company’s intention to comply with the Part 23 regulations that are expected after FAA revision, instead of the current rules. Some of the avionics in the C4 will be by Garmin, but some of the components will not be certified. The company officials said EASA certification is expected by next summer. Tom Peghiny, president of Flight Design USA, told AVweb that EASA has “conceptually OK’d the idea of certifying the components as part of the whole package.” He said FAA officials have been supportive of the idea that if the aircraft is first certified in Europe, it can then be validated for FAA certification within a few months. CEO Matthias Betsch said at the EAA news conference that the company has deposits in hand for about 100 copies of the C4. The airplane is expected to have a Continental engine and a Hartzell prop.

During the news conference, the company officials also said the construction of a new manufacturing facility in China has been completed. The factory, which is owned by partner company GSEO, of Taiwan, will be used to build up to 300 CTLS and C4 airplanes per year for the Asian market, and may also produce aircraft for the U.S. market. The CTLS is attracting attention from law enforcement agencies, Peghiny said, with three agencies now operating the airplanes. They are quieter than a helicopter, cost half as much to acquire and can be operated for one-third the cost, he said. He also said the company is now offering upgrades for the air conditioning units and added that the Dynon ADS-B-out system can be upgraded to be compliant for FAA rules that take effect in 2020, for about $600.

LEAVE A REPLY