New Wing Control System Delivers Performance And Safety Improvements

According to LAM, their test aircraft has achieved the highest and lowest air speeds to-date, further expanding its performance envelope. The company claims they have achieved performance improvements on both the high-speed and the low-speed end of the aircraft.

LAM Aviation, Inc. has announced that it has achieved breakthrough performance and safety improvements with the Columbia Volant, the first aircraft to integrate LAM Aero System anti-spin and high-lift technology. LAM’s test aircraft achieved an airspeed 26 knots faster than the unmodified Columbia’s max cruise speed, while simultaneously improving landing, takeoff performance and controllability. LAM says this underscore LAM Aero System’s ability to deliver wing designs that provide performance envelopes previously not possible, leading to improved high speed performance, along with better control and enhanced safety in slow flight.

Volant Test Results
In testing this month, LAM’s Columbia Volant reached both its highest and lowest airspeeds and highest rate of climb to-date. The aircraft exceeded 206 KTAS. At 56 knots, the Volant has a lower stall speed than the unmodified airplane by one knot, but with much improved roll and yaw control in slow flight. LAM says it the fastest and safest four-place normally-aspirated general aviation aircraft ever built.

“The speed increase is dramatic and quite exciting, but the lower drag translates into increased fuel economy – and this is perhaps even more exciting,” said Greg Cole (pictured), LAM chief aerodynamicist. “Using metrics that might be more familiar to laypeople, we see over 22 mpg at speeds over 200 mph at gross weight. You quickly get used to the improved handling because it is just as it should be, but the speed is always remarkable.” The LAM Columbia Volant uses the original stock engine, a normally aspirated 310 HP Teledyne Continental IO-550N.

"Flying our Columbia Volant is like getting Ferrari supercar performance from a large sedan,” said Erik Stephansen, LAM president and CEO. “It's amazing to fly something this fast and with such wonderful handling qualities through the entire flight envelope. I expect both pilots and their insurance companies will love it.” LAM reports that the Volant roll control and flight handling characteristics in the landing configuration and slow flight are equivalent to cruise.

Novel Wing Design
LAM says their Aero System is based on a novel, patented approach to using aileron and flap panels that exploits new interactions between the panels. The system is a combination of flight control surfaces driven mechanically and electro-mechanically. It uncouples the traditional interdependent sizing relationship between ailerons and flaps, and also allows for interaction between the panels. Resulting configurations limit loss of control and stall/spin departure by allowing a smaller wing to produce more lift, while also improving roll control at slow speeds.

They say spin resistance provides a foundation for envelope protection enabled by LAM’s underlying aileron technology. LAM says their Aero system prevents inadvertent departure from controlled flight, tolerates aggravated control inputs, is highly non-spinnable, and anti-autorotative in a spin. The Lam Aero System is also fully redundant. If the LAM electro-mechanical system were to fail, the aircraft’s independent mechanical system would by itself provide control.

LAM System Commercially Available
LAM recently announced commercial availability for its system. The company is initially offering the LAM Aero System as a modification on Columbia 300, 400, and Cessna Corvalis models, converting them to the Volant configuration as demonstrated in the Columbia 300 conversion. LAM Aviation will also be licensing its technology to provide safety and performance benefits in a system package that can be applied to any general aviation aircraft.

(Source: LAM news release. Airplane Images by Eric Van Gilder)

FMI: www.lamaviation.com