Can These Two Guys Pull Off The Impossible?

By John Ylinen

As I walk the show grounds at AirVenture this year, I keep looking for something NEW, innovative and different. Amateur Built aircraft are supposed to be low cost. LSAs are too. There are very few that have 4 seats, can go long distances, go high and can carry a lot. The prices for most kits are north of $100K when all is said and done. I found a small startup that is trying to change that. Peter Mueller and Bernie Breen have a dream. To build the most advance SUV for the lowest price in the marketplace and make flying affordable for the family.

The Raptor is an extremely spacious 5 place, pressurized, composite aircraft with a 62" wide cabin with a top speed of 300 knots that can cruise at 230 knots true on 7 gph of Diesel or Jet-A. It will come equipped with an optional BRS airframe parachute, constant speed, reversing propeller and anti-lock brakes. It's a luxury SUV for the sky. Oh, and they are pricing it at $130K.

That is the aviation nirvana. Big, fast, long range, cheap to buy and operate. Can it be done? No one has done it yet. Is Raptor Aircraft the ones that can do it?

For power plant, they are offering the Audi 3.0L TDI V6 diesel as an engine option. Their plans for deicing are yet another innovation first, the Raptor will be equipped with the first 'Always On', and 'Better than Free to Operate' de-icing system for the diesel. Since the engine is water cooled, they will run tubing through the wings and control surfaces to keep ice from forming.

They are at the design and analysis phase and are about finished with a scale model to do some flight testing and validation. They will start the first prototype build in the fall.

They are wanting to see the interest in the marketplace, so the company is accepting escrowed deposits of $2000 and a price point of $130K for the kit with engine and avionics. Chute is $10K extra.

Will they make it? Time will tell. I surely hope they do. We need innovation and economics to come to this industry right now. We need to change the way it has always been done. We need to have the freedom to fly. I am pulling for these two guys, just as I am pulling for all in this industry that are trying to change it and are not just taking it from the FAA.

Step on over to their web site and take a look at their designs and feature explanation. Of course the devil is in the details, but I think they have a good start.

(Staff image)

FMI: www.raptor-aircraft.com