Viper Aircraft ViperJet
| {{Infobox aircraft begin
| name=ViperJet | image= }}{{Infobox aircraft type | type=High performance sport and aerobatic | national origin=United States | manufacturer=Viper Aircraft | designer=Scott Hanchette | first flight=October 1999 | introduced= | status= | primary user= | number built= | developed from= Viper Aircraft Viperfan | variants with their own articles= }} |
The Viper Aircraft ViperJet is a small homebuilt jet aircraft by Viper Aircraft Corporation. It is a conventional, low-wing monoplane with swept wings and tail and two seats in tandem under a bubble canopy. The jet intakes are located at the sides of the fuselage and the tricycle undercarriage is retractable. Construction throughout is of composite materials.{{Citation | title = ViperJet kit aircraft makes maiden flight | url = https://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/viperjet-kit-aircraft-makes-maiden-flight-58059/ | newspaper = Flight international | date = 10 November 1999 | publisher = Flight global | quote = The composite ViperJet…}}.{{Citation | last1 = Bayerl | first1 = Robby | first2 = Martin | last2 = Berkemeier | title = World Directory of Leisure Aviation | year = 2011–2012 | page = 126 | publisher = WDLA | place = Lancaster, UK | ISSN = 1368-485X|display-authors=etal}}
Development
Originally conceived to use a piston engine driving a five- or six-blade pusher propeller, brothers Scott and Dan Hanchette commenced work on the prototype, then known as the ViperFan,Freeze 2005, p. 10C in February 1996.Saywers 2006, p. 14 However, concerns about the difficulty and cost associated with eliminating vibration from the drivetrain led the Hanchettes to choose turbojet propulsion instead, and they installed a Turbomeca Marboré engine in place of the Continental flat-6 they had originally envisaged as a powerplant.
The Viperjet prototype flew late in October 1999. and made its public debut at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh in 2000.Hitchman 2000, p. 44. The Hanchette brothers, however, were unhappy with both the low powerSaywers 2006, p. 1 and the high fuel consumptionFreeze 2005, p.11C of the Turbomeca engine, and soon swapped it for a General Electric T58 turboshaft engine with the power turbine removed, turning it into a turbojet. While this worked, it still did not produce as much thrust as the Hanchettes hoped for, and eventually, they selected the General Electric J85. With this engine producing around four times the thrust of the previous powerplants tested in the Viper, the Hanchettes substantially redesigned the aircraft, dubbing the J85-powered version the MKII. The prototype was dismantled and rebuilt, with parts of the canopy and fuselage center section all that remained of the original design. The slightly larger MKII also features a pressurized cabin,Joshi 2007, p. B6 nearly three times the fuel tankage,White 2006, p. 11. stronger undercarriage, and optional tip tanks. The MKII prototype flew on 12 June 2005 and Viper Aircraft offered replacement MKII parts to all customers who had purchased kits of the original version, now dubbed the MKI.
In 2006, the base MKII kit cost US$182,000, but since builders can purchase additional components already pre-made by Viper Aircraft, customers spent an average of $350,000 on their kits. They would then have to spend approximately another $300,000 and around 3,000 to 3,500 hours to complete the aircraft. The company also offers customers a builder assistance program to help them assemble the major airframe components and a training program to help them learn to fly their ViperJet once it is complete. Zero Gravity Builders provides builder assistance for the ViperJet MKII, ViperJet LXR and Viper FanJet.White 2006, p. 12 Viper Aircraft had sold 21 kits by September 2006.
In 2008, Viper Aircraft announced an enlarged, turbofan-powered follow-on design as the Viper Aircraft FanJet. The company has also proposed a military trainer version of the ViperJet, as well as a UAV version.White 2006, p. 13
Operational history
By April 2020 seven examples had been registered in the United States with the Federal Aviation Administration.{{cite web|url = http://registry.faa.gov/aircraftinquiry/AcftRef_Results.aspx?Mfrtxt=&Modeltxt=VIPERJET&PageNo=1|title = Make / Model Inquiry Results|access-date = 8 April 2020|last = Federal Aviation Administration|author-link = Federal Aviation Administration|date = 27 October 2012}}
Specifications (MKII, preliminary specifications)
{{Aircraft specs
|ref=White 2006, p.13
|prime units? = imp
|crew=One pilot
|capacity=2 (1 pilot & 1 passenger)
|length m=7.80
|length ft=25
|length in=6
|span m=8.48
|span ft=27
|span in=10
|empty weight kg=1,452
|empty weight lb=3,200
|gross weight kg=2,320
|gross weight lb=5,100
|eng1 number=1
|eng1 name=General Electric CJ-610
|eng1 kn=12.7
|eng1 lbf=2,850
|max speed kmh= 804-845
|max speed mph= 500-525
|cruise speed kmh=603
|cruise speed mph=375
|stall speed kmh=130
|stall speed mph=80
|range km=1,480
|range miles=920
|ceiling m= 10,500
|ceiling ft= 35,000
|climb rate ms=61
|climb rate ftmin=12,000
}}
See also
References
=Notes=
{{Reflist}}
=Bibliography=
{{refbegin}}
- {{cite journal |last=Freeze |first=Di |title=The Path to the Viperjet MkII – The Trickest Jet on the Block | journal = Pacific Northwest Aviation & Business Journal |publisher= Airport Journals | volume= 4 | issue= 10 | date = November 2005 |pages= 8C–14C}}
- {{cite journal |last=Hitchman |first=Nigel |title=Travelling Light |journal=Flight International |date = 5–11 September 2000 |pages=44–46 |url=http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/2000/2000-1%20-%200916.html | access-date = 2009-02-21}}
- {{cite news |first=Pratik |last=Joshi |title=The right brothers |work=Tri-City Herald |date= 21 October 2007 |pages=B5–B6 }}
- {{cite journal |last=Saywers |first=Karisa |title=Local kit plane company provides opportunity for aircraft ownership |journal=Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business |volume=5 |issue=9 |date=September 2006 |pages=1, 14}}
- {{cite journal |title= ViperJet kit aircraft makes maiden flight |journal= Flight International |date = 10–16 November 1999 |page = 32 |url= http://www.flightglobal.com/FlightPDFArchive/1999/1999%20-%203319.PDF | format = PDF | access-date = 2009-02-21 | ref = {{SfnRef | Flight | 1999}}}}
- {{cite journal |last= White |first= Diane |title= The ViperJet MKII |journal= Twin & Turbine |date= February 2006 | pages = 8–13}}
{{refend}}