Viper Aircraft Viperfan
{{Short description|American homebuilt aircraft}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2022}}
{{Use American English|date=January 2022}}
| {{Infobox aircraft begin
| name= Viperfan | image= | caption= }}{{Infobox aircraft type | type=Homebuilt aircraft | national origin=United States | manufacturer=Viper Aircraft | designer= | first flight= | introduced=late 1990s | retired= | status= Production completed | primary user= | more users= | produced= | number built=one | developed from= | variants with their own articles=Viper Aircraft ViperJet }} |
The Viper Aircraft Viperfan was an American homebuilt aircraft that was designed and produced by Viper Aircraft of Kennewick, Washington, introduced in the late 1990s. It was intended to be supplied as a kit for amateur construction, but only one was ever built.Purdy, Don: AeroCrafter - Homebuilt Aircraft Sourcebook, Fifth Edition, page 361. BAI Communications, 15 July 1998. {{ISBN|0-9636409-4-1}}Freeze, Di (November 2005). "The Path to the Viperjet MkII ā The Trickest Jet on the Block". Pacific Northwest Aviation & Business Journal (Airport Journals) 4 (10): 8Cā14C.
Design and development
The Viperfan was designed to resemble a military jet trainer, but powered by a pusher piston engine. It featured a cantilever low-wing, a two-seats-in-tandem enclosed cockpit under a bubble canopy, retractable tricycle landing gear and a single engine in pusher configuration.
The aircraft was made from composite materials. Its {{convert|24.5|ft|m|1|abbr=on}} span wing-mounted flaps and had a wing area of {{convert|85.0|sqft|m2|abbr=on}}. The cabin width was {{convert|31|in|cm|abbr=on}}. The acceptable power range was {{convert|240|to|350|hp|kW|0|abbr=on}} and the standard engines envisioned to be used were the {{convert|285|to|310|hp|kW|0|abbr=on}} Continental IO-520 and TSIO-520, or the {{convert|350|hp|kW|0|abbr=on}} Continental TSIOL-550 powerplant, driving the tail-mounted propeller through an extension shaft.
The Viperfan had a typical empty weight of {{convert|1450|lb|kg|abbr=on}} and a gross weight of {{convert|2500|lb|kg|abbr=on}}, giving a useful load of {{convert|1050|lb|kg|abbr=on}}. With full fuel of {{convert|100|u.s.gal}} the payload for the pilot, passenger and baggage was {{convert|450|lb|kg|abbr=on}}. The aircraft was fully aerobatic and stressed to +/-6g.
The standard day, sea level, no wind, take off with a {{convert|350|hp|kW|0|abbr=on}} engine was {{convert|1000|ft|m|0|abbr=on}} and the landing roll was {{convert|1600|ft|m|0|abbr=on}}.
The manufacturer estimated the construction time from the planned kit to be 2000 hours.
The aircraft was not a success due to problems with vibrations in the engine-to-propeller extension shaft and so the aircraft was converted to turbojet power. Eventually it was completely redesigned to become the Viper Aircraft ViperJet MKII.
Operational history
By 1998 the company reported that one aircraft had been completed and was flying.
In May 2015 no examples were registered in the United States with the Federal Aviation Administration and it is unlikely any exist anymore.{{cite web|url = http://registry.faa.gov/aircraftinquiry/AcftRef_Results.aspx?Mfrtxt=&Modeltxt=VIPERFAN&PageNo=1|title = Make / Model Inquiry Results|accessdate = 9 May 2015|last = Federal Aviation Administration|date = 9 May 2015}}
Specifications (Viperfan)
{{Aircraft specs
|prime units?=imp
|genhide=
|crew=one
|capacity=one passenger
|length m=
|length ft=26
|length in=6
|length note=
|span m=
|span ft=24
|span in=6
|span note=
|height m=
|height ft=
|height in=
|height note=
|wing area sqm=
|wing area sqft=85.0
|wing area note=
|aspect ratio=8.2:1
|airfoil=
|empty weight kg=
|empty weight lb=1450
|empty weight note=
|gross weight kg=
|gross weight lb=2500
|gross weight note=
|fuel capacity={{convert|100|u.s.gal}}
|more general=
|eng1 number=1
|eng1 name=Continental TSIOL-550
|eng1 type=six cylinder, liquid-cooled, four stroke aircraft engine
|eng1 kw=
|eng1 hp=350
|prop blade number=3
|prop name=constant speed propeller
|prop dia m=
|prop dia ft=
|prop dia in=
|prop note=
|perfhide=
|max speed kmh=
|max speed mph=500
|max speed kts=
|max speed note=
|cruise speed kmh=
|cruise speed mph=400
|cruise speed kts=
|cruise speed note=
|stall speed kmh=
|stall speed mph=66
|stall speed kts=
|stall speed note=in landing configuration
|never exceed speed kmh=
|never exceed speed mph=
|never exceed speed kts=
|never exceed speed note=
|range km=
|range miles=1500
|range nmi=
|range note=
|endurance=
|ceiling m=
|ceiling ft=31,000
|ceiling note=
|g limits=+/-6
|roll rate=
|glide ratio=
|climb rate ms=
|climb rate ftmin=4000
|climb rate note=
|time to altitude=
|sink rate ms=
|sink rate ftmin=
|sink rate note=
|lift to drag=
|wing loading kg/m2=
|wing loading lb/sqft=29.4
|wing loading note=
|power/mass=
|thrust/weight=
|more performance=
|avionics=
}}
See also
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- {{Official website|http://viperjet.com/}}
Category:1990s United States sport aircraft