VL-3 evolution
The VL-3 Evolution, or VL-3 for short, is a single-engine, two-seat, 3-axis-controlled ultralight aircraft in a low- wing configuration , the airframe, wings and tail units of which are almost entirely made of composite materials ( CFRP ). With a cruising speed of around 260 km / h it is one of the fastest aircraft of its kind. It is available in the USA in the versions with fixed (FG) or retractable landing gear (RG) and in a modified form as LSA (C-1) available. It is made in Choceň in the Czech Republic.
history
The design of the VL-3 from the early 2000s comes from Vanessa Air, the design office of the brothers Miroslav and Petr Kabrt, which u. a. was also significantly involved in the design of various ultralight aircraft such as the Allegro 2000, the TL-96 Star and the TL-2000 Sting as well as the Lambada and Samba from Advanced Composite Aircraft. The production and first flight of the VL-3 was carried out by the Czech company Aveko sro, a company whose core business is the development and production of synchronous motors, planetary gears and industrial servomotors. Even the first production model with the serial number S / N 001 achieved a world record recognized by the FAI of 274.78 km / h over a straight course in 2005. In 2007, further world records recognized by the FAI followed with 262.0 km / h over a closed course of 50 km and 268 km / h over a closed course of 100 km. After about 100 machines were produced and series production from 2007 to 2011, Aveko sro sold the production. After the sale, production actually came to a standstill until 2012 when the Belgian brothers Jean-Marie and Jean-Baptiste Guisset acquired the rights and production facilities for the VL-3. The subsequent restructuring of the marketing via the Belgian company JMB Aircraft and the relocation of production to Choceň in the Czech Republic led to a significantly increased popularity of the type and increasing production numbers. In the period from 2005 to 2012, around one hundred aircraft were produced (approx. 15 units per year). From 2012 to 2016 there were already over a hundred more (25 per year). The production output is currently around 5 aircraft per month.
construction
The development of the VL-3 was initially carried out completely as a virtual prototype including all mechanical and aerodynamic simulations of the airframe, wings, rudder, flaps and the landing gear with the help of the SolidWorks software from Dassault Systems. The VL-3 owes its impressive flight performance to its design as an aerodynamically “clean” side-by-side low wing aircraft. Their relatively short wings with laminar profiles , a slight sweep and V-position (but without winglets) as well as the aerodynamically flat passenger hood and the engine cover with aerodynamically optimized ventilation openings contribute significantly to reducing air resistance. The electro-hydraulic retractable landing gear is designed as a swing arm. In the retracted state, all the necessary cavities in the fuselage are closed by covers. The advantages of this design, which the VL-3 z. B. shares with the Cessna 210, combine efficient aerodynamics with strength that can also cope with unpaved slopes. All forces of the landing gear are introduced into the airframe and there is no load on the wings.
Your advantages of achieving a cruising speed of 260 km / h at 75% power from the power of a "normal" Rotax 912 ULS with 100 HP take-off power and an electrically adjustable constant-speed propeller are bought at the cost of some restrictions that can be managed with appropriate training : For example, when traveling, the maximum permissible speed V ne can be exceeded by even a slight decrease . Likewise, in slow flight (<150 km / h), turns over 30 ° and the associated load multiples are not recommended. However, the VL-3 is equipped with generously dimensioned flaps (15–55 °) for landing , which - for an aircraft of this class - enable a surprising approach angle of over 7 ° at an approach speed of less than 100 km / h.
Application area
The VL-3 Evolution is an excellent VFR touring machine with its cruising speed of approx. 260 km / h and its range of over 2000 km with the optional 120 liter tanks . From the center of Germany, all destinations in the surrounding countries can be reached without stopping. With its moderate consumption of approx. 18 l / h Mogas (Super 95) in view of this travel performance, the VL-3 represents one of the most economical travel options of all, whereby - apart from the time savings - it also undercuts economical cars in consumption. With unmodified series models (without additional tanks, special fuel, aerodynamic modifications, etc.) and with a full load (two people with luggage), two VL-3 Evolution successfully crossed the Atlantic in an east-west direction in July 2016.
Incidents
- April 13, 2008 - A Aveko VL-3 Sprint crashed near Eschweiler due to stall tests in at low altitude (<300 m) from. The pilot was the type supervisor for traffic approval. With a total flight experience of 111 hours and only 1:18 hours on the type, he showed a level of familiarity with the aircraft type that was well below average. Both occupants died in the impact.
- May 29, 2010 - A Aveko VL-3 "Flamingo" crashed in a legal flight race in South Africa, probably due to rudder flutter from. Both inmates died on impact. The accident led to a revision of the horizontal stabilizer (one-piece, instead of the previous two-piece).
- May 8, 2016 - A JMB VL-3 Evolution crashed due to stall tests at too low an altitude. Both inmates were killed.
- More incidents
Technical specifications
| span | 8.44 m | 27.7 ft |
| length | 6.24 m | 20.5 ft |
| height | 2.05 m | 6.7 ft |
| Wing area | 9.77 m² | 105 ft 2 |
| Stall speed | 65 km / h | 35 kts |
| Max. Horizontal speed | 270 km / h | 145 kts |
| Cruising speed | 210-270 km / h | 113-145 kts |
| Gust speed | 235 km / h | 130 kts |
| permissible maximum speed V ne
(Manufacturer) |
300 km / h | 165 kts |
| permissible maximum speed V ne
(German authorization) |
280 km / h | 155 kts |
| Engine power
(Rotax 912 ULS) |
73.5 kW | 100 hp |
| Climb performance | 6 m / s | 1200 ft / min |
| Max. Altitude | 5400 m | 17,700 ft |
| Consumption (Mogas) | 8-18 l / h | 2-4.5 gal / hr |
| Tank volume | 80/120 l | 24/32 gal |
| Range | > 2,000 km | > 1,100 nm |
| Max. Take-off mass
(German authorization) |
472.5 kg | 1040 lb |
| Glide ratio | 18.5 |
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ Vanessa Air - References - VL-3. Retrieved April 8, 2017 .
- ↑ AVEKO, sro Accessed June 3, 2018 (English).
- ↑ Super User: FAI Record File Num # 12117. Retrieved June 3, 2018 .
- ↑ Super User: FAI Record File Num # 14499. Retrieved June 3, 2018 .
- ↑ Super User: FAI Record File Num # 14500. Retrieved June 3, 2018 .
- ↑ Vanessa Air - References - VL-3. Retrieved April 8, 2017 .
- ↑ VL3 Challenge. Retrieved April 11, 2017 .
- ↑ Investigation Report 08 3X017 UL Eschweiler. (PDF; 163 kB) In: bfu-web.de. Federal Bureau of Aircraft Accident Investigation, September 2009, accessed on April 11, 2017 .
- ↑ Harro Ranter: ASN Aircraft accident 29-MAY-2010 Aveko VL-3 Flamingo ZU-VDW. Retrieved April 8, 2017 .
- ↑ Harro Ranter: ASN Aircraft accident 08-MAY-2016 Aveko VL-3RG Evolution D-MVLX. Retrieved April 8, 2017 .