Synergy aircraft project revealed

[Bino]

I just found this over on the EAA web site.  This composite aircraft with a "double-box tail" will use a turbocharged liquid-cooled DeltaHawk engine to transport a pilot plus four passengers:

[Babalonian]

An interesting idea, but seems to be nothing more than a concept at this point, I'm interested in it's forcasted performance and handling characteristics though.

[phatzo]

The design would eliminate wing tip vortices.

[EskimoJoe]

I'd never step inside something like that 

[Jayhawk]

I'd never step inside something like that 

Good thing the Wright brothers never said that. 

[Shuffler]

Naaaa.... wrong color.

This is Synergy Stealth...

[PJ_Godzilla]

The design would eliminate wing tip vortices.

Sure - that's a function of the wing's continuity. The pressure diff in a normal wing bottom to top causes generation of a tip vortex. However, I can't tell from the photo whether you would have any discontinuities - these would lead to shed vortices anyway, albeit not tip vortices. For example, where the tail surface meets up with the wing it looks like there might be a chord change.

[Tupac]

Bet that airplane would fly like a turd in a crosswind.

[PJ_Godzilla]

Bet that airplane would fly like a turd in a crosswind.

How does a turd fly?

[PJ_Godzilla]

How does a turd fly?

Wait, I'll answer myself.

I suspect it flies like a simple ballistic if you get enough grunt behind it.

I.e., the prairie dog will fly if you can generate enough pressure in his hole.

[Shuffler]

Crappy conjecture if you ask me.

[Bino]

Bet that airplane would fly like a turd in a crosswind.

Check out the video.  They built a 1/4 scale model that apparently flies quite well.  They hope to have the full-scale version completed this Summer.

I find the engine alone very interesting: a supercharged & turbocharged liquid-cooled two-stroke V-4 Diesel.  This image superimposes the DeltaHawk on an air-cooled IO-320:

[Shuffler]

Check out the video.  They built a 1/4 scale model that apparently flies well.  They hope to have the full-scale version completed this Summer.

Then all we need is another John Denver.

[Tupac]

Then all we need is another John Denver.

He was a great musician, but not to great pilot.

[icepac]

I wonder if high angle of attack required by it's intended usage will cause the lower wing to blank the upper surface.

We saw what happened to the jetpod because of that on it's first takeoff.