Aero Concepts Discovery

Discovery
Role	Amateur-built aircraft
National origin	United States
Manufacturer	Aero Concepts
Designer	Martin Hollmann
Introduction	mid-1990s
Status	In production (2011)
Number built	3

Short description: American aircraft propeller manufacturer

The Aero Concepts Discovery is an American amateur-built aircraft, produced by Aero Concepts of Florida. The aircraft is supplied as a kit for amateur construction.^[1]

Design and development

The Discovery is a three lifting surface aircraft that features a cantilever mid-wing, a twin boom high tail, a canard surface, a two-seats-in-side-by-side configuration enclosed cockpit, fixed tricycle landing gear and a single engine in pusher configuration.^[1]

The aircraft is made from composites. Its 30 ft (9.1 m) span wing employs a NASA NLF-0215 airfoil and has an area of 125 sq ft (11.6 m²). The canard uses the same airfoil, while the tailplane uses a NASA 63218. The aircraft's recommended engine power range is 160 to 230 hp (119 to 172 kW) and standard engines used include the 180 hp (134 kW) Lycoming O-360 four-stroke powerplant. Construction time from the supplied kit is 1200 hours.^[1]^[2]

The company plans to develop the design into a light-sport aircraft, a jet-powered version and four-seat variant as well.^[2]

Operational history

By the end of 2011 three examples had been reported as completed and flown.^[1]

Specifications (Discovery)

Data from Kitplanes^[1]

General characteristics

Crew: one
Capacity: one passenger
Length: 17.9 ft (5.5 m)
Wingspan: 30 ft (9.1 m)
Wing area: 125 sq ft (11.6 m²)
Empty weight: 860 lb (390 kg)
Gross weight: 1,620 lb (735 kg)
Fuel capacity: 30 U.S. gallons (110 L; 25 imp gal)
Powerplant: 1 × Lycoming O-360 four cylinder, air-cooled, four stroke aircraft engine, 180 hp (130 kW)

Performance

Cruise speed: 225 mph (362 km/h, 196 kn)
Stall speed: 58 mph (93 km/h, 50 kn)
Range: 650 mi (1,050 km, 560 nmi)
Rate of climb: 2,300 ft/min (12 m/s)
Wing loading: 13.0 lb/sq ft (63 kg/m²)

References

↑ ^1.0 ^1.1 ^1.2 ^1.3 ^1.4 Vandermeullen, Richard: 2012 Kit Aircraft Buyer's Guide, Kitplanes, Volume 28, Number 12, December 2011, page 38. Belvoir Publications. ISSN 0891-1851
↑ ^2.0 ^2.1 Aero Concepts (2001). "Discovery Specifications". Archived from the original on 28 November 2012. https://web.archive.org/web/20121128201403/http://www.aeroconceptsllc.com/html/specs.html. Retrieved 28 October 2012.

External links

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Original source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aero Concepts Discovery. Read more

[KitplanesDec2011-1] 1.0 ^1.1 ^1.2 ^1.3 ^1.4 Vandermeullen, Richard: 2012 Kit Aircraft Buyer's Guide, Kitplanes, Volume 28, Number 12, December 2011, page 38. Belvoir Publications. ISSN 0891-1851

[Specs-2] 2.0 ^2.1 Aero Concepts (2001). "Discovery Specifications". Archived from the original on 28 November 2012. https://web.archive.org/web/20121128201403/http://www.aeroconceptsllc.com/html/specs.html. Retrieved 28 October 2012.

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