Velocity XL

Velocity XL
Velocity XL with fixed-gear
Role Homebuilt aircraft
Manufacturer Velocity, Inc.
Number built 229 (December 2011)


The Velocity XL (XL: Extra Large) is an American amateur-built aircraft, produced by Velocity, Inc.. It is an enlarged version of their Velocity SE canard pusher design.[1][2]

Design and development

Gear retraction of a Velocity on takeoff

The Velocity XL is 12 in (310 mm) longer and has a 20 in (510 mm) greater span than the SE.[3] The standard XL has a cruising range of 875 nautical miles (1,620 km; 1,007 mi) and a 75% power cruising speed of 185 knots (213 mph; 343 km/h) air speed.[2][4][5]

The XL is available in both fixed gear (FG) and retractable gear (RG) form and can accommodate either three or four passengers plus a pilot. The five seat versions, the XL-5 and the TXL-RG-5, have a rear bench seat for three rather than the alternative separate pair of seats.[1][2][5][6]

Engines available as kits from the manufacturer for all models are the Lycoming IO-360 of 180 to 200 hp (134 to 149 kW), Lycoming IO-540 of 260 to 300 hp (194 to 224 kW), Continental IO-550 of 310 to 350 hp (231 to 261 kW) and the Franklin 6A350C1 of 205 to 235 hp (153 to 175 kW).[1][2][7] Builders may use these manufacturer kits or design their own engine installations using a variety of other engines of similar power output.

Variants

Velocity XL-RG
Velocity V-Twin
Velocity XL-FG
Fixed landing gear version with a gross weight of 2,700 lb (1,225 kg). Forty had been completed and flown by December 2011.[1]
Velocity XL-FG-5
Fixed landing gear version with a gross weight of 2,900 lb (1,315 kg). Twenty-one had been completed and flown by December 2011.[1]
Velocity XL-RG
Retractable landing gear version, with a gross weight of 2,700 lb (1,225 kg). 150 had been completed and flown by December 2011.[1]
Velocity TXL-RG-5
Retractable landing gear version, with gross weight of 2,900 lb (1,315 kg). Eighteen had been completed and flown by December 2011.[1]
Velocity V-Twin
Twin engine prototype, three built, powered by two Superior IO-320-A engines.[8]

Rocket Racers

Rocket Racer at Tulsa International Airport, April 2010

The now-defunct Rocket Racing League utilized a highly modified Velocity XL FG airframe and an Armadillo Aerospace 2,500 pound thrust liquid oxygen (LOX) and ethanol rocket engine in both its Mark-II X-Racer and Mark-III X-Racer demonstration vehicles. The Mark-II utilized a standard fixed-gear Velocity XL airframe, modified for rocket propulsion. The Mark-III airframe was more extensively customized during manufacture, explicitly for rocket racing, with a canopy top, center seat and control stick and other enhancements, in addition to the rocket propulsion added to the Mark-II.[9]

Specifications (XL-RG)

Data from Jane's All the World's Aircraft 2013/14[3]

General characteristics

Performance

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Vandermeullen, Richard: 2011 Kit Aircraft Buyer's Guide, Kitplanes, Volume 28, Number 12, December 2011, page 75. Belvoir Publications. ISSN 0891-1851
  2. 1 2 3 4 Bayerl, Robby; Martin Berkemeier; et al: World Directory of Leisure Aviation 2011-12, page 125. WDLA UK, Lancaster UK, 2011. ISSN 1368-485X
  3. 1 2 Jackson, Paul A. (2013). Jane's All the World's Aircraft  : development & production : 2013-14. IHS Global. pp. 968–9. ISBN 978-0-7106-3040-7.
  4. ↑ Insite. "Velocity Aircraft". Velocity Aircraft. Retrieved 2012-10-24.
  5. 1 2 Insite. "Velocity Aircraft". Velocity Aircraft. Retrieved 2012-10-24.
  6. ↑ Insite. "Velocity Aircraft". Velocity Aircraft. Retrieved 2012-10-24.
  7. ↑ Velocity, Inc. (2016). "Engine Installation Kits". Retrieved 10 May 2016.
  8. ↑ Federal Aviation Administration (29 June 2016). "N-Number Inquiry Results". Retrieved 29 June 2016.
  9. ↑ Rocket Racing League Announces Milestone Development in X-Racer, press release, 2010-03-10, accessed 2010-05-03.
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