| Volume 3 Issue 1 | ONLINE EDITION | Spring 1999 |
Comp Air 7 Goes Turbine
So how big an engine can I put in it? Prospective airplane builders pose this question often at various airshows and fly-ins each year. Many pilots want to build the biggest, fastest, best climbing "sport utility" airplane possible, and they know that lot of horsepower is needed to achieve that goal.
The affordable Walter 601 turbo-prop engines (available through Turbine Design, Inc. of Deland, FL) are providing these pilots with an increasingly popular way to achieve the desired "horsepower overkill". Aerocomp, Inc. co-owner Ron Lueck is also influenced by this "need for speed" affliction, and has often expressed the opinion that "there's no such thing as too much power." Well, good-natured Ron appears to have finally satiated that seemingly unquenchable thirst for thrust.
 Comp Air 7 Turbo-prop |
Comp Air 7
Airframe Kit only $39,995 US*
*Carbon Reinforcements |
Designer, builder and test pilot Ron Lueck is normally a very talkative
person. He was at a loss for words, however, after his first flight in the turbine-powered
Comp Air 7. A BIG smile, and a generous "thumbs-up" hand signal were his first
reactions to the flight. When asked how the turbo-prop powered Comp Air 7 flew compared to
the piston-powered version, he replied simply, "...what do you say when WOW!!
doesn't express it?..."
Packing a walloping 660 hp, the Walter 601D turbo-prop looms out in front of the seven place Comp Air 7, intimidating any but the most power-hungry pilots. "Performance" takes on a whole new meaning with this airplane.
Recently, Lueck has been flying the Comp Air 7 at a conservative cruise speed of 258 mph (TAS at 12,500 feet) using only 80 lbs. of the available 127 lbs. torque! Cruise speeds as high as 280 mph (TAS@21,000 ft) while carrying useful loads of up to 1670 lbs. are possible with this airplane. Full power climbs produce such a steep "deck angle" that Lueck rarely uses full power for takeoff. Achieving a 4000 fpm climb (at 120 mph IAS) is possible with plenty of excess thrust still available. Lueck prefers to use a "cruise climb" speed of 175 mph IAS — producing a "gentle" 2000 fpm climb. Passengers are more comfortable with the deck angle in the gentler climb.
The sport
aerobatic (+6/-4g) Comp Air 7 is handling beautifully in flight. Pilots who have flown the
airplane report "hands-off" stability in all flight regimes. The range of speeds
that the airplane can fly is also impressive. The airplane can easily achieve cruise
speeds well in excess of 250 mph TAS, and can also be slowed easily to 80 or 90 mph for
traffic pattern operations. Final approaches can be flown at a leisurely 70 mph IAS.
Touchdown is slow and easy, at about 50 mph.
The high cruise speed, large useful load, quiet
roomy interior with seating for up to 7 people, and comfortable bucket seats make this an
enjoyable cross-country
aircraft for business or pleasure.
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