When we talk about speeeeed in general aviation, not many planes come to mind.
The Evolution, or the Lancair Evolution, is one of a kind. It delivers great qualities and features
with a difference; uniqueness and excellence. It started life under Lancair International
before the owner sold everything to focus on building the Evolution turbine and piston.
The Evolution is one of a kind, not like any other experimental airplane out there.
This plane is designed to meet the same FAR Part 23 aircraft certification standards that
type-certified aircraft comply with. The company designed a predictable airplane
with the superb performance numbers that Lancair customers have become accustomed to.
From the outside, this plane looks very beautiful and elegant.
There are people who don’t agree with the aesthetics of this plane, but I think it’s
because the Evolution is not trying to look like anything else we are used to seeing.
Previous Lancairs were metal airplanes, but Neibauer Lance wanted to do something different,
most probably because composites enabled more streamlined, eye-catching shapes. The aircraft
is impressive for the extraordinary quality of its fit and finish, with smooth, complex curves
and rounded windows. The elliptical wing is smooth with no rivets or screws. The Evolution’s long,
high-aspect-ratio wings have quite the area that allows it to carry more fuel and lower
the stall speed to the Part 23 requirement of 61 knots maximum in the landing configuration.
A step allows access to the top of the left-wing, and cabin entry is through a single,
top-hinged door on the left side. Closing the door is a matter of pulling it down and
pushing a single lever that locks the frame in place. While the Evolution benefits from
the long history of Lancair, several things differentiate the airplane from its predecessors.
Being the first Lancair to be completely designed using computer-aided design software,
it greatly benefited from the consistency that this method offered in the design phase. Moving
to its dimensions, its length is 30 feet, with a height of 10 feet and a wingspan of 37 feet.
It has a baggage capacity of 225 lbs, and a maximum takeoff weight of 4550-lbs.
The interior of the Evolution is as modern as it gets. There are no yokes blocking you from seeing
the flight displays. Sidesticks on each side of the cockpit control the Evolution and provide
effortless hand flying. This setup is optimal because it is comfortable and it makes room for
an electronic flight bag, kneeboard, or whatever else that is necessary to take along on your lap
as you cruise along. The Turbine model is equipped with the Garmin G900X suite,
which includes the renowned GFC7X Autopilot. This is essentially the G1000 system
without the certifications required for use in Part 23 Certified aircraft and the Evolution
is the only experimental airplane granted use of the GFC700 Autopilot. The piston-powered Evolution
comes with the G3X Touch system, which is designed exclusively for the experimental market.
For those who wouldn’t settle for the G3X Touch, the G900X with GFC700 is optional on the Piston.
These panels provide everything you need for full IFR flight; traffic and terrain avoidance,
communications, engine monitoring, aircraft pressurization, and environmental needs. They
are provided prewired and "plug and play" to mate with the provided airframe wiring harness.
The seats are very adjustable; you can move forward and aft to place the pilot in the optimal
position to reach everything easily. Short-legged people need not worry about reaching the rudder
pedals, because they also adjust. Right overhead is the lever for the parachute safety system,
should there be a do or die problem, just pull it to safety. The Evolution’s cabin
is the same width as the Cessna Corvallis but is 13 inches longer.
The cabin is roomy, with plenty of leg and shoulder space for the front and rear occupants.
Seats are high-G certified safety seats, and The Greatest four-seat Plane: Lancair Evolution the
rear seats have quick-release knobs that allow removal of one or both of the seats
should the owner want to carry cargo instead of passengers. But, with a volume of 39 cubic feet
and a weight limit of 225 pounds, the luggage compartment is likely sufficient in most cases.
Despite the wide beam between the large windshield and the side windows, the visibility is very good
all-around from the front seat as the windows provide unmatched visibility for an airplane in
this class. However, rear passengers need to lean slightly forward to see through the side window.
Pressurization is automatic, providing gentle climbs and descents of the cabin altitude
with no discernable change. Heat and air conditioning are automatic as well,
responding to the temperature set on the touchscreen controller by the occupants.
The Evolution can be fitted with the Lycoming iE2 or three fantastic different variants of the
amazing Pratt & Whitney PT6 turboprop power plant depending on the mission and budget
of the customer. With 350-hp from the piston version, 550-shaft hp, 750-shp, and 867-shp,
respectively, from the turboprop models, the choice is not between fast and slow, but between
fast and near jet speeds. The 550-shp model burns 28-gph at 265- knots. At an economy cruise of
225 knots, fuel burn is 24-gph. Moving on to the 750-shp version, the fuel burn at maximum cruise
of 300 knots is 37-gph. At an economy cruise of 275 knots, fuel burn is 28-gph. Now for the
867-shp model, the maximum cruise is 330 knots, and you are going to burn 45-gph to fly that fast.
But if you throttle back to an economy cruise of 225 knots, your fuel burn is 25-gph.
All the turboprop models can fly as high as 28,000-ft, with a climb rate of 4000-ft/min,
you can get there in 11 minutes, and the maximum range is 1350 nautical miles.
For those that want a lot more range, the Lycoming iE2 equipped model is the best choice.
Capable of carrying 4 adults in pressurized comfort for over 1600 nautical miles, this is
only the beginning of the features offered by this wonderful aircraft. Imagine no more cannulas in
your nose just to get over the weather, or fussing with the kids and O2 masks while you try and climb
over the turbulence. The piston-powered Evolution is the same kit as the proven Turbine version,
so you can be assured that the airframe can handle anything you might encounter.
Powered by the 350hp Lycoming iE2 engine, the maximum cruising speed is 230 knots on a fuel
burn of 23-gph of avgas. But at an economy cruise speed of 215 knots at 24,000-ft, the
fuel flow is 18-gph. The range is 1667 nautical miles, and the service ceiling is 25,000-ft.
While it flies much further than the turbine models, it climbs much slower at 1500-ft/min.
The iE2 engine is the latest "state of the art" in aircraft piston engines.
It brings the traditional aircraft piston engine into the 21st century with computer-controlled
electronic fuel injection, electronic ignition, and electronic engine self-protection.
Power management is simple with one lever controlling the percentage of power desired,
prop pitch, and fuel flow. The engine will always determine the most efficient
combination of fuel mixture, ignition timing, turbo boost, and propeller RPM for the flight
condition you request. It will do that while determining optimum settings without hazardous
fuel mixtures or ignition timing and will avoid overheating or detonation
without pilot intervention or the need to monitor the factors that cause these conditions.
The Evolution brings a sleek carbon fiber airframe, benign stall characteristics,
advanced systems, and a powerful Pratt & Whitney engine to provide reliability and performance.
It not only provides great speed, as fast as 300 knots, but it also has a wide flight envelope with
a 61-knot stall speed, which is the FAA-mandated number for certificated single-engine airplanes.
The Greatest four-seat Plane: Lancair Evolution A major contributor to the Evolution’s performance
qualities is its advanced wing design. The design was optimized using Xfoil analysis software
and validated through wind tunnel testing. The wing is tapered and uses four different airfoils,
resulting in a balance of desirable flight characteristics tailored specifically for cruise
performance, in-flight maneuvers, efficient climb, and docile low-speed handling and stall behavior.
There is no adverse yaw in 45-degree turns, and the airplane conveys a feeling of both obedience
and stability. However, when heading downhill, the ailerons become noticeably heavier as
airspeed increases beyond 200 knots. There are no speed brakes, and there is no need for them
as the four-blade Hartzell prop flattens out and slows the airplane like an anchor.
The Evolution’s rapid descent profile is impressive. With gear down and full flaps, a
4,500-fpm descent at 130 knots is achievable with the aircraft trimmed out and hands-off. Moreover,
its slow flight characteristics are incredibly stable, and the stall is just a slight, straight
buffet. It has the ability to safely penetrate unforeseen turbulence or maneuver if necessary.
Being in the amateur-built category enables Lancair to provide all the amazing features
at a previously unattainable price point, putting the airplane in its own niche.
The catch is, the buyer gets to build the airplane themselves.
At $545,000, the kit itself includes every part required to build the Evolution apart
from the engine, and depending on whether you go for the piston or the turboprop engine,
the total build cost will run anything between $800,000 and $1.2 million.
For some people, the biggest challenge to getting an evolution is the building
process. The Lancair kit includes a highly organized, two-week, supervised build program
at its factory where the carbon fiber fuselage is finished and sits on the main gear. However,
it might sound as if the airplane is almost ready to go, but there is still much work to be done,
and it can take up to eight months to fully complete the aircraft. Moreover, despite the
advanced wing design, one fairly common complaint is that the Evolution’s roll control is heavy. The
pressure required to control the airplane is not balanced. The pitch control is nice, but when you
need to roll the airplane, particularly at high speed, the amount of force required is excessive.
Evolution owners love the freedom and uniqueness that their aircraft provides them as per their
requirements and missions. Whether it's fun in the sun or a weekend in the snow,
the aircraft is ready to accommodate every trip in the best way possible, with maximum comfort
and an amazing experience. The ability to fully customize the airplane is another benefit that
doesn’t exist in the certified world. It is safe to say that this remarkable evolution
keeps evolving. This high-flying, 300-knot, carbon-fiber greyhound is
seeking to completely redefine the top end of the experimental marketplace.
For the pilot who is looking for exceptional performance and an airplane that he or she
will know inside and out, building, owning, and flying; an Evolution would be just the right fit.