Welcome to this episode of Dwayne’s Aviation, a Wiseman once said, smash the like button,
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Experimental airplanes are great, they are freedom, the broad flexibility it offers in
terms of upgrades and maintenance is completely awesome. You are at liberty to do what you like
with a homebuilt. Nothing feels better than having a plane you can modify to your taste,
improve, and personalize in ways that factory airplanes forbid.
Let’s look at the most efficient experimental airplanes in the market today.
Since these airplanes are experimental, the total build price will vary, depending on what
you decide to put on the airplane, so I will not include the build price for that reason.
Whenever a general aviation enthusiast hears the name:
“Lancair”: speed, speed, and lots of speed is the first thing that comes to their mind.
The lancair Mako is no different. Production of the Mako started in 2018. With the Mako,
the emphasis is on usable performance - not just ' on paper bragging' but real-world responsiveness
you can count on every day. Starting with a sturdy composite airframe that's built to stringent
utility class standards, the Mako is designed for the long haul. This uses the 350hp Continental IO
550 turbo-charged engine, which helps it to seat four people and cruise at 225 knots or 417km/h,
climb at 1900 ft/min, with a range of 1100 nautical miles.
This is the Stoddard-Hamilton Glasair III, the only language this airplane hears
is “get there fast”. The Painstaking aerodynamic refinement of this airplane
helps you get the maximum out of every gallon of fuel without compromising Glasair’s nimble,
yet docile handling characteristics. The Glasair III is an all-composite improved variant of the
earlier Glasair II with retractable landing gear and a 300 hp Lycoming IO-540 engine.
It has two seats side-by-side with dual controls, and can fit wingtip
fuel tanks on it for long-range missions. This airplane uses the 300hp Lycoming IO 540 engine,
which helps it to cruise at 272knots, climb at 2400 ft/min, with a range of 1100 nautical miles.
The Glasair Sportsman 2+2 is the most versatile 4-seat single piston aircraft available.
The Sportsman’s performance specifications compare favorably with other aircraft in
the class that is priced several times higher.
Unlike the others, the Sportsman is the plane with the most customization options. You can configure
this airplane to use either tricycle landing gear or taildragger, if that is not enough for you, you
can put floats on it for water operations, if you love adventure, you can fit rugged wheels on it.
The Sportsman is unique, offering on-airport/off-airport operational
capability. Cross-country or backcountry, no matter what your flying need maybe,
the Sportsman will fulfill your mission. This airplane uses the 180hp Lycoming IO 360 engine,
which helps it to cruise at 137 knots, climb at 1000ft/min, with a range of 130 nautical miles.
If you want an acrobatic airplane, then consider the Vans RV8
The RV-8 is a fully aerobatic-capable airplane, stable and responsive, which provides a fighter
jet like feel of center-line seating, with a wide fuselage and cockpit that accommodates two
people in comfort. This is undoubtedly one of the most efficient airplanes on this list. It
achieves unprecedented efficiency through careful aerodynamic shaping and lightweight structure.
For the owner, this represents significantly lower operating costs and simplified maintenance.
This airplane uses the Lycoming IO 360 engine,
which powers it to cruise at 210 mph, climb at 1900 feet per minute, with a range of 1000 miles.
If you want a four-seat personal airplane with the performance of a jet,
then go for the Lancair evolution. This airplane offers performance that’s in the very light
jet category. Currently available in both turboprop and piston engines. The turboprop
version comes in three different engine options, the turbine version of the Evolution is powered
by the 750 hp Pratt & Whitney PT6 engine, with a maximum cruise of 300 knots at 25,000 ft on a fuel
burn of 39 gallons per hour of Jet-A. But if you throttle back to an economy cruise of 270 knots,
it burns 23 gallons per hour. The evolution turbine has a full-fuel payload of 837 lb
and 61 knots flaps-down stall speed. The piston version is powered by a 350hp Lycoming iE2 engine
and has a maximum cruising speed of 270 knots on a fuel burn of 22 gallons per hour of avgas.
But at an economy cruise speed of 240 knots, the fuel flow is 17 gallons per hour.
Both airplanes are pressurized, the piston version flies at a maximum of 25000 ft
while the turbine can fly up to 28000ft. with four occupants and luggage.
If you want a cirrus in the experimental category, consider the Vans RV 10.
This is the first four-seat airplane in the popular RV series. The prototype first flew
in 2003 and the kits have been in production to date. When vans introduced the RV 10, three engine
configurations were planned, one configuration using a smaller 210 horsepower continental IO-360
engine and two others using the larger 235 and 260 horsepower Lycoming IO 540 engines.
The Continental engine was discontinued after most builders indicated that it poses problems
due to engine displacement limitations. Currently, the RV10 uses the Lycoming IO 540 engine,
which helps it to cruise as fast as 180 knots, climb at 1400ft/min, with a range of 800 miles.
If you want a true high-performance airplane with the luxury of a full-size sedan,
then go for the Velocity Xl. This airplane has the ability to make 1000-mile cross-country trips at
speeds in excess of 200 knots while carrying four adults and baggage in total comfort.
With the rear-mounted engine, the noise, propeller turbulence, engine heat, and fumes are behind you,
providing an atmosphere comparable to a modern sports sedan. The XL is available in both
fixed and retractable gear and can accommodate either three or four passengers plus a pilot.
The five-seat version, the XL5 has a rear bench seat for three rather than the alternative
separate pair of seats. The velocity XL uses the 310hp Continental IO 550 engine, which helps it
to cruise at 210 knots, climb at over 1500 feet per minute, with a range of 1000 nautical miles.
The price for the kit is $55,000, total build price depends on the additional options you
put on the plane, but you are looking at over $200,000 in total build cost.
When the Velocity XL came out, customers loved it, but some people wanted the same
design with a twin-engine performance and safety, and the Velocity V twin was born.
The Velocity V-Twin was designed to provide a safe and efficient transportation aircraft especially
for those who fly at night, over mountains, over large bodies of water, serious IFR,
and those who just want the redundancy of a second engine to get them home or to an
airport in the event of an engine failure. The V Twin uses two 160hp Lycoming IO 320 engines,
which helps it to cruise at 175knots, climb at 2000ft/min, with a range of 1400 nautical miles.
If you want luxury and lots of speed, then go for the Epic LT. Introduced in 2015,
Over the last two decades, there has been a shortage of new entrants into the turboprop
market. The E1000 came with so many advancements, with a sleeker modern design, this is certainly
the most beautiful single-engine turboprop to look at. The design of this aircraft is great,
the strength-to-weight benefits of carbon fiber, generously applied to a sophisticated aerodynamic
airframe, attached to a 1200-horsepower engine delivers a great performance. No other
high-performance aircraft employs carbon fiber so extensively throughout its airframe, which helps
the E1000 to outperform the competition. The E1000 cruises at 360 mph, with a climb rate of
4,000 feet per minute, plus a full fuel payload of 1,100 pounds, and range over 1,560 nautical miles
If you want a highly efficient modern four-seat design, then go for the Sling TSI. The TSi is
truly one of the very few homebuilt kits available today with four seats and the capability to use
them. While not as fast as an RV-10 at lower altitudes, the turbocharged engine is more than
sufficient for two or three people to take off on an extended trip—in both distance and time. The
new Rotax engine is efficient and sophisticated, promising years of service. The Sling TSi has
been critically acclaimed for its capabilities, effortless handling, and all-round functionality.
It comfortably seats four with luggage and still cruises effortlessly and efficiently,
making it the ultimate in affordable cross-country flying. Using the 141hp Rotax 915 engine,
cruise speed is 148knots, 1000ft/min climb rate, and a range of 900 nautical miles.
If you want a variant of the Sling TSI, then go for Sling 4. The Sling 4 was built to be the most
practical and desirable lightweight, four-place experimental aircraft on the market. The main
difference between the Sling 4 and the Sling Tsi is that the TSi is aerodynamically cleaner
and structurally beefier than the Sling 4, and the TSi uses the bigger, more powerful 141hp Rotax 915
instead of a 115-horsepower Rotax 914. This is an aircraft with an uncompromising mission:
To offer unrivaled performance, safety, and reliability in the hands of all pilots
no matter the mission. This airplane uses the 114hp Rotax 914 engine,
which helps it to cruise at 130 knots, climb at 800ft/min, with a range of 700 nautical miles.
Finally: Vans RV-12
Fun, speed, affordability, and high-performance are the defining characteristics of the
Vans RV 12. This is a tremendous little airplane, fast enough to go cross country,
and economical enough to just put around and do some sightseeing flights. It has excellent
performance with a takeoff roll of just 400 feet and even less if you’re flying solo.
In-flight, the controls are very smooth and responsive. Since introduced in 2008, and one
of the main selling points since then is its low operating costs. Using the 100hp Rotax 912 engine,
the RV-12 cruises at 130 mph, climbs at 900ft per minute, with a range of 500 miles
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