Humming Aerospace Version 9 Blade ti Designed By J Falk Hummingair LLC The Version 9 is a prototype carbon fiber intensive aircraft designed from the nose back to be much more efficient than existing aircraft of similar style and design. The performance gain over conventional aircraft construction and materials is result of extensive use of carbon fiber, boron fibers and titanium. The resin matrix is various Adtech Systems epoxies. The original design was studied and modified until the aircraft was at its optimum design iteration resulting in the Version 9. Several areas were changed not so much to improve performance but to address stability and interior space. In mold tooling for the wing root was left out so that the wing placement could be modified for several engine options ranging from Continental 360 series to the 540 then to the Allison 250 turbines. In the end the Continental 360 (220 HP) C series engine gave the best calculated performance to fuel burn ratios. However, the Allison 250, 310 Hp turbine resulted in a better cost per mile for present fuel costs. Performance calculations and flight stability studies were evaluated and tested by simulation. In the end this approach resulted in over 345 different designs. The simulation testing approach gave us over 600 hours of data to look at. Simulation was used extensively, it provided a much more rapid approach to design changes. In comparing simulation in- flight data came very close to calculated data. Another area that provided the ability to make changes was the use of Solidworks design and subsequent 3D printing of prototype tooling. The tooling for flaps, hinges, faring's and many other parts reduced tooling design and building time from weeks to just a few days. This freed most of the time up for other tasks while the 3d printer did its thing. 3D printing provided the ability to look at fitting and load calculations in real world time. Hinges could be put through failure & Interference analysis with revisions to design completed in a matter of minutes instead of days or weeks. For instance: The canopy hinges of the original design called for a standard high clearance hinge that would protrude into cockpit overhead area. This was unacceptable for many reasons but notable head injury potential. In just a matter of hours a new design was created and printed that eliminated the high clearance horseshoe hinge that could be incorporated into the canopy Landing gear eagle claw pattern
3D Printed Prototype Hinge TI 6AL4V and Gr2 brackets, misc parts TI Bellwashers Early on in the design stages it was decided to use tools (molds) to build all composite parts. Glass over foam core was rejected as a viable means of building this aircraft. Even though the glass over foam is a generally acceptable means of constructing aircraft today, we felt the time to get shapes correct was better used to build low production numbers tools similar to the old auto industry pattern shop practices. This approach resulted in highly accurate tools that could be easily modified in the event of changes compared to patterns with subsequent tools made from those patterns. This also eliminated post cure tool warp & shrinkage, providing more precision. Fuselage half pulled from tool in the Vulture's Nest. Fuselage wing assembly Wing Tool readied for upper wing surface construction, Tip tank
Dash Visor being fitted to the interior panel/ center pattern. Interior pattern work fitting to airframe. The composite construction was done with several weave types of Carbon fiber using different Adtech epoxy systems in a controlled environment. The fuselage was constructed using a 2X2 5.7oz twill and a10oz. 8 harness satin weave. 5 lbs. density core was bonded to that and capped with the 8 harness fabric. Out of autoclave wet lay-up with de-bulking and for bonding completed with vacuum assist to 29.3 hg. Adding to strength is the addition of load path structural members. The engine compartment in the following image shows this system clearly. There will also be load path structural members from the main wing spar box that carries through into the canopy framework and aft, terminating at the vertical stabilizer spar structure. Engine compartment showing sub-frame. Horizontals stab construction. The spars for the horizontal stab are comprised mostly of uni-directional carbon and are joined with a spar box both fore and aft. The horizontal stab spars are connected to a rotational bearing assemble that is attached to the vertical stab spar. The assembly allows for incidence adjustment of the H stab independent of the elevators and there assembles. There are three spars for the wings, one center main, a trailing and leading edge spars. The main spare are to independent bending beam spars that are tapered on the fuselage ends and overlap each other. The spars connected to the spar box assemble below the sol and seats. These spars are pined using a 1 inch grade 5 titanium king pin. The load path of the pins are carried into the carbon fiber/boron fiber spar via the 3 inch X.22 spar bushings. The other two spars are connected to the fuselage fore and aft of the main spar mounting points Titanium was the choice of metal preferred due to its high strength to weight ratio and its non-reactiveness to carbon fiber. It does require different machining and welding practices, however these issues or more about procedure that one needs only get used too. Argon environment chamber being the key to good welds. Titanium is the best choice for aircraft mechanical parts, eliminating the need for etching, priming and painting or powder coat. All of the ti parts to date are machined in-house. Only the highest quality US titanium is used.
Landing gear Landing gear are a modified oleo strut design. But with a hi-performance nitrogen charged spring/ shock enclosed inside the titanium tube housing. The lower strut has a dual teflon wear bushing that contacts the wall of the upper strut assembly. All components are made of titanium with the lower eagle claw being a carbon & boron fiber piece with titanium bushings for axel attachment. The epoxy system for this is a very high temp, high strength epoxy. Standard Grove 6 inch rims with 14 inch DIA goodyear flight eagle tires on all the three. Rolls Royce Allison 250 B-15 G fresh from Paramount International
Specs Single engine 4 place tractor conventional Retractable gear Length 23 feet Wing span 29.5 feet Weight 970 lbs. (calculated empty) Ramp 1470-2700 average 1746 80 gal fuel Airfoil data; Main Root; NACA 64-(2)415 AOA.90 Tip; NACA 64(2) 212 AOA -1.0 Dihedral 5 degree Sweep-back (delta) 10 degree Sq. Footage 82 ft. Wing Loading 17.92-21.29 lbs. Root 52 inch Tip 27 Slotted Fowler 25% Chord ratio, Location; 10% to 50% of span. 10, 20 & 30 degree Ailerons Frizz 25% " 50% to 70% Speed brakes.30 " 20 to 50% Vstab Naca 64 (1) 012 (approx. 15% of mains) Hstab Naca 64 006 ( " 30%) Engine; Rolls Royce/Allison 250B15G, 317Bshp V1 62 kt V2 67Kt Stall (gentle) @ 60Kt (no adverse stall surprises yet) Max rate of climb 25 deg about 3600 FPM to 3000, PWR @ 75%-80% About 12% reduction in climb performance per 1k ft after Cruise @5K, 200kt power 70% Tested simulation top speed 383 kt (Allison 250 Hartzel 5 blade) Present Flight configuration characteristics; TO roll out is about 600 ft. accelerate to 70 kt in about 5 seconds @ 75% PWR Flaps 10 deg. Best approach 80-100 kt, flaps 20-30deg. begin flare @ 70kt,speed brake, power off Max Xwind tested is steady @14kt (little tricky)