Adam Aircraft has completed the first carbonfibre-composite fuselage for the CarbonAero centreline-thrust piston twin. Built using the same materials and techniques as the three conforming aircraft that will follow, the first fuselage will be fitted with an interior and used for marketing.
The all-composite, $995,000 CarbonAero is of simple construction, says Adam president John Knudsen. The fuselage is produced in two halves which are bonded then co-cured into a single piece. The single-piece wing, to which the twin-boom tail is attached, has dual-redundant tip-to-tip spars, each of which can carry the full limit load, he says.
Several changes have been made since the Burt Rutan-designed proof-of-concept aircraft first flew in March 2000. The fuselage has been stretched to lengthen the cabin and accommodate an airstair door. Wingspan has been increased slightly and the original flaperons have been replaced with separate ailerons and Fowler flaps.
Denver, Colorado-based Adam began component production in October and has also built a horizontal tail, which comprises just three co-cured components: torsion box, leading edge and elevator. Knudsen says components are being produced by hand layup using carbonfibre moulds created from foam forms which are machined using data directly from the Unigraphics design system.
The company plans to fly the first conforming protoype in June, leading to US certification in the first half of 2003. Initial production will take place at the company's facility at Denver Centennial airport, while land has been secured for a full production factory, says Knudsen. Adam has orders for 38 Carbon Aeros and plans to build 15 aircraft in the first year, with the target of 100 a year.
Source: Flight International
