Algie Composite Aircraft

Algie Composite Aircraft is an aircraft kit company that is developing the LP1 kit. This is a high performance two seat aircraft, featuring all carbon fiber/ Nomex honeycomb construction. Using modern composite fabrication techniques, it has an empty airframe weight at 210 lb. It is designed for high altitude cruise flight at high speed, cruise is 385 mph at 29,000 ft. The LP1 employs an elliptical wing planform for minimised induced drag. The engine used is the LS1/2/7 family of engines, basically stock except for a dry sump oiling system added. The engine's cruise rpm is kept to 3800 rpm, which the base LS1 produces about 300 hp at those revs. One of the unusual features of this design is its cockpit pressurisation system. The cockpit and engine are fed from a single large turbocharger. This turbo is capable of engine normalisation to FL300, and it has no cockpit pressure regulator, therefore the cockpit also is normalised to sea level pressure at this altitude, approx. 10 psi differential. The cabin door is of a plug-type design to withstand the 10 psi internal pressure, it retracts upwards and into the cabin roof area. Another innovative design feature is the cooling system. The engine has two angular mounted radiators that reside behind the cockpit seatbacks. These are fed cooling air from a large bellypan mounted NACA duct below the cockpit. Integrally designed with the cooling system is the turbo/ wastegate exhaust, which serves to scavenge the radiator exit air by high energy excitation principles, accelerating the low energy exit air to close to the free stream speeds. This gives the system the potential to reduce cooling drag to very low levels. Also of note, the wing uses hot engine coolant routed through the leading edge for a constant wing deice system. This feature also reduces cooling drag as it assists in cooling without needing ducted air, a zero drag cooling aid.

External links

* [http://members.iquest.net/~aca/ - Algie Composite Aircraft homepage]
* [http://groups.yahoo.com/group/algiecompositeaircraft/?yguid=118519476 - Yahoo groups, Algie Composite Aircraft]