Introduction
The Antelope airplane is an exciting innovation within the sport aircraft market. Colorado Millennium Aerospace Inc. (CMAero) has the goal of out-performing all two-seat aircraft in the 100 horsepower range. CMAero is projecting that our aircraft will have the largest market appeal of any plane in its class. There has been a large growth rate within the light aircraft market, but an inexpensive, high performance aircraft that can be built in less than one year has not materialized. Antelope changes that. CMAero has set the highest goals possible for this aircraft. Customers will benefit from our design team's dedication to excellence. The technological innovation employed in the design of the Antelope will revolutionize the aircraft market.
Design objectives
Unique and innovative ideas are being implemented into the design and construction process of this aircraft, specifically in the areas of structures, composite materials, composite manufacturing techniques, subsystem integration, and fluid dynamics. Integrating critical components together eliminates many parts, vastly reducing the complexity of the project. Complementing the aircraft's structural integrity, composite materials make it possible to reduce the number of parts and at the same time, increase the strength and reliability of the end product. These are key elements to the success and marketability of the Antelope. A major opportunity exists for dramatic weight savings and improvements in performance. Most aircraft today have a useful load to gross weight ratio of 35% to 45%. Our aircraft's projected payload to gross weight ratio is 66%. This significant increase is achievable with today's technology, without any technological barriers. This dramatic increase is so revolutionary that we put a name on our system of design. CMAero uses PSI TechnologyTM (Parts and System Integration Technology.) PSI TechnologyTM can be described as:
| Skilled Design and Engineering Team |
| + Parts and System Integration |
| + Advanced Composite Materials |
| + 3D Modeling |
| + Finite Element Analysis |
| = PSI TECHNOLOGYTM |
Our attention to detail and extra time spent refining the design means that less time will be spent building and maintaining this aircraft. One example of this technology is in the use of a keel down the center of the aircraft. Once the keel assembly has been built, all of the following components are complete:
Even the engine mount assembly is integrated into the primary structure through the keel. The use of PSI TechnologyTM makes the aircraft structurally stronger, with far fewer parts than most aircraft.
Performance
The Antelope is designed to cruise at 156 knots at 75% power. This is impressive performance for an airplane that only has a 110 hp power plant. When other planes are examined, its apparent that high upper end speed is usually achieved at the expense of low speed capability. Most aircraft that cruise at Antelope's speed have a stall speed of 50 to 60 knots, and that's with flaps deployed. Our quest for performance has been to open up both ends of the flight envelope rather than simply shifting the flight envelope toward a higher speed. From the start, CMAero's engineering team has been developing an airfoil design for the wing that has the low drag necessary to achieve high speed while concurrently retaining the capability to generate high lift in low speed flight. Computer simulation shows that both of these goals have been achieved.
Cost
Our base price for an aircraft constructed from plans is projected to be less than $22,000. PSI TechnologyTM is the reason. Fewer parts mean fewer dollars. Parts and System Integration technology keep construction costs down. Very few machined parts are needed to assemble an Antelope. The kit aircraft on the market today fall into two categories. Slow speed, low cost recreational aircraft and high speed, high cost aircraft. The low cost aircraft are between $12,000 to $35,000 and they take 1200 or more hours to construct from prepackaged kits. Local flights dominate their use and cruise speed is less than 100 knots. The other group, in contrast, is designed for cross-country flights at 200 knots or more. The price range is from $50,000 to $250,000. They take 2500 to 3500 hours to build from prepackaged kits. Antelope combines the lightweight, simple and easy to construct ideals of today's light-plane market with the high-tech performance driven elements of the upper end market.
Build Time
Surveys from Kitplanes Magazine show, in most cases, a direct correlation between the number of aircraft flying and the number of hours it takes to build them. Only 16% of the aircraft that are purchased as plans ever make it into the air. This is because the average plans-built aircraft take between 3000 and 4500 hours to complete.
Antelope is a different aircraft. We are designing the Antelope to be constructed in less than 1200 hours from plans. As a kit the aircraft should be completed in 400 hours making it possible for the average person to complete their aircraft in one year or less. Kitplane's marketing surveys show that most builders are willing to spend a year in the construction phase, with few stating that 3 or more years is acceptable. This is another reason why the Antelope meets the challenge that the customer has demanded for completing a finished product.
Engine
The engine is at the heart of the Antelope's design. Many factors were considered when choosing this engine. Hirth's F-30 ES engine is the best choice for the Antelope. This 110 hp engine comes from a company with a long history of producing top performing, high quality engines. Engine weight is 129 lbs, complete with starter, exhaust system and alternator. This is 35 lbs lighter than the nearest competitor and 100 lbs lighter than a comparable Continental O-200 (the engine a Cessna 150 uses). Four-stroke engines have many complex assemblies that the Hirth two-stroke engine does not have. It is clear that if the parts are not there then they can not possibly fail or lead to the failure of other parts. In contrast, four-stroke engines tend to have more complex assemblies which lead to reliability problems. With a two-stroke, there is no camshaft or other associated parts including the lifters, pushrods, rocker arms, and popet valves. There is no oil pump, oil pump gears, or distributor and distributor gears. In addition this engine is air-cooled. Because of this there is no water jacket to leak or water pump to fail. Nor are there radiators or any coolant plumbing problems. The list just goes on. All of the things listed cannot fail on this engine because they are not part of the installation. This installation package will include dual, self-contained ignition systems and dual fuel injection systems. The only part of the fuel injection system that is not redundant is the fuel injectors themselves. Almost all 2-stroke engine problems are associated with either ignition or fuel. With both of these systems redundant, the highest degree of reliability is achieved.
Dynamics of the company
Colorado Millennium Aerospace Inc. is the prodigy of three aerospace engineers whom have participated in an extensive aerospace program at the University of Colorado, Boulder. Our first product, "The Antelope" is designed specifically to provide a solid profit base, hone management skills, and provide a solid technological base. CMAero is leveraging its resources by combining one year of research and development with the senior aerospace engineering undergraduate curriculum at the University of Colorado (2000-2001). This was accomplished by using the Antelope as the Senior Design Project for 10 credit hours of the senior undergraduate curriculum. Two members of our team (Bill Kuik and Shaun Cummins) have graduated with Aerospace Engineering degrees and Myles Throop will be graduating in December 2002.
Company Profile
CMAero has a high expectation for success. Several exciting aspects within the formation of this corporation make it unique from a business standpoint. The small capital investment required to start this business is virtually unheard of in the aerospace industry. The company starts from humble beginnings. The growth of experience and skill within the management team parallels the growth and size of the company itself. By design, this straightforward plan anticipates success, long-term growth, and a clear path toward a bright and prosperous future.
Conclusion
The Antelope is an inexpensive two-place aircraft with long cross-country endurance, high cruise speed, low stall speed, and a fast build time. It is also easy to construct, low cost, reliable, and durable, which will bridge the gap between the different groups of kit planes available today. With docile handling characteristics and a slow stall speed, this aircraft will be in high demand among general aviation enthusiasts.
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