+VIDEO What if a single engine piston propeller aircraft could fly as fast and as far as a private jet but on a fraction of the direct operating costs? It’d be a winner right? This is the Otto Celera 500L, which recently made its first flight.
It’s the brainchield of William (Bill) Otto who once worked as a nuclear weapons specialist. In 1974, Bill set up Otto Laboratories, Inc. which became one of the most recognised accident reconstruction firms in the world.
In 2008 he followed this up with Otto Aviation, taking a different tack to existing private jet manufacturers. For Otto, it’s all about laminar flow.
Laminar flow is the minimum drag solution for aircraft surfaces, and features smooth layers of airflow with little to no mixing of adjacent layers.
The design of the Celera fuselage takes advantage of an optimum length-to-width ratio to maximise laminar flow. These benefits will not scale for large jet transports and are therefore well suited for an aircraft like the Celera.
Extensive use of laminar flow surfaces results in a ~59% reduction in drag compared to a similar-sized conventional aircraft
The Celera 500L’s aerodynamic airframe requires significantly less horsepower to achieve take-off and cruise speeds, allowing for a more fuel-efficient power plant.
Hence Otto has chosen the German-made, EASA and FAA certified, RED A03.
It’s a liquid cooled V12 with two banks of 6 cylinders, each capable of independent operation with independent critical engine sub-systems for each bank.
The RED 03 operates on readily available Jet A1 and biodiesel, produces 550+ takeoff horsepower and best-in-class fuel efficiency – up to 8 times lower fuel consumption than jet aircraft comparable in size.
The Ottp Celera can cruise at up to 460mph and has a 4,500 mile range, claims the company. That’s equivalent to 18–25 mpg fuel economy (a comparable jet aircraft gets 2 – 3 mpg) with $328 per flight hour operating costs (a comparable jet aircraft costs $2,100 per hour).
Otto points out that the Celera 500L isn’t only good for transporting people. Time-sensitive air cargo and express shipment routes can be opened up by bypassing hubs and delivering direct to the end-user. With the emergence of e-commerce, more and more consumers are demanding next-day or even same day delivery.
https://youtu.be/CxHwHNrEoPk