Glad you briefly mentioned the Velocity. My XL-5 RG (N36LV) had a 370HP IO-550 and seating for 5. Yes, it was 50 kts slower, but you can cover a lot of ground at 200kts. It was also an absolute joy to fly and was extremely forgiving. I could slow to 70 kts, get the canard pitch-buck going, hold the stick full aft, add full power and climb at over 2000 fpm with full roll control while the nose bobbed in and out of the canard mini stall. That would be a death sentence in a L IV.
Would really love for you to make some content videos with that bird. There is nowhere near enough velocity videos out there showing performance while in flight
Were you satisfied with the Velocity? One model on the Velocity Aircraft website has a cruising speed of 270kts. Do you think that's realistic with the right engine or is it just marketing?
@@bwalker4194Were you satisfied with the Velocity? One model on the Velocity Aircraft website has a cruising speed of 270kts. Do you think that's realistic with the right engine or is it just marketing?
Yes, overall I was very satisfied with my Velocity. However…..Velocity is literally a cottage industry and sometimes numbers get glorified for impactful sales purposes. My plane had perhaps the best power-to-weight ratio of any normally-aspirated XL ever built. Could it go 205 kts? Yes, easily at low altitudes, but then one is “pushing the envelope” for a plane with a Vne of 200kts. During testing, I actually saw 213 indicated before I ran out of “intestinal fortitude” and good sense. My, and my plane’s happy place was 195 kts true at 65% power between 9000 and 12,000 ft on 13.5 gph with LOP operations. The design, with no flaps, has by definition a low wing loading value plus two “tails” separated by thirty feet. Think “cork-in-the-ocean” in bumpy air. I could, however throttle back to 170 kts on less than 10 gph for a lovely ride and over 20 miles per gallon fuel efficiency. I cannot speak to the turbocharged models speeds and efficiencies. If I had it all to do over again, I would opt for the fixed gear XL-5 with the older, smaller Elite model wing. 220 kt cruise but slightly higher stall speeds. I limited myself to runways longer than 3500 feet. I would have no problem extending that limitation to 4000 feet for the extra speed and efficiency. Overall, a very beautiful, safe, easy-to-fly airplane.
I flew the factory 4P prototype. I found it easy to fly. Not much cockpit room. I flew to Oshkosh that year (I think 2000) and saw 7 completed planes. Builders reported 5000 to 7500 build time and $500k to $1million in costs. You could buy a midtime Cheyenne turbine at that time for $500k, certified and a fraction of the cost of insuring an experimental plane.
I've flown my friends IV-P many an hour.. It is one of my favorite prop driven airplanes.. The only thing I probably would chose over it is Mike Patey's turbine propped speedster... Unfortunately, it is a one off for now...
@@benjaminpohlthat was an ES not 4. These high wing load aircraft must be flown with absolute stall avoidance not stall recovery. It takes thousands of feet for stall recovery, so must avoid stalling in first place. Fly it like a jet.
@@dougmyers6013Not correct. There were many documented in-flight failures at cruise configuration. No warnings, no communication, just airframe failure.
Glad you briefly mentioned the Velocity. My XL-5 RG (N36LV) had a 370HP IO-550 and seating for 5. Yes, it was 50 kts slower, but you can cover a lot of ground at 200kts. It was also an absolute joy to fly and was extremely forgiving. I could slow to 70 kts, get the canard pitch-buck going, hold the stick full aft, add full power and climb at over 2000 fpm with full roll control while the nose bobbed in and out of the canard mini stall. That would be a death sentence in a L IV.
Would really love for you to make some content videos with that bird. There is nowhere near enough velocity videos out there showing performance while in flight
@@gsxr600rafii Sadly, we had to part company. Retirement and the insurance industry made it very difficult to keep both a wife and a winged mistress.
Were you satisfied with the Velocity? One model on the Velocity Aircraft website has a cruising speed of 270kts. Do you think that's realistic with the right engine or is it just marketing?
@@bwalker4194Were you satisfied with the Velocity? One model on the Velocity Aircraft website has a cruising speed of 270kts. Do you think that's realistic with the right engine or is it just marketing?
Yes, overall I was very satisfied with my Velocity. However…..Velocity is literally a cottage industry and sometimes numbers get glorified for impactful sales purposes. My plane had perhaps the best power-to-weight ratio of any normally-aspirated XL ever built. Could it go 205 kts? Yes, easily at low altitudes, but then one is “pushing the envelope” for a plane with a Vne of 200kts. During testing, I actually saw 213 indicated before I ran out of “intestinal fortitude” and good sense. My, and my plane’s happy place was 195 kts true at 65% power between 9000 and 12,000 ft on 13.5 gph with LOP operations. The design, with no flaps, has by definition a low wing loading value plus two “tails” separated by thirty feet. Think “cork-in-the-ocean” in bumpy air. I could, however throttle back to 170 kts on less than 10 gph for a lovely ride and over 20 miles per gallon fuel efficiency. I cannot speak to the turbocharged models speeds and efficiencies. If I had it all to do over again, I would opt for the fixed gear XL-5 with the older, smaller Elite model wing. 220 kt cruise but slightly higher stall speeds. I limited myself to runways longer than 3500 feet. I would have no problem extending that limitation to 4000 feet for the extra speed and efficiency. Overall, a very beautiful, safe, easy-to-fly airplane.
One of the most beautiful GA aircraft.
Nicely done and well said! Great video content!!
thank you so much!
The LX-7 is the Lancair IV with new wings and other minor changes. The main difference is the safer flight characteristics of the LX-7
Much slower than 4
@@jonasbaine3538
Not a lot slower, but yes a bit slower for much greater safety
Superb aircraft. Cessna built a certified version called the Columbia 400 with fixed gear
I will buy one tomorrow ! For my flight simulator...
hahah nice one !
I flew the factory 4P prototype. I found it easy to fly. Not much cockpit room. I flew to Oshkosh that year (I think 2000) and saw 7 completed planes. Builders reported 5000 to 7500 build time and $500k to $1million in costs. You could buy a midtime Cheyenne turbine at that time for $500k, certified and a fraction of the cost of insuring an experimental plane.
I love it 😍
Have many hours riding in the IV and IV-P from when I worked there.
*big carbon birds
I would love to fly one!
I've flown my friends IV-P many an hour.. It is one of my favorite prop driven airplanes.. The only thing I probably would chose over it is Mike Patey's turbine propped speedster... Unfortunately, it is a one off for now...
It's Nice But I Like Aluminum, Like The Questair Venture. Thank You. (Like #694)
Questair venture killed a friend of mine in an air race. The tail came apart.
@@GordonMilliord I'm Sorry To Hear That. I Did See A Video That Mentioned One Racing At Reno With A Larger Engine. Thank You.
I saw two questions ventures that lost their horizontal stabs.at Reno.
@@garytrenner5572 The Plane Wasn't Designed To Race With Increased Power & Stress On The Airframe, Wouldn't That Make A Difference? Thank You.
have a nice day. Seat 4. Cruising speed is 250 mph. range 2500 km. new. please price. thanks.
You had me until you said you never flew one
Fast birds. Stall avoidance required not stall recovery..
This aircraft has the worst safety record in the history of amateur-built experimental aircraft.
like the early 930 cars from Porsche it was driver error...all the time
Sadly, one day after my comment, another one went down at Oshkosh. RIP.
@@benjaminpohlthat was an ES not 4. These high wing load aircraft must be flown with absolute stall avoidance not stall recovery. It takes thousands of feet for stall recovery, so must avoid stalling in first place. Fly it like a jet.
@@dougmyers6013Not correct. There were many documented in-flight failures at cruise configuration. No warnings, no communication, just airframe failure.
@@benjaminpohlSo, what do you want?
10,000 + a year in insurance
Try getting insurance for one…
Just busted
Thenks. Bravo