[bwilson4web]

http://www.greencarcongress.com/2011...-20111004.html

NASA has awarded the largest prize in aviation history, created to inspire the development of more fuel-efficient aircraft and spark the start of a new electric airplane industry. (Earlier post.) The first place Green Flight Challenge prize of $1.35 million was awarded to team Pipistrel-USA.com of State College, Pa, for the Taurus G4. The second place prize of $120,000 went to team eGenius, of Ramona, Calif.
The winning aircraft had to fly 200 miles (322 km) in less than two hours and use less than one gallon of fuel per occupant, or the equivalent in electricity. The winning aircraft also had to take off from a distance of less than 2,000 feet to clear a 50-foot obstacle and deliver a decibel level below 78 dBA at full power takeoff, as measured from a 250-foot sideline.
. . .

I recently learned of a canard, two-seater airplane for sale.

There are many good reasons for not buying this plane, a Dragonfly canard, and I'm taking due-diligence to make sure every possible problem is investigated. However, the price is right and after a year or so of hard work and even more thousands of additional dollars, I might have a two-seat, 140+ mph, boy-toy that burns 4 gallons per hour . . . 30+ MPG. We'll find out soon enough but in the meanwhile, I have my other projects. <grins>

Bob Wilson

ps. This is what I'm looking at:

[bwilson4web]

Just a couple of updates:

• Bought airplane
• Transported to Huntsville
• Lasiks to fix near-sighted . . . (in clinic waiting for release)

To bring it home, I bought a pontoon boat trailer and made some mods:


\
I towed the trailer 600 miles, ~38 MPG @62-63 mph. Loaded the plane in a cold wet rain and returned to Huntsville, ~28 MPG @52-53 mph:




So now the fun begins. This weekend, I'll put a custom dolly under the fuselage so I can move it around and rig up a lift cart to help hold one end of the wing or canard as I continue converting the storage shed into a workshop. <grins>

This is a life-long dream, to return to flying. Best of all, in an airplane that can achieve 40-50 MPG at 120+ mph . . . the airplane equivalent of a Prius. <GRINS>

Bob Wilson