Cobalt Co50 Valkyrie

The Cobalt Co50 Valkyrie is a single-engine, four to five-seat homebuilt aircraft, arranged in a canard, pusher configuration. A light aircraft intended for private ownership, it was initially being developed by Cobalt Aircraft of San Francisco, California, United States, but the company ceased operations in July 2018 and the design is now being developed by the Centauri Aircraft Company.[1]

Co50 Valkyrie
Photo of the incomplete prototype
Role Homebuilt aircraft
National origin United States
Manufacturer Cobalt Aircraft
Centauri Aircraft Company
First flight January 2015
Status Under development
Number built at least two

Design

The composite design incorporates retractable landing gear, a pusher engine configuration, a canard, twin vertical stabilizers and automatic airbrakes.[2] A ballistic parachute is provided as an option. Passenger entry is by a large forward fold down door. Kit production is planned to be carried out in the United States.

Initially the Co50 will be sold as a kit for amateur construction, but the manufacturer intends to eventually achieve type certification. Certification is likely to be time-consuming, not least due to the electronics Cobalt has chosen being untested for aircraft use.[3]

Operational history

The company has declined to publish the number of aircraft on order or completed.[4]

In August 2020 there were two Co50s registered in the United States with the Federal Aviation Administration. One was built in 2014 and owned by the then defunct previous manufacturer, Cobalt Aircraft, and flagged by the FAA as "this aircraft's registration status may not be suitable for operation". The second aircraft was built in 2018 and is registered to a private company. By February 2023, there was only one aircraft still registered with the FAA, owned by the Centuri Aircraft Corp.[5]

Accidents

The second prototype Co50 was crashed in September 2017 following a loss of aileron effectiveness in flight on a flight test at Castle Airport. The pilot was landing the aircraft using rudder and thrust only when lift was lost at an altitude of about ten feet. The aircraft impacted the ground, the right main landing gear leg separated and the wing was damaged. The pilot was not hurt.[6]

Specifications (Co50)

Data from Company news release estimates[7][8]

General characteristics

  • Crew: one
  • Capacity: three or four passengers
  • Length: 30 ft (9.1 m)
  • Wingspan: 30 ft (9.1 m)
  • Height: 10 ft (3.0 m)
  • Max takeoff weight: 3,417 lb (1,550 kg)
  • Fuel capacity: 109 U.S. gallons (410 L; 91 imp gal)
  • Powerplant: 1 × Continental TSIOF-550-D turbocharged piston aircraft engine, 350 hp (260 kW)

Performance

  • Cruise speed: 250 kn (290 mph, 460 km/h) maximum cruise at FL250
  • Range: 1,434 nmi (1,650 mi, 2,656 km) economy cruise at FL220
  • Service ceiling: 25,000 ft (7,600 m)
  • Time to altitude: 12 minutes to 10,000 feet

Avionics

  • Garmin G3X Touch

References
  1. Cobalt Aircraft (July 2018). "Cobalt has ceased operations in July 2018". cobalt-aircraft.com. Archived from the original on 27 October 2018. Retrieved 9 January 2019.
  2. "Cobalt Aircraft Unveils Co50 Valkyrie". Flying Magazine. Archived from the original on 19 August 2020.
  3. Ulanoff, Lance (2016-02-21). "Is the Valkyrie Co50 a test case for FAA's willingness to innovate?". Mashable. Archived from the original on 19 August 2020. Retrieved 2016-04-22.
  4. Centauri Aircraft. "FAQ". centauri-aircraft.com. Archived from the original on 18 August 2020. Retrieved 18 August 2020.
  5. Federal Aviation Administration (23 February 2023). "Make / Model Inquiry Results". Retrieved 23 February 2023.
  6. Rapoport, Geoff (24 November 2017). "Valkyrie Continues After Testing Mishap". AVweb. Archived from the original on 18 August 2020. Retrieved 18 August 2020.
  7. "Cobalt unveils piston pusher". aopa.org. Archived from the original on 19 August 2020. Retrieved 24 April 2016.
  8. Cobalt Aircraft. "Performance". cobalt-aircraft.com. Archived from the original on October 21, 2012. Retrieved October 30, 2012.
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