Synergy Aircraft Synergy

The Synergy Aircraft Synergy is a proposed five-seat, single-engine, kit aircraft, designed by John McGinnis of Kalispell, Montana and intended for production by his company, Synergy Aircraft.[1][2]

Synergy
Artist's concept
Role Air Mobility
National origin United States
Manufacturer DBT Aero
Designer John McGinnis
Status Under development
Number built None

The aircraft's closed wing design, termed a "double box tail", is intended to lower induced drag and be stall resistant, along with boundary layer control methods.[2] Many of the details are disclosed in US patent 8657226.

Design and development

Development was started in 2010 to develop the Synergy as a future kit airplane. The Synergy is the first aircraft that was designed to use the 200 hp (149 kW) DeltaHawk V-4 engine. An electric-powered 1/4 scale version of the aircraft has been built and flown via radio control.[2]

The Synergy design was unveiled at the 2011 CAFE Foundation electric aircraft symposium.[3] The aircraft was intended to compete in the 2011 NASA/CAFE Green Flight Challenge,[4] but its funding and engine were delayed, forcing the team to withdraw from the competition.[5]

After receiving the DeltaHawk engine in December 2011 work resumed and a funding drive was launched to complete the prototype. Intended as a Kickstarter crowdfunding project, the initial project application and appeal were rejected on the basis of not fitting in with Kickstarter's creative arts focus.[6] On 13 May 2012, however, Kickstarter informed McGinnis that they had reconsidered and that the project was approved.[7] The project raised US$95,627 gross funds.>

By mid-December 2012 McGinnis indicated that the Kickstarter campaign had raised US$80,000 and that he was intending to have a flying proof-of-concept aircraft at AirVenture 2013. He also stated that if the aircraft is not complete then he will not have a display there. The Kickstarter campaign also attracted a lot of interest, but answering email and phones calls has slowed work on the prototype down.[8]

Specifications

Data from Experimental Aircraft Association and Synergy[2][9]

General characteristics

  • Crew: 1
  • Capacity: 4 passengers
  • Length: 21 ft (6.4 m)
  • Wingspan: 32 ft (9.8 m)
  • Wing area: 156 sq ft (14.5 m2)
  • Empty weight: 1,650 lb (748 kg)
  • Gross weight: 3,100 lb (1,406 kg)

Performancemin level flight speed

  • Wing loading: 23.2 lb/sq ft (113 kg/m2)

References
  1. "Synergy Aircraft Hopes to be the Future of Flight". Albertson, Kristi, Daily Inter Lake. 2011-05-21. Retrieved 2011-05-09.
  2. "'Synergy' Project Revealed". EAA. 2011-04-29. Retrieved 2011-04-14.
  3. "EAA News - 'Synergy' Project Revealed". Eaa.org. 2011-04-29. Retrieved 2012-05-29.
  4. "Odd Diesel Airplane Aims For Maximum Efficiency". Paur, Jason, Wired (magazine). 2011-05-03. Retrieved 2011-04-14.
  5. "NASA - After the Challenge: Synergy Aircraft". Nasa.gov. 2012-11-23. Retrieved 2013-04-10.
  6. "No Kickstart For Synergy". Avweb.com. 2012-04-24. Retrieved 2012-05-29.
  7. Grady, Mary (16 May 2012). "Kickstarter Relents, OK's Synergy Project". AVweb. Retrieved 5 June 2012.
  8. Pew, Glenn (15 December 2012). "Synergy Efficient Aircraft Ready For OSH?". AVweb. Retrieved 17 December 2012.
  9. Synergy Aircraft. "Technical Information". Retrieved 15 September 2019.
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