Viper Aircraft ViperJet

Originally conceived to use a piston engine driving a five- or six-blade pusher propeller, brothers Scott and Dan Hanchette commenced work on the prototype, then known as the ViperFan,[3] in February 1996.[4] However, concerns about the difficulty and cost associated with eliminating vibration from the drivetrain led the Hanchettes to choose turbojet propulsion instead, and they installed a Turbomeca Marboré engine in place of the Continental flat-6 they had originally envisaged as a powerplant.[3]

The Viperjet prototype flew late in October 1999.[1] and made its public debut at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh in 2000.[5] The Hanchette brothers, however, were unhappy with both the low power[6] and the high fuel consumption[7] of the Turbomeca engine, and soon swapped it for a General Electric T58 turboshaft engine with the power turbine removed,[7] turning it into a turbojet. While this worked, it still did not produce as much thrust as the Hanchettes hoped for, and eventually, they selected the General Electric J85.[7] With this engine producing around four times the thrust of the previous powerplants tested in the Viper, the Hanchettes substantially redesigned the aircraft, dubbing the J85-powered version the MKII.[7] The prototype was dismantled and rebuilt, with parts of the canopy and fuselage center section all that remained of the original design.[7] The slightly larger MKII also features a pressurized cabin,[8] nearly three times the fuel tankage,[9] stronger undercarriage,[9] and optional tip tanks.[9] The MKII prototype flew on 12 June 2005 and Viper Aircraft offered replacement MKII parts to all customers who had purchased kits of the original version,[7] now dubbed the MKI.

In 2006, the base MKII kit cost US$182,000, but since builders can purchase additional components already pre-made by Viper Aircraft, customers spent an average of $350,000 on their kits.[6] They would then have to spend approximately another $300,000[6] and around 3,000 to 3,500 hours to complete the aircraft.[4] The company also offers customers a builder assistance program to help them assemble the major airframe components and a training program to help them learn to fly their ViperJet once it is complete. Zero Gravity Builders provides builder assistance for the ViperJet MKII, ViperJet LXR and Viper FanJet.[10] Viper Aircraft had sold 21 kits by September 2006.[4]

In 2008, Viper Aircraft announced an enlarged, turbofan-powered follow-on design as the Viper Aircraft FanJet. The company has also proposed a military trainer version of the ViperJet, as well as a UAV version.[11]

By April 2020 seven examples had been registered in the United States with the Federal Aviation Administration.[12]

Data from White 2006, p.13

General characteristics

• Crew: One pilot
• Capacity: 2 (1 pilot & 1 passenger)
• Length: 25 ft 6 in (7.80 m)
• Wingspan: 27 ft 10 in (8.48 m)
• Empty weight: 3,200 lb (1,452 kg)
• Gross weight: 5,100 lb (2,320 kg)
• Powerplant: 1 × General Electric CJ-610 , 2,850 lbf (12.7 kN) thrust

Performance

• Maximum speed: 500–525 mph (804–845 km/h, 434–456 kn)
• Cruise speed: 375 mph (603 km/h, 326 kn)
• Stall speed: 80 mph (130 km/h, 70 kn)
• Range: 920 mi (1,480 km, 800 nmi)
• Service ceiling: 35,000 ft (10,500 m)
• Rate of climb: 12,000 ft/min (61 m/s)

Related lists

• List of very light jets

Media related to Viperjet at Wikimedia Commons