Turbines for the Year 2000 Text and Photos by Norm Goyer

ABOVE: The instrument panel of the Comp Air 4 is so large that it can easily accommodate your choice of modern avionics. LEFT: A variety of interior configurations may be used when building the Comp Monster, and it can be powered with your choice of a number of engines. Turbines for the Year 2000 Text and Photos by Norm Goyer ãCUSTOM PLANES magazine of unique design, all of which were more, the composite construction January 2000 issue, page 37 powered by turbines. These of Aerocomp floats allows the Reprinted with permission. unusual planes from a company owner to make repairs quite called Aerocomp, based in Merritt simply, using commonly available Y PERSONAL ASSOC- Island, Florida, were capable of materials. To keep the floats lighter IATION with turbine- carrying seven, eight and 10 and easier to build, the tailwheel Mpowered aircraft has not people. The eight-seat Aerocomp type is available instead of the been extensive. I’ve handled the was especially intriguing, not only nosewheel. An added advantage is controls of a few turbine-powered because of its unusual design, but that it’s more difficult to flip the military aircraft, Learjets and also because it was on floats, and I plane over if the pilot should Convair 580's. There were also the had never flown a turboprop accidentally try to land it with the hundreds of hours I spent as a seaplane before. wheels extended (which is passenger in commercial airliners. Aerocomp has a great deal of certainly not a recommended At no time during those flights was experience in composite maneuver in any seaplane). I ever worried about engine failure. construction. The company began The first aircraft the company Turbines have earned a reputation by building seaplane floats for obtained the rights to build floats for reliability. Whenever aircraft of every weight and for was the two-place Merlin sport somebody plans an aircraft project configuration, offering both regular aircraft that was originally of the right size and type, if the floats and amphibious floats. designed in Canada for flight funds are available for it, a turbine Aerocomp designed all its floats training. I’m quite familiar with the engine is usually the powerplant of using the latest available Merlin, having flown examples of choice. This is true for today's aerodynamic and hydrodynamic the aircraft with several different aircraft and undoubtedly for the technologies. Not only are the engines, including one with a majority of aircraft in the future. floats attractive, Aerocomp Rotax 532, another with a Rotax For the past several years, designed them so that all the seams 912 and a third with a converted there has been an increasing umber are above the waterline, and this Honda engine. The Merlin is one of surplus and imported turbines feature greatly minimizes the need of the best-flying small homebuilts installed in a wide variety of for the seaplane pilot to pump out I’ve ever flown. Whenever I had a aircraft, including homebuilts, water that inevitably accumulates photographic assignment at an acrobatic planes and even in floats. Another great feature of airshow or flyin, I used to do my homebuilt helicopters. That’s Aerocomp floats is their ease and best to find a Merlin to use as a because turbines are becoming speed of assembly. The straight camera platform. Its fuselage is available at prices that are more floats can be assembled in about 20 wide, the cabin is roomy, and the affordable. Last year at Sun ‘n Fun, hours; the amphibious versions go plane literally flies itself from I spotted three composite aircraft together in about 50 hours. What’s takeoff to landing. Upon a recent visit to the Comp Air 8 and the Comp Air 10. Aerocomp factory, I saw all these We were eager to find out how it airplanes, including a Merlin in a felt to fly one of these turboprops, crate that was ready to be shipped so we traveled to the Aerocomp to a customer. I toured the factory, facility in Florida and spent many where the parts for all the aircraft enjoyable hours meeting the staff are laid up in the various molds, at Aerocomp and flying the various and I was truly impressed when I aircraft. It was an enlightening visit saw that the very latest materials that gave us a look into the future and techniques in composite of homebuilt aviation. construction were being used. Once Aerocomp had secured END the rights to the Merlin, company owners decided to expand Reprinted with permission. operations to include aircraft of January 2000 issue, page 37 different sizes. CUSTOM PLANES magazine Aerocomp spent over a year conducting marketing surveys at airshows and flyins all over the country. They also contacted people by phone. The results of that survey caused the company to alter its direction. It seemed that potential customers wouldn’t buy a two-place, fabric -covered sport aircraft. A great number of surveyed pilot/owners wanted a composite aircraft, one that flew like the Merlin, just much faster and a lot roomier. It had to have seating for at least four people. Aerocomp designers immediately got to work on the project. As soon as the new design, called the Comp Monster, was produced and released, it became very popular. The Aerocomp Comp Monster, or Comp Air 4, is a high-wing, strut-braced, all-composite monoplane. It can be powered by a number of engines from 150 to 180 horsepower. The next-larger aircraft is the all-composite Comp Air 6, which can be powered by 220hp to 300hp engines. The Comp Air 6, designed with business people in mind, is capable of cruising at 150 to 200 mph, depending on the engine installed. This makes it ideal for those who want to make long cross-country trips comfortably and reliably. The flagships of the Aerocomp line are its turbine-powered fleet composed of the Comp Air 7, the .

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