Velocity XL INTRODUCTION
Flying can be a very relaxing activity, but there are small details that allow you
to take this experience to the next level, such as, for example, flying through the skies
onboard a unique aircraft. This is precisely what is offered by the aircraft marketed in
kit form to be assembled by aviation lovers who want to venture into this type of project.
Assembled kit aircraft offer the possibility of almost unlimited customization of all aspects
of the plane, so there will be hardly two of them that are exactly the same. This makes
the construction experience much funnier, since each user can add his or her personal,
unique, and differentiating touch. Now, if you add to this the possibility of building the aircraft
with the largest cabin of all the kit airplanes, with a capacity of 4 seats, and which is also
very fast, it is undoubtedly something that any user will enjoy a lot.
EXTERIOR/DESIGN The Velocity XL is an extra-large version of
the Velocity SE, both produced by the American company Velocity Inc, which specializes in the
manufacture of kit aircraft, making it ideal for all those aviation enthusiasts who have the
time and patience to devote to a project of such magnitude. The Velocity XL definitely stands
out, when you see it, you will notice that it is different from the rest of the aircraft we
are used to. This is a single-engine aircraft that was built using composite materials, but
despite being designed to be built in-house, it offers impressive performance. The Velocity
XL's unique fuselage was designed with canard airfoils instead of a traditional wing, this
advantageous design feature allows it to have more resistance to stalls and spins and to counteract
them in a more efficient and safe way. As its name indicates, it is a large aircraft, especially
considering the category in which it competes, with dimensions of 20 feet long, 7 feet, 9 inches
high, and a wingspan of 31 feet. For its design, modern technologies were used for the aerodynamic
surface modeling to obtain clean cockpit lines and non-complex systems, resulting in a neat
aircraft with a high degree of efficiency, performance, and simplicity alike. One thing
to note is that the XL is available with both fixed landing gear and retractable landing
gear. Another hallmark of this aircraft is the V-type shape of its chassis, which
gives it a more premium feel. Huh. I really like that.
INTERIOR This bird has a comfortable and spacious
cabin with dimensions of 43.5 inches high, 94 inches long, and 47.5 inches wide,
and is capable of accommodating between 3 and 4 passengers plus a pilot, but the
standard version has 4 seats in total. It is noteworthy that it has one of the largest
cabins of all four-seat kit aircraft. However, if you need room for one more person, there
is a five-seat version with a three-seat bench in the rear instead of the traditional pair of
separate seats. The lighting inside the cabin is adjustable and has backlit panels to ensure cabin
visibility at all times. Similarly, the brightness of the display and instrument lighting system
automatically adapts to lighting conditions, and the same happens with the air conditioning,
always ensuring a comfortable temperature for the crew. On the large front panel, you can find
everything related to the aircraft's avionics need is easily at his fingertips.
ENGINE Since this is a kit aircraft to be built at
home, it is much more versatile when it comes to installing attachments, including
the engine. The company offers the possibility of installing four different engine
configurations, each with its own specifications, so that the customer can choose the one that best
suits his needs. Among the engines recommended by the manufacturer, the most powerful is the
Continental IO-550, producing up to 310 hp, followed by the Lycoming IO-540, which is able
to generate between 260 and 300 hp, then the Franklin 6A-350-C1, with a power of between 205
and 235 hp, and finally the Lycoming IO-360, which is the least powerful among the recommended
engines, with a power between 145 and 210 hp. It also incorporates Catto three-bladed fixed pitch
propellers, ideal for experimental aircraft, which are located at the rear of the aircraft,
along with the engine, so that noise, turbulence produced by the propellers, heat, and engine gases
do not interfere with the flight experience of the crew members. Despite this, builders are free to
design their own propulsion facilities and can use a variety of other engines of similar power. The
only limitations pointed out by the company would be space and speed, exceeding 220 knots could
affect the structure of the aircraft and put the crew's lives at risk.
PERFORMANCE The Velocity XL has an impressive range for an
aircraft of its class, considering that it is a pre-engineered aircraft, whose kit is intended to
be assembled by people who are not professionals. It is really hard to imagine that once finished,
it would have such an incredible performance. From the factory, it comes with a fuel capacity of
70 gallons, evenly distributed in 2 tanks of 35 gallons each, although there is the possibility
of increasing the capacity up to a maximum of 92 gallons. This single engine bird is probably the
fastest, most efficient, and safest kit aircraft you can buy. Designed for cross-country flying,
the Velocity XL goes far beyond what most other companies' aircraft construction kits offer.
It has a climb rate that goes from 1300 to 1900 feet per minute, with a total range of up
to 1200 nautical miles. It can fly at over 200 knots of airspeed; however, as mentioned before,
it’s not recommended to fly at 220 kts and above. Its empty weight is 1700 pounds, with a payload
of 1,100 pounds. Its take-off run is 1300 feet, while the landing run is 1500 feet. And in case
you were wondering, its service ceiling reaches 25,000 feet. Sounds really good to me!
AVIONICS AND SYSTEMS For the base construction of the Velocity XL,
it is recommended to install, for the avionics section, the Garmin G3X Touch. for navigation, a
single Garmin GTN 750 touch screen, and a Garmin GFC-500 for autopilot control. The three-axis
autopilot can be controlled by the GFC-500 or through the G3X touchscreen, just like the
transponder and audio controls, giving the pilot more than one option to utilize. The dual units
of the G3X Touch are configured with an automatic reversion mode in case either unit fails. The
door pressurization system, when activated, inflates a rubber that seals the cabin and keeps
it pressurized in order to be able to fly at high altitudes without problems for the crew members.
VARIANTS As I mentioned before, this aircraft has
the XL-FG variant, with fixed landing gear, with a capacity of up to 4 occupants and a
gross weight of 2700 pounds. The XL-FG-5, is the same as the previous one but with an extra
capacity for up to 5 occupants, which adds 200 additional pounds to the gross weight. We also
have the XL-RG and XL-RG-5, whose only difference with the previous ones is the use of retractable
landing gear, since in terms of capacities and gross weight they are the exact same. Then we have
the Velocity SE, which represents a smaller and less powerful variant than the Velocity XL, and it
was the base model for the creation of the latter. The climb rate of this aircraft is 1200 feet per
minute, with a range of 1000 nautical miles and a top speed of 187 knots. In addition, we have
the company's flagship and most advanced model, which used the Velocity XL as inspiration for
its design, the Velocity V-Twin, which can be conceived as a more advanced and faster variant
than the XL, a composite construction aircraft with a twin-engine pusher configuration and
the characteristic canard in its structure. The V-Twin has a climb rate of 2,000 feet per
minute, a range of 1,400 nautical miles, and can fly between 190 and 200 knots during a cruise.
A fact that you may not know and that is quite curious is that in the Rocket Racing League,
which was active between 2005 and 2014, Velocity XL structures with standard fixed landing
gear were used to build rocket boosters. As you might expect, the entire structure was highly
modified to be able to propel an Armadillo Aerospace powered rocket with ethanol fuel
and liquid oxygen. Pretty interesting, huh?!
MARKET
Now let's move on to what we all want to know: pricing. The basic cost of the Velocity XL Kit
reaches $64,000. To fully build it and have it 100% functional, the cost rises to approximately
300,000 dollars, although depending on what each customer decides to install, the price can rise
much higher. Something important to keep in mind if you plan to purchase this aircraft is that the
estimated time for its assembly is between 1,500 and 2,000 hours, but at Velocity Inc., they offer
the possibility of selling a pre-assembled kit that guarantees to leave you with only 800 hours
remaining to complete the construction process, but of course, this means an additional cost.
However, if construction and assembly are not your thing, you can order your Velocity XL fully
assembled from the factory and ready to fly; in this case, the cost is around 400,000 dollars.
One of the direct rivals of the Velocity XL is the Lancair Evolution, an aircraft
with outstanding performance. the best performing four-seater aircraft you can
buy. It has a range of up to 1800 nautical miles, which is very impressive, and is powered by
a Lycoming YTEO-540-iE2 engine that allows it to reach a cruising speed of 230 knots, with
a service ceiling of 25,000 feet. That said, despite the fact that the Lancair Evolution is
faster and has a longer range than the Velocity XL, in terms of price, the Velocity XL is
the clear winner. The choice is up to you! The price of the Lancair Evolution construction
kit is 410,000 dollars, much more than what it would cost to acquire a Velocity XL ready to fly;
but this is not all, because when adding the cost of the engine, avionics, and paint, having a
Lancair Evolution ready for takeoff would end up costing approximately 895,000 dollars. It is
mind-blowing to think that for the price of a Lancair Evolution, we can buy almost three
Velocity XLs, and even more striking is to know that the difference in speed, range, and
overall performance is very small. What do you think about this?
PROS Considering the information mentioned before,
it is undeniable that the Velocity XL is an engineering prodigy for offering such a
performance in an aircraft that can be built as a kit. Nevertheless, the aircraft
incorporates relevant design features, the most notorious of which is stall and
spin resistance. In the event that the pilot flies too slowly, the canard wing exerts
an upward force at the front of the aircraft, increasing the total lift available
while rotating the aircraft. The canard, if its angle of attack is properly set, can also
reduce the likelihood of a catastrophic full-power takeoff stall by stalling before the main wing
stalls, lowering the nose of the aircraft. That said, we can unanimously say that the
Velocity is a true competitor in the skies compared to small turboprop business jets
that operate at 5 to 10 times the cost. CONS
Now, if we focus on the negative sides, the first thing that jumps
out is that this is not an aircraft for everyone, because even though the company offers the
possibility of delivering the aircraft fully assembled, it is essential that each user is
always aware of the maintenance and needs of their aircraft to keep it in optimal conditions.
It can even represent a real challenge to fly it, mainly due to the distances required for takeoff
and landing compared to conventional aircraft. It also lacks flaps due to the canard wing design.
Despite these secondary things, the Velocity XL definitely offers a quite complete and fun
experience. In fact, it is an aircraft that, once you get used to it, provides incredible
performances, stability, safety, and, of course, unforgettable flights.
CONCLUSION It is evident how amazing this aircraft is,
emerging as the fastest single-engine piston aircraft on the market, even surpassing
by far what some conventional and much more expensive certified aircraft can offer.
Of course, it is not a perfect aircraft by any means, but considering what you are going to pay
to get it, it gives you a lot for what it costs. With this bird, you will have guaranteed
hours of fun flying through the skies, either with your family, friends, or alone.
Today, over a thousand owners have assembled the plane of their dreams. What is the reward? One
of the best overall performing piston aircraft on the market, capable of meeting the expectations of
the most demanding pilots, at a very cheap price.
