|
|
The WolfThe Wolf is a 4-seat, composite design, which boasts a very roomy and quiet 48-inch wide cockpit, side-stick control, unmatched visibility and many innovative design concepts. Distinctive FeaturesThe Wolf contains many features that contribute to its unparalleled safety, performance, and comfort.Safety:Safety is always paramount and was the original design driver for the Wolf. Designing a platform to operate and have the ability to continue operation over mountainous terrain and over large expanses of water in the event of an engine failure was the first step, obviously necessitating the use of two engines. Minimizing asymmetrical thrust was also very important. By selecting the twin pusher configuration and taking advantage of the decreasing fuselage diameter, we minimized the distance from engine center lines, greatly reducing turning moment generated during engine out conditions. Other redundant features include fully independent dual electrical systems with bus tie capability, dual electronic ignitions, dual vacuum pumps, and, under development, dual fuel delivery systems. Hensley Aircraft Inc. was also cognizant of the fact that no kit plane comes with a system for indicating an approaching stall and that over 50% of all kit plane accidents are stall related. In recognition of this fact, it will be the first kit to offer a form of angle of attack indication for stall protection, inclusive in the price of the kit. Back to Top
Performance:Lowering drag is considered the single biggest ingredient in increasing aircraft performance. The Wolf was designed to take advantage of laminar flow technology. Its pusher configuration is more akin to a business jet than a conventional piston twin-engine airplane. The kit plane industry through the use of composites and drag reduction has increased performance to where coast to coast travel can now be comfortably achieved in one day. Although high speeds are beneficial, high-speed kit planes usually lack the low speed performance necessary for safety and operations into shorter air strips. The target speeds for the Wolf was to stall at under 61 knots, and to have a top speed approaching 200 knots. We knew that this would not be an easily attainable goal for a fixed gear airplane operating on 280 hp. To put this in perspective, the 2001 Beechcraft Baron, a retractable gear twin-engine airplane, can achieve 200 knots with the gear retracted, but needs 600 hp, or over twice the amount of power the Wolf has, to accomplish it. Hensley Aircraft Inc. was very fortunate to have attracted Jeff Viken at NASA, one of the premier airfoil designers in the country, as its chief aerodynamic consulting engineer. When Jeff was presented with the design criteria, he was very skeptical, but thankfully for Hensley Aircraft Inc., he was also up to the challenge. Jeff spent many months looking at potential airfoils and modifications, but each one presented numerous problems. It was then he decided to design a custom airfoil. Jeff designed an extremely high lift, low drag, laminar airfoil called the VH-1 Twin Turbo. To achieve the high lift necessary, the VH-1 utilizes a 35% chord, dual flap arrangement; as far as we know, another first in the kit plane industry. The inboard flap, the one that resides in front of the propeller, is a simple hinge flap. The outboard one is a fully translating design. The design also varies airfoils from root to chord to eliminate the need for geometric twist. Jeff also placed special emphasis in the pressure recovery area to minimize turbulent flow entering the propeller disc. The Wolf has 120 square feet of wing and at gross weight has a wing loading of 25 pounds per square foot. This medium wing loading still achieves the 61-knot stall speed while dampening out the bumps during cruise. After the desired shape is attained, the next thing to achieve superior performance is keeping the aircraft as light as possible. Achieving such lightness in each part is the by-product of painstaking attention to detail in the construction of the plugs and molds. Project Director, Joe Penaz, has consulted on and has painted many kit plane projects. His chief complaint was in the poor quality of parts necessitating the use of many pounds worth of fill material to achieve a wave free surface for painting. His #1 priority at Hensley Aircraft was drawing upon his vast experience and raising the quality of molds to never before seen levels in the kit plane industry. One look at the mirror like surface in the molds assures the customer that there are no finer kit parts available anywhere, and that their aircraft will not require the endless hours of body work that accompany other home built projects and will also be held as light as possible. Hensley Aircraft Inc. is even working with BASF Inc. to evaluate the possibility of supplying our kit customers with pre-primed parts. Our parts are sandwiched construction utilizing pre-preg e-glass and a core of Nomex Honeycomb. Low drag, lightweight parts, very efficient engines all add up to remarkable range. Estimated cruise fuel flow yields and unheard of 15 miles per gallon. The standard Wolf can cover 900 miles on just 60 gallons of fuel. The Wolf-G model, when available, will have the capability to fly over 2,600 miles, which makes flying from Los Angeles to Hawaii a reality. It will also make flights to Europe commonplace. Back to Top
Ergonomics:From your very first step into the Wolf to just sitting in the aircraft on the ramp for a few minutes, you will realize the amount of time spent making this aircraft user friendly, but it's after many hours in cruise you will really appreciate it. After safety, this aircraft focused on comfort. Situating the pilot in a full-size comfortable seat, with shoulder and head room seemed to be a design parameter that has been bypassed by most aircraft manufacturers. Not Hensley Aircraft. It has a cockpit width of over 48 inches. By comparison, the Beechcraft Baron's cockpit is only 44 inches wide. Another ergonomically pleasing feature is the dual side stick controls that are positioned as a natural extension of your arm. The side sticks can be outfitted with electric trim, radio transmit, and other switches to further reduce pilot workload. Another area in which the Wolf has no peers is visibility. With lots of Plexiglass and the leading edge of the wing being more than 12 inches behind the pilot, the visibility is spectacular. It is an airplane the pilot can look straight up or straight down and not be looking at a wing. It makes the Wolf the perfect choice for scenic flights or as an observation platform. Also contributing to the comfort of the Wolf are the engines. The smoothness of the engines greatly reduces vibration and pilot fatigue. Back to Top
|
|
Send mail to joe@hensleyaircraft.com with
questions or comments about this web site.
|
