Imagine,
if you will, a 1,650-lb biplane... powered by a 750-horsepower turboprop
engine, delivering close to 3,000-lbs of thrust. If your heartbeat quickened
reading the previous sentence, you're just the kind of aero-head Infinity
Entertainment had in mind when conceiving the Turbine Toucan ultra-high
performance bipe, which made its official debut Wednesday.
Billed by
the company as the world's first-ever hovering biplane, the Turbine Toucan
is expected to make its first flight later this month. Designed specifically
for the airshow circuit, the company expects the Toucan to make attempts at
four world records by the end of 2007, including the 66-year-old biplane
speed record of 323 miles per hour.
The
company states it also hopes to establish two new time-to-climb records, as
well as becoming the first-ever biplane to hover over a set point on the
ground.
The
Toucan brings impressive punch to those attempts. Infinity states the
Turbine Toucan is the only civilian aircraft with a positive
thrust-to-weight ratio. To put this in perspective, the F/A-18 Hornet (at
fighter mission weight) weights 36,700 lbs... and has 32,000 lbs of thrust.
This works out to a .87:1 thrust-to-weight ratio. In comparison, the Turbine
Toucan's performance is better than 1.5:1 with pilot and fuel.
According
to figures posted on the company's website, the Toucan will be able to climb
at 9500/fpm, and roll 360 degrees in just over one second. Maximum G-loading
rates are forecast to be +9g/-7.5g... on par with some military fighter
aircraft.
Infinity
Entertainment makes no bones about the purpose of the Turbine Toucan: to
bring something different to the air show circuit, which is attended by over
18 million people annually in the US alone.
"Why a
biplane?" Infinity asks on its website. "Because 90% of the elite air show
performers are using off the shelf, factory built monoplanes (which are
incredible we might add) designed for unlimited aerobatic competition. We
needed to stand apart. Biplanes offer strong emotional association with the
romance of flight. It also allows us to be highly differentiated with the
use of a turboprop power plant. A biplane allows us to draw rich cues deep
from the past while incorporating contemporary styling and the latest
aviation technological innovations."
And, from
the sound of it... the ability to kick some serious tail feathers, as
well...
