This web site details the building process of my Velocity XL RG. Use the scrolling menu to the left to navigate to various sections of the build. The photos are arranged in chronological order to provide a step-by-step illustration of the process, in particular if we've made changes or upgrades from the kit plans. Please feel free to browse - comments and suggestions are appreciated! And feel free to sign the 'Guestbook'!

I've also tried to summarize all information on the Internet that I know of regarding Velocity airplanes to aid others in learning about this wonderful kitplane. You'll find a table of links at the bottom of this page. Enjoy!

3/2/02 - New Section: THE VOYAGE HOME! Cross country journey from Florida to Iowa. Also added Wingcam Part III section illustrating installation of copilot side wingletcam housing and camera controls. Updated Engine section again with a few detail shots. More to come: some tinkering, and some observations on flying this fantastic plane!

12/09/01 - FIRST FLIGHT!!

Added NEW sections for First Flight, More Flight Testing, More Detail Work. Updated Instrument Panel, Homestretch and Wingcam Part II sections. Want to ride along on N724X's maiden voyage? Take a look at the First Flight Video page!

12/6/01 - Added 'Homestretch!' section; updated Systems Work III, Engine, Instrument Panel sections. 11/30/01 - Updated Systems Work III and Engine Cooling II sections. 11/21/01 - Added 'Wingroot Oil Cooler' section; updated Systems Work III, Wingcam II, Wings II, Engine Cooling II, Air inlet/Outlet Scoops and Air induction System sections. 11/11/01 - Added Systems Work III, 'Trip to Velocity', 'Landing Gear, Wheels, Brakes' and Air Induction System sections; updated Systems Work I, Air Inlets/Oulet, Engine, Wingcam II, Wings II, Instrument Panel, Engine Cooling II and More Controls sections. 10/22/01 - Updated More Controls, Systems Work I and II, Wingcam II, Engine Cooling System, Air inlets/Outlet. Added Wings II and Engine Cooling Sytem Part II sections. 10/16/01 - Updated Instrument Panel, Engine Cooling, Engine, More Controls, Wingcam II, Systems Work II, Canard Cover, Fairings 10/11/01 - Added Systems Work II, updated Systems Work I, Engine Cooling, Instrument Panel (panel fired up!), More Controls. 10/06/01 - Updated Systems Work, Engine, More Cotrols, Engine Cooling sections. 9/24/01 - Updated Instrument Panel (overhead switch panel), More Controls and Systems Work. 9/15/01 - Updated More Controls, Systems Work. Wiring process of Instrument Panel now displayed. 9/12/01 - Updated Engine, More Controls, Air Inlets, Systems Work sections. NEW photos of panel with equipment installed in Instrument Panel section. Updated web site list. Please let me know if there are others!! 9/9/01 - Added Systems Work and More Controls sections. Updated Air Inlets, Instrument Panel 9/1/01 - Added More NACA scoops, Air Inlets, Canard Cover sections. Updated Instrument Panel, Wingcam II, Engine Cooling sections. 8/22/01 - Added Engine Cooling System section, updated Engine, Wings, Wingcam II, Instrument Panel sections. 7/25/01 - Added WINGCAM PART II section to detail shaping the lower winglet and camera installation. 7/19/01: INSTRUMENT PANEL section updated - Building the Carbon fiber Instrument Panel. Also, just for fun: "Flipping N724X!!" slide show. ENGINE, FAIRINGS and WINGS updates. 7/8/01: Updated the WINGCAM section. Final diagrams and initial construction of tooling and mounts. Updated WINGS and ENGINE sections (Captions to come soon).6/23/01: Added Engine section. More to come in next few weeks! 6/18/01: Added PRELIMINARY sketch of wing cam installation and photos of the acrylic domes to be used in the 'Wingcam' section. 5/26/01: Added pics of finish work in 'Wings' section.; 5/18/2001: More finish work in 'Fairings' and 'Cowling'. Some modifications in 'Wings' Soon to come - Engine Install!; 4/28/01: Overhead air plenum, completion of overhead carbon beams in 'Final Structure 2'; Canard tips faired and shaped, multiple views of assembled plane in 'Fairings'; 4/21/01: Finishing up the remaining structural components (the airframe is virtually complete!) see 'NACA scoops, Final Structure', 'Final Structure Part II', 'Canard', 'Controls', 'Wings' and 'Fairings' sections for details. See the 'Wingcam' section for details installing a camera in the lower winglet.

PROJECT OVERVIEW

---

What is it?

I remember it was with some trepidation I began my conversation with my mother to tell her of my decision to build an airplane. You see, she tends to worry - a lot - you know the type. Accordingly, this situation had to be handled with the utmost delicacy. My mother, a non-pilot, listened without comment to my description of a strange looking fiberglass aircraft with 'a little wing in front and the propeller on the back'. I was ready with a thousand reassurances about the project: an over-engineered design, unique stall characteristics, a good track record. You know, the works - everything just about every builder has to say to dubious spouses, family or friends.

Drawing courtesy of Malcolm Collier of Hangar 18 (click for a larger version)

But before I could launch into my well-thought out, cogent arguments, she interrupted: "Oh, you mean a canard style, pusher configuration, high performance composite experimental aircraft?" "?!?!?" was all I could muster for a time. "Say What?!" I finally sputterd. "You know, like a Long-EZ. Only this one sounds bigger. Is it a 4-place?"

Well, as a matter of fact .... Turns out Mom was doing some flying with my uncle, Dave Palacios, an A&P in Corona, California, and had spent some time examining a few canards at airports they had visited. She thought the idea was pretty cool and wanted to know when she could get a ride. Well, the family support hurdle passed, the business of building a plane began. The choice of the Velocity was an easy one after some thought on the 'mission parameters' along with the various reasons for flying. In addition to supplying challenge, adventure, access to spectacular beauty and a unique perspective of the world not available from the ground, an airplane dramatically expands one's ability to travel. Now, if a place is more than an hour's drive away, it automatically becomes a candidate for a visit by air. After learning to fly at GreenCastle Aeroclub, I've taken advantage of club planes to visit family and friends in the Midwest and the South. But what about the folks on the East and West coasts?

My day job has lead me to the center of the country, in Iowa City, IA, far from most family and friends. In other words, as nice as it is here, I'm not exactly on the beaten path. And increasingly lately, whenever I find myself stranded at some airport at the whim of the airlines, the point that I often could have flown myself more convieniently and more quickly is hammered home. Of course, I wouldn't get those little bags of pretzels, but then again, I hate them anyway! Therefore, I needed a plane that would be fast, reliable, a good IFR platform and comfortable for use for regular near-transcontinental flights. Given I was going the experimental route, this clearly narrowed the field of choices considerably. A plane like a Velocity would make virtually anywhere in the country a day trip away. And when you factor in the proven track record of the airplane and the superb support offered by the Velocity factory and others with the aesthetics and practicality of the bird, the decision became easy.

The Velocity is offered as a kit, with "fast-build" options available to speed up the building process. However, after long and hard soul-searching on the reality of my schedule, I came to the insescapable conclusion that I was unlikely to ever complete even a partially built plane, at least not in the next decade. I needed help. I spent a lot of time asking around, reading thousands of Velocity Builders mailing list messages, etc. From all of this a consistent picture of excellence and superb workmanship emerged of Malcolm Collier and his crew at Hangar 18. Spending a day at Hangar 18 confirmed my intial impressions and, after a thoroughly enjoyable day at a Velocity Open House, I plunked down for a kit. The kit was delivered to Hangar 18 in September 2000 and work began. The build process is detailed in the pages to follow. I sneak away from work as often as I can to journey to Florida to join Malcolm (who has been a wonderful mentor) and his crew in working on the plane, in particular to be involved in all major structural construction. The pages following document the various stages of construction and are arranged roughly chronologically. Click for more info on Hangar 18

What can it do?

The Velocity family of planes are all extremely capable. Full details can be found on the Velocity web site but I've excerpted some of the specs below.

Velocity XL RG Specifications Length Overall 20' Height 7' 9" Wheel Base 110" Track Width 80" Wingspan 31' Canard Span 188" Wing Area 122.5 sq.ft. Canard Area 22.8 sq.ft. Total Wing Area 145 sq.ft. Empty Weight 1640 lbs. Gross Weight 2700 lbs. Useful Load 1060 lbs. Useable Fuel 70 gals. standard (93 opt) Wing Loading at Gross 18.09 lbs./sq.ft. Design Load Factors +9 G's/-7 G's Tested Airframe Load +6 G's Cabin W/L/H 47.5" x 94" x 43.5" Seating 2 + 2

Performance Specifications (Lycoming IO-540, 260 HP) Take Off Distance 1400 ft. Rate of Climb (@ sea level) 1300 fpm Landing Distance 1500 ft. Cruise 200 kts @ 8500 ft. Max. Speed (sea level) 210 kts Ceiling 20K + Range at 75% (NM) 933 Minimum Speed 65 kts Landing Speed 75 kts

N724X will be slightly modified from factory plans. Changes are detailed in the pages to follow. One change includes expanding the size of the fuel tanks. By reducing the width of the strake baggage area, the fuel capacity will be increased to 82 gallons.

Other Velocity Builders and Owners Web Sites

I am grateful for the efforts of other Velocity builders and owners who have displayed their pride and joys online - it certainly helped make my decision easier and has been valuable in the build process. All sites of which I am aware are listed below in no particular order. They range from simple snapshots to detailed builders logs. All are interesting! If you have a site and would like to be listed here (even if it's just a picture or two of your bird!), please let me know and I will add it here.

Hiroo's Velocity Project Velocity XL Construction Log -- Home Built Kit Aircraft Building the Velocity 173 kitplane Building a Velocity SUV! Michalk Velocity Builder's Log Rick and Deb's Velocity RG Project LEDER Velocity XL RG in flight!! Jack Reeder's Velocity Photo Album Jack Reeder's Velocity Project EAA Page Aerobuilders Bob Kuc Velocity 173 FGE Door Mitch Ide Velocity Family Album Mitch Ide's Velocity XL RG "Dove" Final Construction/First Flight Richard Gwinn's Velocity XL RG Project Velocity-air - builders home page Dave Karas' Velocity N308DK Album Chris Martin's Velocity XL RG, N494CM Jack Reeder's Velocity Project Al Gietzen Velocity N1UT Builder's Page Album: Millin Velocity XL FG Glenn and Robin's Velocity Elite RG Bernard Despins Velocity Project Jean Prudhomme Velocity N274JP First Flight & 'Alien II' XL RG Rick Lavoie's Standard Velocity RG N570 Simon Aegerter Home-Page Ronnie and Mott Velocity Project High Speed Aviation: The Home of the Auto-Conversion Velocity The Boesen & Caldarale family Velocity FG Build Pics Daniel Augusto Monteiro's Velocity PT-ZDM (in Portuguese) Ulrich Christen's Velocity XL RG, N244CU Dave Brown's Velocity STD RG, N83AD Rhino Rob's Velocity XL RG, the 'Rhino Rocket' Dean May's Velocity XL RG Pics Tim Crawford's Velocity Elite N6Q Nick and Connie's Velocity XL RG Richard Gwinn's Velocity XL RG

Other Useful Velocity Links Velocity Builders Mailing List Archive 1998 - 1999 Thread Index Velocity Builders Mailing List Archive 1998 - 1999 Date Index Velocity Reflector Archive 1995-1996 ZIP file (537 K) [TEXT files] Velocity Reflector Archive 1997-1998 ZIP file (5.9 Meg) [Microsoft Outlook MSG files]

Comments, questions, and suggestions are welcome! email: rich-guerra@uiowa.edu. N724X Website last updated 3/2/2002.

This page has been viewed times.