California to Florida on 40 gallons of fuel? The people at Quasar Aircraft hope so.
The company is developing the Quasar Light, a 500-pound light sport aircraft powered by a 121-pound HKS-700E
60-hp 4-stroke engine that burns between 1.7 and 3.5 gallons of fuel per hour. Its 30-foot-span wings are aluminum, its fuselage composite, and its tail aluminum with a Dacron covering.The Quasar Light weighs 445 pounds and has a maximum takeoff weight of 1,300 pounds. With a baggage capacity of 33 pounds and fuel capacity of 121 pounds, that leaves room for two 350-pound passengers. Cruising speed at 75% power is 130 MPH.
Quasar is is hoping that the plane will receive S-LSA (that's special light sport airplane) airworthiness approval soon, at which time it wants to attempt a test flight between California and Florida using a single 40-gallon tank of fuel. That doesn't quite add up until you throw tailwinds into the mix.
Quasar thinks that it will be able to start selling the plane after a few successful test flights -- list price is $99,000. Looking for a sales angle, the plane's US distributor GeBe LLC claims that the Quasar Light could end up being "the most efficient commercially available aircraft on earth."
More photos after the jump
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