Laser 300 | |
---|---|
Role | Business aircraft |
National origin | United States |
Manufacturer | OMAC |
First flight | 11 December 1981 |
Status | Abandoned |
Number built | 3 |
The OMAC Laser 300, originally named the OMAC I is a canard pusher business aircraft built in the United States in 1981 but which never saw production.
It is a canard layout powered by a pusher turboprop engine, and a high, swept wing carrying endplate fins on the tips. [1] Construction was of metal throughout. The cabin could seat six to seven passengers, and incorporated quick-change seating, allowing rapid conversion for freight. [2] Early in development, plans existed to produce a turbofan-powered version of the design, [3] but this did not happen.
The first prototype flew on 11 December 1981 [4] and OMAC ("Old Man's Aircraft Company") hoped to obtain type certification by mid 1982. [5] This was delayed by a ground accident, and then a landing accident caused by the failure of an undercarriage locking pin. [5] A second prototype flew on 19 February 1983, [5] and certification was expected "no later than December 1984", [6] but in late 1983, the process had barely started. [7]
In the mid-1980s, it was tested at the Langley 12-Foot Low-Speed Tunnel to investigate its stability and control characteristics. [8] Special attention was paid to behaviour at high angles of attack and to stall and spin resistance, [8] and it was found to have poor longitudinal stability at high angles of attack. [8] The wing was modified, with extensions added to the trailing edge flaps, and a discontinuous, leading edge droop added to the outboard section of the wings. [8] Stall characteristics were good since the canard provided a nose-down pitching moment. [8] Changes were tested on the second prototype before the design was frozen in April 1985. [9] Additionally, production machines were to have a different fuselage with a round cross-section, a redesigned nose, and additional baggage space. [10] [11]
OMAC relocated from Reno, Nevada to Albany, Georgia in January 1985, as Ayres Corporation was to manufacture them at their Albany plant. [5] [12] Certification was then anticipated by mid-1986. [5] and by late 1986, a third prototype was under construction, incorporating refinements that had been tested on the second machine. [13] This machine was built alongside three other Laser 300s, together representing the first four of thirty aircraft that Omac hoped to build by the end of 1987. [14] The third prototype, and first production machine flew on 29 July 1987 and certification was now expected by May 1988. By now, production was running a year late, and projected costs had risen from $US 550,000 to $875,000. [15] The aircraft was displayed at the NBAA show in Dallas, Texas in October 1988, by which time 56 hours of flight testing had been carried out without incident. [16] Certification was delayed again, and expected by late 1989 or early 1990, [17] [16] however, $20 million was required for certification and production, [18] but insufficient funds were raised and development stalled. [19] Omac continued to offer the aircraft as late as 1993, along with an improved version designated the Laser 360. [20]
Data from Jane's All the World's Aircraft 1987–88 p.480
General characteristics
Performance
Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era
Laser 300 | |
---|---|
Role | Business aircraft |
National origin | United States |
Manufacturer | OMAC |
First flight | 11 December 1981 |
Status | Abandoned |
Number built | 3 |
The OMAC Laser 300, originally named the OMAC I is a canard pusher business aircraft built in the United States in 1981 but which never saw production.
It is a canard layout powered by a pusher turboprop engine, and a high, swept wing carrying endplate fins on the tips. [1] Construction was of metal throughout. The cabin could seat six to seven passengers, and incorporated quick-change seating, allowing rapid conversion for freight. [2] Early in development, plans existed to produce a turbofan-powered version of the design, [3] but this did not happen.
The first prototype flew on 11 December 1981 [4] and OMAC ("Old Man's Aircraft Company") hoped to obtain type certification by mid 1982. [5] This was delayed by a ground accident, and then a landing accident caused by the failure of an undercarriage locking pin. [5] A second prototype flew on 19 February 1983, [5] and certification was expected "no later than December 1984", [6] but in late 1983, the process had barely started. [7]
In the mid-1980s, it was tested at the Langley 12-Foot Low-Speed Tunnel to investigate its stability and control characteristics. [8] Special attention was paid to behaviour at high angles of attack and to stall and spin resistance, [8] and it was found to have poor longitudinal stability at high angles of attack. [8] The wing was modified, with extensions added to the trailing edge flaps, and a discontinuous, leading edge droop added to the outboard section of the wings. [8] Stall characteristics were good since the canard provided a nose-down pitching moment. [8] Changes were tested on the second prototype before the design was frozen in April 1985. [9] Additionally, production machines were to have a different fuselage with a round cross-section, a redesigned nose, and additional baggage space. [10] [11]
OMAC relocated from Reno, Nevada to Albany, Georgia in January 1985, as Ayres Corporation was to manufacture them at their Albany plant. [5] [12] Certification was then anticipated by mid-1986. [5] and by late 1986, a third prototype was under construction, incorporating refinements that had been tested on the second machine. [13] This machine was built alongside three other Laser 300s, together representing the first four of thirty aircraft that Omac hoped to build by the end of 1987. [14] The third prototype, and first production machine flew on 29 July 1987 and certification was now expected by May 1988. By now, production was running a year late, and projected costs had risen from $US 550,000 to $875,000. [15] The aircraft was displayed at the NBAA show in Dallas, Texas in October 1988, by which time 56 hours of flight testing had been carried out without incident. [16] Certification was delayed again, and expected by late 1989 or early 1990, [17] [16] however, $20 million was required for certification and production, [18] but insufficient funds were raised and development stalled. [19] Omac continued to offer the aircraft as late as 1993, along with an improved version designated the Laser 360. [20]
Data from Jane's All the World's Aircraft 1987–88 p.480
General characteristics
Performance
Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era