"VK30" redirects here. For the German tank project, see VK 30 series.
The Cirrus VK-30 is a single-engine pusher-propellerhomebuilt aircraft originally sold as a kit by Cirrus Design (now called Cirrus Aircraft), and was the company's first model, introduced in 1987.[2]
As a kit aircraft, the VK-30 is a relatively obscure design with few completed aircraft flying. Its most important legacy is that the work done on developing and marketing the aircraft convinced the designers, the Klapmeier brothers, that the best way to proceed in the future was with a more conventional layout and with a certified production aircraft. Thus the lessons of the VK-30 were directly responsible for the design of the Cirrus SR20 and SR22, which have been the best-selling general aviation airplanes in the world every year since 2003.[3][4][5][6] The VK-30 also served as a significant inspiration for the creation of the company's latest aircraft, the Cirrus Vision Jet,[7][8] which in 2018 won the Collier Trophy for becoming the first single-engine personal jet with a whole-plane parachute recovery system.[9]
The VK-30 design was conceived in the early 1980s as a kit plane project by three college students, Alan Klapmeier and Jeff Viken from Ripon College in Wisconsin, and Alan's brother, Dale Klapmeier, who was attending the University of Wisconsin–Stevens Point. Jeff Viken's wife, Sally, designed the VK-30's flap system. Together, in the Klapmeiers' parents' barn in rural Sauk County, Wisconsin,[10] they formed Cirrus Design as the company to produce the VK-30 (VK standing for Viken-Klapmeier).[1][2]
The aircraft has an all-composite construction and was designed to achieve natural laminar flow over the fuselage as well as the wing and tail surfaces to provide for very low drag—using a NASA NLF(1)-0414F airfoil. The prototype incorporated some parts from production aircraft, including the nose gear from a Piper Cherokee and the main landing gear from a Lake LA-4. The VK-30 was designed to be a five-seat aircraft from the start, which made it considerably larger than most other amateur-built aircraft of its day. It incorporated a mid-engine design, driving a three-bladed pusher propeller behind the tail through an extension shaft. The powerplant was a Continental IO-550-Gpiston engine developing 300 hp (224 kW).[2][11]
The VK-30 was introduced at the 1987 EAA AirVenture Oshkosh convention in Oshkosh, Wisconsin and first flew on 11 February 1988. Kit deliveries commenced shortly thereafter.[2]
In the late 1980s, the Klapmeier brothers approached jet engine manufacturer Williams International about the possibility of installing a small, single Williams FJ44turbofan engine on the VK-30. The idea never materialized at that time, however, it significantly inspired the original design concept of the Vision Jet in the mid-2000s.[8]
Cirrus discontinued production of the VK-30 towards the end of 1993.[12]
In 1996 the company announced plans to develop a stronger replacement wing for about 28 VK30s supplied to past customers.[12]
Operational history
Cirrus delivered about 40 kits, and built four additional factory prototypes.[1][13] The company estimated that there were 13 customer VK-30s completed. As of 11 February 2018, four were still registered with the Federal Aviation Administration in the US, although at one time a total of 12 had been registered.[2][14]
The VK-30 was the predecessor of the Cirrus ST50, which had an almost-identical configuration to the VK-30, but included a larger ventral fin on the tail of the aircraft, a slightly larger fuselage, and was powered by a Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6-135turboprop engine in place of the piston engine used in the VK-30. Cirrus designed and initially developed the aircraft under contract to an Israeli aircraft manufacturer named Israviation, and first flew it in Duluth, Minnesota in 1994. Isravation attempted to certify and market the ST50 in the proceeding years but it never entered production by the company.[7][8][13][15]
Accidents
Between 1990 and 2020, seven US-registered VK-30s crashed, with a total of ten fatalities.[16][17][18][19][20][21][22]
On 22 March 1996, retired astronaut Robert F. Overmyer died at age 59 in the crash of an Allison turbine-powered VK-30. He was testing the aircraft for stall recovery characteristics at aft center of gravity limits when the aircraft departed controlled flight.[12][16]
^ abcGustafson, David. "The Klapmeier Brothers - Homebuilts to Factory Builts" (PDF). Retrieved 29 September 2014.
^ abcdefEAA Aviation Center (n.d.). "Cirrus Design Corporation VK-30 – N33VK". Retrieved 10 February 2008.
^Flying Staff (26 August 2013). "Rare Airplanes in Flight". Flying Magazine. Retrieved 16 September 2015.
^Durden, Rick (21 February 2014). "2013: A Good Year for Cirrus". AVweb. Retrieved 24 February 2014.
^Cirrus Aircraft News (11 February 2015). "Cirrus Aircraft Deliveries in 2014 Drive Strongest Performance in Six Years". Retrieved 1 March 2015.
^General Aviation Manufacturers Association (2017). "2016 General Aviation Statistical Databook & Industry Outlook" (PDF). Retrieved 21 October 2018. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
^ abHuber, Mark (August 2016). "Cirrus's Vision SF50". Business Jet Traveler. Retrieved 2 December 2018.
^ abcHuber, Mark (September 2016). "The $2 Million Personal Jet". Barron's. Retrieved 2 December 2018.
^Grady, Mary (4 April 2018). "Collier Trophy Goes To Cirrus Jet". AVweb. Retrieved 2 December 2018.
^Airport Journals Staff (January 2007). "Cirrus Design's Alan and Dale Klapmeier: "Dumb Enough to Start and Smart Enough to Finish"". Airport Journals. Retrieved 30 March 2014.
^Lednicer, David (October 2007). . Archived from the original on 15 May 2008. Retrieved 29 December 2008.
^ abcWarwick, Graham (April 1996). "Former astronaut killed in Cirrus VK30 test crash". Retrieved 29 January 2016.
^ abAerofiles: Aircraft Ca to Ci Retrieved 24 July 2011
^Panzar, Javier (11 February 2018). "Pilot and his family, including 9-year-old granddaughter, killed when small plane crashes near Agua Dulce". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 11 February 2018.
^National Transportation Safety Board. "Aviation Accident Final Report". app.ntsb.gov. Retrieved 12 February 2018.
^National Transportation Safety Board. "Aviation Accident Final Report". app.ntsb.gov. Retrieved 12 February 2018.
^National Transportation Safety Board. "Aviation Accident Final Report". app.ntsb.gov. Retrieved 12 February 2018.
^National Transportation Safety Board. "Aviation Accident Final Report". app.ntsb.gov. Retrieved 12 February 2018.
^National Transportation Safety Board. "Aviation Accident Final Report". app.ntsb.gov. Retrieved 12 February 2018.
^Air Zoo (12 May 2017). "The newest addition to the Air Zoo collection landed today!". Facebook. Archived from the original on 26 February 2022. Retrieved 30 December 2017.
^Steen Aero Lab (April 2006). "Event Reports - Sun 'N Fun 2006". Retrieved 3 April 2011.
^EAA Aviation Center (n.d.). "Cirrus VK-30 Specifications". Retrieved 10 February 2008.
External links
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Cirrus VK-30.
"Fast Fourward" - 1990 AOPA Pilot article on the Cirrus VK30 and Klapmeier brothers
January 07, 2023
cirrus, vk30, redirects, here, german, tank, project, series, single, engine, pusher, propeller, homebuilt, aircraft, originally, sold, cirrus, design, called, cirrus, aircraft, company, first, model, introduced, 1987, outside, florida, museum, 2006role, amate. VK30 redirects here For the German tank project see VK 30 series The Cirrus VK 30 is a single engine pusher propeller homebuilt aircraft originally sold as a kit by Cirrus Design now called Cirrus Aircraft and was the company s first model introduced in 1987 2 VK 30Cirrus VK 30 outside the Florida Air Museum in 2006Role Amateur built airplaneNational origin United StatesManufacturer Cirrus DesignDesigner Alan and Dale Klapmeier Jeff VikenFirst flight 11 February 1988Introduction 1987 1 Produced 1988 1993Number built about 13As a kit aircraft the VK 30 is a relatively obscure design with few completed aircraft flying Its most important legacy is that the work done on developing and marketing the aircraft convinced the designers the Klapmeier brothers that the best way to proceed in the future was with a more conventional layout and with a certified production aircraft Thus the lessons of the VK 30 were directly responsible for the design of the Cirrus SR20 and SR22 which have been the best selling general aviation airplanes in the world every year since 2003 3 4 5 6 The VK 30 also served as a significant inspiration for the creation of the company s latest aircraft the Cirrus Vision Jet 7 8 which in 2018 won the Collier Trophy for becoming the first single engine personal jet with a whole plane parachute recovery system 9 Contents 1 Design and development 2 Operational history 3 Variants 4 Accidents 5 Aircraft on display 6 Specifications VK 30 7 See also 8 References 9 External linksDesign and development Edit Cirrus Design VK 30 on ramp at the Baraboo Wisconsin Dells Airport in Baraboo Wisconsin c 1988 The VK 30 design was conceived in the early 1980s as a kit plane project by three college students Alan Klapmeier and Jeff Viken from Ripon College in Wisconsin and Alan s brother Dale Klapmeier who was attending the University of Wisconsin Stevens Point Jeff Viken s wife Sally designed the VK 30 s flap system Together in the Klapmeiers parents barn in rural Sauk County Wisconsin 10 they formed Cirrus Design as the company to produce the VK 30 VK standing for Viken Klapmeier 1 2 The aircraft has an all composite construction and was designed to achieve natural laminar flow over the fuselage as well as the wing and tail surfaces to provide for very low drag using a NASA NLF 1 0414F airfoil The prototype incorporated some parts from production aircraft including the nose gear from a Piper Cherokee and the main landing gear from a Lake LA 4 The VK 30 was designed to be a five seat aircraft from the start which made it considerably larger than most other amateur built aircraft of its day It incorporated a mid engine design driving a three bladed pusher propeller behind the tail through an extension shaft The powerplant was a Continental IO 550 G piston engine developing 300 hp 224 kW 2 11 The VK 30 was introduced at the 1987 EAA AirVenture Oshkosh convention in Oshkosh Wisconsin and first flew on 11 February 1988 Kit deliveries commenced shortly thereafter 2 In the late 1980s the Klapmeier brothers approached jet engine manufacturer Williams International about the possibility of installing a small single Williams FJ44 turbofan engine on the VK 30 The idea never materialized at that time however it significantly inspired the original design concept of the Vision Jet in the mid 2000s 8 Cirrus discontinued production of the VK 30 towards the end of 1993 12 In 1996 the company announced plans to develop a stronger replacement wing for about 28 VK30s supplied to past customers 12 Operational history EditCirrus delivered about 40 kits and built four additional factory prototypes 1 13 The company estimated that there were 13 customer VK 30s completed As of 11 February 2018 four were still registered with the Federal Aviation Administration in the US although at one time a total of 12 had been registered 2 14 Variants Edit Cirrus Israviation ST50 at the Paris Air Show in 1997 Cirrus Israviation ST50The VK 30 was the predecessor of the Cirrus ST50 which had an almost identical configuration to the VK 30 but included a larger ventral fin on the tail of the aircraft a slightly larger fuselage and was powered by a Pratt amp Whitney Canada PT6 135 turboprop engine in place of the piston engine used in the VK 30 Cirrus designed and initially developed the aircraft under contract to an Israeli aircraft manufacturer named Israviation and first flew it in Duluth Minnesota in 1994 Isravation attempted to certify and market the ST50 in the proceeding years but it never entered production by the company 7 8 13 15 Accidents EditBetween 1990 and 2020 seven US registered VK 30s crashed with a total of ten fatalities 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 On 22 March 1996 retired astronaut Robert F Overmyer died at age 59 in the crash of an Allison turbine powered VK 30 He was testing the aircraft for stall recovery characteristics at aft center of gravity limits when the aircraft departed controlled flight 12 16 Aircraft on display Edit VK 30 on display at the Air Zoo in 2019 Air Zoo Portage Michigan 23 24 EAA AirVenture Museum Oshkosh Wisconsin 2 Florida Air Museum Lakeland Florida 25 Specifications VK 30 EditData from EAA AirVenture Museum 26 General characteristicsCrew One pilot Capacity Four passengers Length 26 ft 7 9 m Wingspan 39 ft 8 in 12 09 m Height 10 ft 8 in 3 25 m Wing area 126 sq ft 11 7 m2 Empty weight 2 400 lb 1 089 kg Gross weight 3 600 lb 1 633 kg Max takeoff weight 3 600 lb 1 633 kg Powerplant 1 Continental IO 550 G horizontally opposed piston engine 300 hp 220 kW Performance Maximum speed 247 mph 398 km h 215 kn at sea level Range 1 300 mi 2 100 km 1 100 nmi Rate of climb 1 500 ft min 7 6 m s Wing loading 28 6 lb sq ft 140 kg m2 See also EditRelated development Cirrus Vision SF50Aircraft of comparable role configuration and era Dickey E Racer Grinvalds Orion Rutan Long EZRelated lists List of pusher aircraft by configuration List of civil aircraftReferences Edit a b c Gustafson David The Klapmeier Brothers Homebuilts to Factory Builts PDF Retrieved 29 September 2014 a b c d e f EAA Aviation Center n d Cirrus Design Corporation VK 30 N33VK Retrieved 10 February 2008 Flying Staff 26 August 2013 Rare Airplanes in Flight Flying Magazine Retrieved 16 September 2015 Durden Rick 21 February 2014 2013 A Good Year for Cirrus AVweb Retrieved 24 February 2014 Cirrus Aircraft News 11 February 2015 Cirrus Aircraft Deliveries in 2014 Drive Strongest Performance in Six Years Retrieved 1 March 2015 General Aviation Manufacturers Association 2017 2016 General Aviation Statistical Databook amp Industry Outlook PDF Retrieved 21 October 2018 a href Template Cite journal html title Template Cite journal cite journal a Cite journal requires journal help a b Huber Mark August 2016 Cirrus s Vision SF50 Business Jet Traveler Retrieved 2 December 2018 a b c Huber Mark September 2016 The 2 Million Personal Jet Barron s Retrieved 2 December 2018 Grady Mary 4 April 2018 Collier Trophy Goes To Cirrus Jet AVweb Retrieved 2 December 2018 Airport Journals Staff January 2007 Cirrus Design s Alan and Dale Klapmeier Dumb Enough to Start and Smart Enough to Finish Airport Journals Retrieved 30 March 2014 Lednicer David October 2007 The Incomplete Guide to Airfoil Usage Archived from the original on 15 May 2008 Retrieved 29 December 2008 a b c Warwick Graham April 1996 Former astronaut killed in Cirrus VK30 test crash Retrieved 29 January 2016 a b Aerofiles Aircraft Ca to Ci Retrieved 24 July 2011 Federal Aviation Administration 12 February 2018 Make Model Inquiry Results Retrieved 12 February 2018 Cirrus ST50 First Flight eaa1000 av org Retrieved 2 December 2018 a b National Transportation Safety Board March 1996 NTSB Identification CHI96FA116 Retrieved 10 January 2018 Panzar Javier 11 February 2018 Pilot and his family including 9 year old granddaughter killed when small plane crashes near Agua Dulce Los Angeles Times Retrieved 11 February 2018 National Transportation Safety Board Aviation Accident Final Report app ntsb gov Retrieved 12 February 2018 National Transportation Safety Board Aviation Accident Final Report app ntsb gov Retrieved 12 February 2018 National Transportation Safety Board Aviation Accident Final Report app ntsb gov Retrieved 12 February 2018 National Transportation Safety Board Aviation Accident Final Report app ntsb gov Retrieved 12 February 2018 National Transportation Safety Board Aviation Accident Final Report app ntsb gov Retrieved 12 February 2018 Air Zoo 12 May 2017 The newest addition to the Air Zoo collection landed today Facebook Archived from the original on 26 February 2022 Retrieved 30 December 2017 Adopt a Plane Air Zoo Retrieved 2 May 2019 Steen Aero Lab April 2006 Event Reports Sun N Fun 2006 Retrieved 3 April 2011 EAA Aviation Center n d Cirrus VK 30 Specifications Retrieved 10 February 2008 External links Edit Wikimedia Commons has media related to Cirrus VK 30 Fast Fourward 1990 AOPA Pilot article on the Cirrus VK30 and Klapmeier brothers Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Cirrus VK 30 amp oldid 1127116513, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
