The Cobalt Co50 Valkyrie is a single-engine, four to five-seat homebuilt aircraft, arranged in a canard, pusher configuration. A light aircraft intended for private ownership, it was initially being developed by Cobalt Aircraft of San Francisco, California, United States, but the company ceased operations in July 2018 and the design is now being developed by the Centauri Aircraft Company.[1]
The composite design incorporates retractable landing gear, a pusher engine configuration, a canard, twin vertical stabilizers and automatic airbrakes.[2] A ballistic parachute is provided as an option. Passenger entry is by a large forward fold down door. Kit production is planned to be carried out in the United States.
Initially the Co50 will be sold as a kit for amateur construction, but the manufacturer intends to eventually achieve type certification. Certification is likely to be time-consuming, not least due to the electronics Cobalt has chosen being untested for aircraft use.[3]
Operational historyedit
The company has declined to publish the number of aircraft on order or completed.[4]
In August 2020 there were two Co50s registered in the United States with the Federal Aviation Administration. One was built in 2014 and owned by the then defunct previous manufacturer, Cobalt Aircraft, and flagged by the FAA as "this aircraft's registration status may not be suitable for operation". The second aircraft was built in 2018 and is registered to a private company. By February 2023, there was only one aircraft still registered with the FAA, owned by the Centuri Aircraft Corp.[5]
Accidentsedit
The second prototype Co50 was crashed in September 2017 following a loss of aileron effectiveness in flight on a flight test at Castle Airport. The pilot was landing the aircraft using rudder and thrust only when lift was lost at an altitude of about ten feet. The aircraft impacted the ground, the right main landing gear leg separated and the wing was damaged. The pilot was not hurt.[6]
Cruise speed: 250 kn (290 mph, 460 km/h) maximum cruise at FL250
Range: 1,434 nmi (1,650 mi, 2,656 km) economy cruise at FL220
Service ceiling: 25,000 ft (7,600 m)
Time to altitude: 12 minutes to 10,000 feet
Avionics
Garmin G3X Touch
Referencesedit
^Cobalt Aircraft (July 2018). . cobalt-aircraft.com. Archived from the original on 27 October 2018. Retrieved 9 January 2019.
^"Cobalt Aircraft Unveils Co50 Valkyrie". Flying Magazine. Archived from the original on 19 August 2020.
^Ulanoff, Lance (2016-02-21). "Is the Valkyrie Co50 a test case for FAA's willingness to innovate?". Mashable. Archived from the original on 19 August 2020. Retrieved 2016-04-22.
^Centauri Aircraft. "FAQ". centauri-aircraft.com. Archived from the original on 18 August 2020. Retrieved 18 August 2020.
^Rapoport, Geoff (24 November 2017). "Valkyrie Continues After Testing Mishap". AVweb. Archived from the original on 18 August 2020. Retrieved 18 August 2020.
^"Cobalt unveils piston pusher". aopa.org. Archived from the original on 19 August 2020. Retrieved 24 April 2016.
^Cobalt Aircraft. . cobalt-aircraft.com. Archived from the original on October 21, 2012. Retrieved October 30, 2012.
External linksedit
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Cobalt Co50.
Official website
December 18, 2023
cobalt, co50, valkyrie, single, engine, four, five, seat, homebuilt, aircraft, arranged, canard, pusher, configuration, light, aircraft, intended, private, ownership, initially, being, developed, cobalt, aircraft, francisco, california, united, states, company. The Cobalt Co50 Valkyrie is a single engine four to five seat homebuilt aircraft arranged in a canard pusher configuration A light aircraft intended for private ownership it was initially being developed by Cobalt Aircraft of San Francisco California United States but the company ceased operations in July 2018 and the design is now being developed by the Centauri Aircraft Company 1 Co50 ValkyriePhoto of the incomplete prototypeRole Homebuilt aircraftNational origin United StatesManufacturer Cobalt AircraftCentauri Aircraft CompanyFirst flight January 2015Status Under developmentNumber built at least two Contents 1 Design 2 Operational history 3 Accidents 4 Specifications Co50 5 References 6 External linksDesign editThe composite design incorporates retractable landing gear a pusher engine configuration a canard twin vertical stabilizers and automatic airbrakes 2 A ballistic parachute is provided as an option Passenger entry is by a large forward fold down door Kit production is planned to be carried out in the United States Initially the Co50 will be sold as a kit for amateur construction but the manufacturer intends to eventually achieve type certification Certification is likely to be time consuming not least due to the electronics Cobalt has chosen being untested for aircraft use 3 Operational history editThe company has declined to publish the number of aircraft on order or completed 4 In August 2020 there were two Co50s registered in the United States with the Federal Aviation Administration One was built in 2014 and owned by the then defunct previous manufacturer Cobalt Aircraft and flagged by the FAA as this aircraft s registration status may not be suitable for operation The second aircraft was built in 2018 and is registered to a private company By February 2023 there was only one aircraft still registered with the FAA owned by the Centuri Aircraft Corp 5 Accidents editThe second prototype Co50 was crashed in September 2017 following a loss of aileron effectiveness in flight on a flight test at Castle Airport The pilot was landing the aircraft using rudder and thrust only when lift was lost at an altitude of about ten feet The aircraft impacted the ground the right main landing gear leg separated and the wing was damaged The pilot was not hurt 6 Specifications Co50 editData from Company news release estimates 7 8 General characteristicsCrew one Capacity three or four passengers Length 30 ft 9 1 m Wingspan 30 ft 9 1 m Height 10 ft 3 0 m Max takeoff weight 3 417 lb 1 550 kg Fuel capacity 109 U S gallons 410 L 91 imp gal Powerplant 1 Continental TSIOF 550 D turbocharged piston aircraft engine 350 hp 260 kW Performance Cruise speed 250 kn 290 mph 460 km h maximum cruise at FL250 Range 1 434 nmi 1 650 mi 2 656 km economy cruise at FL220 Service ceiling 25 000 ft 7 600 m Time to altitude 12 minutes to 10 000 feetAvionics Garmin G3X TouchReferences edit Cobalt Aircraft July 2018 Cobalt has ceased operations in July 2018 cobalt aircraft com Archived from the original on 27 October 2018 Retrieved 9 January 2019 Cobalt Aircraft Unveils Co50 Valkyrie Flying Magazine Archived from the original on 19 August 2020 Ulanoff Lance 2016 02 21 Is the Valkyrie Co50 a test case for FAA s willingness to innovate Mashable Archived from the original on 19 August 2020 Retrieved 2016 04 22 Centauri Aircraft FAQ centauri aircraft com Archived from the original on 18 August 2020 Retrieved 18 August 2020 Federal Aviation Administration 23 February 2023 Make Model Inquiry Results Retrieved 23 February 2023 Rapoport Geoff 24 November 2017 Valkyrie Continues After Testing Mishap AVweb Archived from the original on 18 August 2020 Retrieved 18 August 2020 Cobalt unveils piston pusher aopa org Archived from the original on 19 August 2020 Retrieved 24 April 2016 Cobalt Aircraft Performance cobalt aircraft com Archived from the original on October 21 2012 Retrieved October 30 2012 External links edit nbsp Wikimedia Commons has media related to Cobalt Co50 Official website Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Cobalt Co50 Valkyrie amp oldid 1164975278, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
