In The Air: Lofty Legends
August 4, 2003
The turbine engine is easy to manage in flight. There are two parameters for its operation: torque, the measure of the engine’s power output, and the temperature of its power-producing turbine. On a hot day, the temperatures will determine the torque available to the pilot. On a cool day, the torque will be the limiting factor. “We run the engine at lower temperatures in the interest of longevity,” says Gray. Even on the hottest days, the Walter can put out 400 hp, more than enough to deliver exciting performance from the lithe Legend.
The return to the airport provided another surprise. We did the usual “high key” overhead approach procedure and maintained 2,000 feet agl, impossibly high for such a high-performance aircraft. Or so I thought. With full flaps, the nose pointed down at the runway, the turbine power brought back, and the big prop used as a brake, the aircraft made a steep approach—more appropriate to the Space Shuttle—at about 110 knots, putting the wheels on the numbers and employing beta to slow down and turn off at half the runway length.
Assuming a fuel capacity of 110 gallons of Jet A, Gray flightplans his Legend for 2.5 hours of endurance at a speed of 280 knots at an altitude of 18,000 to 21,000 feet. This provides a range of about 500 nautical miles with some reserves.
Pilots and hot-rodders have been on the same page for years. Both know that if you want something very special with real performance, you just have to build it yourself.
Dan Gray, Aviation F/X, dnlgry1@aol.com
Legend Aircraft Inc., www.turbinelegend.com
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