| Kestrel JP10 | |
|---|---|
| Kestrel JP10 prototype | |
| Role | single engine turboprop |
| Manufacturer | Kestrel Aircraft Company |
| First flight | July 29, 2006 |
| Number built | 1 prototype |
| Unit cost | USD$ 2.8 Mil (projected)[1] |
The Kestrel JP10 is a high-performance single turboprop-engined all-composite six-seat aircraft.[2]
The prototype first flew on July 29, 2006.[3] As of April 2010, the prototype, registered N352F, had logged about 260 hours.[1]
Its layout is low-wing with tailplanes mid-set on a single fin. The tricycle undercarriage is fully retractable. Its construction uses composites incorporating carbon fibers. The engine that has been powering the prototype is a Pratt & Whitney PT6-67A turboprop flat rated to 1000 hp.[2] In 2011 the company selected the Honeywell TPE331-14GR engine as first choice for the aircraft, also flat rated to 1000 hp. [4]
The company formed in 2002 to build the aircraft was started by Richard Noble who was responsible for the team that first broke the sound barrier on land. Noble envisioned the aircraft's primary role as being part of the fleet of “air taxis” flying over Europe that provide an alternative to both commercial airlines and chartered corporate jets. Noble named his Farnborough, England based company “Farnborough Aircraft” and the design for the then designated “F1” was detailed.[5]
The name of the company has since been changed to Kestrel Aircraft Company and the aircraft’s designation was changed from “F1” to “JP100”[6] and is now the “JP10”.
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The carbon-fiber composite construction allows a lower drag shape than does all-metal construction. The wing is also of carbon-fiber construction and features a high lift laminar flow design worked out mostly by British aerodynamicist Dr. Gordon Robinson.[7]
The cabin features a club-seating arrangement, a toilet, (or a possible seventh seat), and a baggage compartment in the pressurized area. In the cockpit, side window pillars are eliminated for a more unobstructed view for the pilot.[8]
Farnborough Aircraft formed a business alliance with Epic Aircraft to develop both companies aircraft and as a result the JP10 appears similar to the Epic LT. The wing is reportedly the same, while the Kestrel’s fuselage is 20 inches longer than the Epic’s. The fuselage is also slightly wider and has a 27% greater volume.[9] The window and door arrangement on the left side of the aircraft is noticeably different.
A business partnership formed to complete the Kestrel’s development named the Gulf Aircraft Partnership and located in the UAE did not proceed.[6]
Alan Klapmeier, founder of Cirrus Aircraft Corporation, has joined with British businessman Anthony Galley and others in the renamed Kestrel Aircraft Company.[10]
A business relationship has been formed with Liberty Aerospace of Melbourne, Florida to provide assistance with Toray carbon fiber components.[1]
The wing is to be redesigned to improve stall characteristics and ease of construction, most likely eliminating the wing’s planform elliptical leading edge.[10]
Kestrel Aircraft’s Adrian Norris reported that the company is ready to freeze the design and build conformal prototypes in efforts to seek part-23 certification.[11]
On July 23, 2010 Kestrel Aircraft announced that they will be relocating to large, relatively newly built hangars at the soon to be closed Brunswick Naval Air Station in Brunswick, Maine. The company will receive some local financial assistance in exchange for an anticipated eventual creation of some 300 jobs.[12]
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Reference: Kestrel website (cached version)[13]
General characteristics
Performance
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