Thanks for the update Peter. I've watched your progress from the very first video and it's been a fascinating journey. I wish you well as you continue the refining of your marvellous plane. You have a lot on your plate at the moment and you must put your needs first. I look forward to catching up with future developments whenever you are ready to release a video in the future. Best wishes.
This is good news, bad news for me... I'm going to really miss your videos and watching the evolution of the Raptor, so that would be the bad news. But I think it's great that you'll have more time to dedicate to completing the Raptor and getting kits ready for us once you are happy with the design. Thanks for all of your years of dedication making sure we were kept in the loop.
Great to see you back in the air! I, like most of your followers, am disappointed that the videos are being cut back. Totally understand but I will miss the updates. Keep up the good work & look forward to the time when you can do a catch-up vid.
Thanks for all of the work you put in to keep us informed. I can't wait to find out about Production and what you have in store for us when you move to this side of the country.
I recommend leaving this plane on the east coast and (if you still have the fire) starting a clean sheet design wherever you’re headed. Incorporate what you have learned, acknowledge what you don’t know. Fixing this designs issues will take more engineering hours than any one man has in his lifetime. There’s a reason other aircraft designs take whole teams of engineers trained in the various disciplines of aircraft development. May God bless you with wisdom, wealth, knowledge and success.
@@wasatchm well. It doesn’t improve on the art at any point anywhere except fantasy performance numbers. Visibility out of the thing is great if you only like seeing from the belt line up. Then there are control system issues. Completely undeveloped engine. What area would you like to talk about?
@@navion1946 not to mention it’s nearly twice the anticipated weight. It now has no payload to speak of. Taking weight out without losing structural integrity is a mountain of engineering in itself. I have a feeling this is the last we’ll see of Peter and his Raptor.
@Patrick Eisenzapf I’m going off the original estimates from the website. In an August 2019 video the prototype was weighed at an empty weight of 3,144 lb, which is 1,344 lb heavier than originally estimated. At a gross weight of 3,800 lb the aircraft's useful load is 656 lb .With full fuel of 121 U.S. gallons the payload is −70 lb.
@Patrick Eisenzapf you should watch this. Yes btw I have followed the raptor build intently. I was hoping it was going to be as groundbreaking as it was claimed. The more I watched and comments I read the less about engineering it seemed Peter understood. He’s had some very knowledgeable people chime in and he’s ignored them all. His compound turbo system will never work right because the turbos aren’t sized correctly. I understand that Peter has invested a lot of blood, sweat, money, and tears, but he can’t get past his own ego and listen to people that are experts in their perspective fields. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-H2vnFSTk6qE.html
Glad you're back in the air. *Oil Viscosity* Don't be surprised when oil temperature *increases* with a higher viscosity. If you are intent on a 40 weight, use 5w40 instead of 10w40 so your engine adequately lubricates at start up.
LS engines.. In my '98 Corvette I installed an all aluminum radiator of twice the BTU loss of the original. This summer its getting an external oil filter and large oil cooler. These are not that easy to keep cool. Density altitude will have a huge impact on calories removed from radiators too.
Hey Peter. The oil could be aerating coming from the re-drive and possibly causing your float to activate your light. You may look at Phillip Victory Diesel oil, it contains some additives to prevent foaming and air entrainment.
Glad to see her back in the air. What you have achieved so far in incredible and I am looking forward to whatever you share with us in the future. Stay safe and I hope you are successful in the remainder of your testing.
Thanks for taking us all on the journey with you so far. Take some time to focus on what's most important for you, and the project now. Looking forward to seeing the updates when you're winging your way west!
Loved seeing you back up where she belongs. I understand the needed break and will be looking forward to whatever vids you put out. Thanks for taking us along as long as you have!!
Thanks Peter for all your hard work and all your videos for us to enjoy! It’s been a lovely time. I wish you all the luck in the future endeavors with the Raptor.
100% in favor of you taking a break Peter! You need a break...And although we enjoy the videos, the cost of your time is not worth it... Keep up the great work!
@@tujmeister I thought Peter was taking the plane to the west coast for some reason. I applaud his ambition and his ability to design and build the prototype. Very few people have accomplished what he has done. It would appear they prototype needs refinement, but it’s an amazing accomplishment. He had his hands full during the entire build and cranked out quite a few videos. Hoping to see some more as he works through refinements.
Just been looking through logs in past videos and your oil pressure in the old engine seems to be a around 60 psi. In the replacement engine it is 50 psi. This raises a big question as to what effect this will have and why is it different.
Glad to see her back in the air. I noticed that the left side main gear cycles better than before - it used to have a brief pause whilst recycling - gear up. I am always excited to see any of your posted comments and was looking forward to your next post, but I understand all the trouble you go through for our entertainment for which I thank you. I will now patiently await your next post, whenever it might be and wish you Good Luck and Success on the rest of your Rapture journey. Thanks Again
I enjoyed watching the videos and will miss them, but I understand the situation. Please could you update the website so that we have something to look at. Perhaps you can do one video a month as an alternative.
It was always going to be difficult, doing all the development in public. Frustrating as it will be for the interested watchers, I am not at all surprised that you have pulled the plug on continuous updates. The work still to do is immense, the work already done is immense. Well done for the huge amount of progress that you have completed. I seem to remember many comments on earlier videos that said it would never fly! I respect that in order for you to keep future commercial options open, it is necessary to throttle back the information flow. Which will also hopefully give you more time to do the good stuff and look after yourself. I look forward to updates when you have some stuff to reveal. In the meantime, thank you.
Graet to see you flying again, the dry sump.. oil level, a lower sencor or larger tank perhaps. so sorry to see you go Peter, I have have thoughely enjoyed watching you design and build the Raptor. hope the developement goes well and look forward to seeing the fruits of you rour laboure.
For those following flight aware it's not updating for some reason. I am safely on the ground at my planned stop for the day. The aircraft ran fine without any issues other than I lost the parachute cover panel again. So I have to make a new one today before heading to Arkansas tomorrow, weather permitting. Current location M95. Thanks.
Thanks for the update. Been following. Stay safe. What airport in California are you planning to be based from ? If your close by i would be willing to help .
Raptor is airborne again. Out of Fayette and now east of Little Rock, Arkansas. FR24 reports Raptor at 3,700ft and a GS of 123kts. Go Peter!!!! Safe flying sir.
you should look at oils used in the trucking industry. Some truckers use 0-30W Others use 0-40w. You could try rotella 0-40w T6, and mix 5 layer graphene to provide additional safety if you lose your oil
@@darthmelbius I'm betting against that, but let's check back at this comment to see if I'm right or I'm wrong. And I disagree that it's hurting a chance of successful future business... It's just that the power/weight/consumption issues require some serrrrious re-engineering.
@@silasmarner7586 I am with you on this one.This will never make “kit” production.Way to many issues to address for one brain.Wasabi flight testing bailed for a reason and these problems are still with the design.The cost of production is going to be off the charts.The engine and redrive issues should have been worked out way before building the airframe.Looks kool in the air and on paper but ……
The bronze oil seal may have a coefficient of thermal expansion almost twice that of steel depending on the specific alloys used. It's a starting point for analysis. Good to see you and the bird in the air again. I'll miss the videos, but one's time is a perishable commodity which should be well spent. Good luck moving forward and into production!
It's been two months since your last video. What is the latest news? Any plans to attend Oshkosh? Your website hasn't been updated and your last post on Facebook was in April. Is everything alright?
He's testing still. It's small hops relative to the 15 hour range in specs (7 GPH and a 124 gal usable fuel load). But they are much longer than he's done before which is a good sign. No real details on payload with 4 pax etc etc.
It be interesting to see him get some help for everything from vids to technical design aspects, its such a complicated task to design something like this. So much new aspects to an already complicated piece of equipment. Amazing challenge this man took on!
Sometime last summer I was hanging out with some Beech engineers. They were talking about problems with canard configurations and that they create downwash over the main lifting surfaces. I asked about the Katmai conversion and they said that having the canards on a separate plane from the wings probably alleviated the problem.
Congratulations on your cross country flight in the Raptor. That is a significant accomplishment given all the challenges you faced to get to that point.
Excellent video Peter! I’m greatly impressed about all the data measurements from start to finish. It’s easy to see why you have gotten burned out on making videos. While the compensation fromRU-vid is nil, the gratitude among your viewers has to make up for it. Safe journeys.
Hi Peter. Gutsy project. Question: Have you done any load tests on the wing in different configurations? If so, what is your projected load factor? Just curious. Also, I am curious. When you decreased the pitch, did the oil quantity or oil pressure change?
The amount of oil running through the redrive has nothing to do with the sump level. If oil is missing from the sump, it is pooling somewhere. If the redrive holds significantly more oil at higher prop pitch, high speed/power would cause more oil to sit in the redrive and the sump level would go down; but I doubt it changes much in volume. Pooling due to thin oil escaping seals and such is conceivable, but under the valve covers is about the only place this can happen and the returns are usually huge since you add oil there.
Sad to see the videos stop, can't help but have a sense of dread that this is it. Sounds like the project got sold or at the least you now have other investors with controlling stakes. Hope for the best Peter, the project was an inspiration and a unique window into aircraft development.
Its a shame that you are stopping your videos, could you update us every 6 months. I have followed you since the beginning and have enjoyed all your trials and tribulations. I am also an Aussie and i did my private at Cherokee County Airport back in the day when it was 47A. Hopefully you will get it down to Sun & Fun for us to look at
Another 3 hour flight today, with airspeed between 110 and 160 at 5000. Looks like Peter is making slow progress increasing the speed and staying up for more than 30 minutes. Given that the outside temperature have increased, it looks like engine temps are under control. Hopefully, he will tell us any day now, since it's been a month since he checked out.
First I would not change the oil. Oil temps under 250 are fine. Second The coolant should be closer to 200, 185 is too cold in general. I know why you are worried so much... but you need to get your confidence back and push it a little harder. However, if it makes you feel better I used Mobile 1 0W-50 in my V-12 Mercedes for many years it pours at -71 degrees F and has a flash point at 200C.
What’s been your fuel consumption rates? Have you done any testing on the pressurization system? Where are you going to be on the West coast? I’m in Oregon and would love to fly down for a look see, and maybe have a beer . Wow, what new company?
Good to see you back in the air again, how was the oil profile data of the blown engine in relation to the latest sudden temperature hike on this last flight !
Bummer no more vids.....but understand the time it takes. Great every thing is going better. Maybe the collar being a different material it is expanding at a different rate causing the oil issues. I think trying another one like the original steel one would be worth a try. After all it was working great untill the oil seal failed and galled it. Be safe , and maybe a vid once amonth ???
Exited to see what production changes will be done when time comes. Fingers crossed this will be a success story in the end for you Peter! Focus on the right things is the right choice now, videos/customers second.
Any reason the flights are just 350 miles vs the the 3,600 mile range advertised? The range being flown appears to be about 1/10th planned range so far.
There are a number of reasons I'm sure. 1-Limited fuel for the max gross weight. 2-Overheating issues. 3-Oil pressure issues. 4-Parachute inspection plates blowing off mid flight issues. 5-Redrive issues. If you follow Peter's latest flightaware track, he is clearly trying to stay close to airports for a, "just in case something happens, " scenario. He has not taken the aircraft above 6,000' MSL and if he is trying to get to California, he will have to test these waters if he plans on flying it there. This past week has been beautiful for morning flights in the south, but no progress has been made.
@@ekcomposites6223 Helpful - but given he's probably flying with just 1 PAX vs the 3-4 in specs I'd imagine he can load a full load of fuel -, ie, could get full range if the drag / fuel burn etc calcs were right. 3,600 miles of range is fantastic so will be fun to see some real cross country flights with that range (eventually).
@@randominternet5586 Nope, the prototype is much heavier than intended (close to 1000 pounds over) so now it can't carry much fuel even with just him onboard. 3600 was never going to happen anyway. The estimates were all extremely optimistic.
@@learmonkey3582 I wondered why the flights were always early in the morning, but you have made it clear what the rationale is. Did he ever fix the cracked window do you know?
Great job once again Peter! I totally understand how you must be burned out making videos. Maybe you could do a quick 2-3 minute video every other week just using your cell phone with no takes and no editing. Just give us the highlights. I know I would watch. Regardless I can't wait to see the next video and hopefully someday soon see this bird flying in person at an airshow or event.
Have you considered 'water-less coolant'? It's a pain, in that you MUST remove all moisture from the system before filling. Heat leaving the system,, reduces eff. It may require a higher temp therm, due to lower air density.
Are you using synthetic oil? If not, try putting some Lucas additive. If you're are using synthetic, what brand are you using? If synthetic, I suggest Amsoil or Schaeffer
I was just wondering what is happening myself. I guess there is no news, don't know if that is a good thing or a bad thing. Just looked up the Raptor N-number on flightaware.com, apparently he's been flying lately. But, seems there was only a 5 minute flight this morning, May 27, 2021.
