Future Flight: Celera 500L
Big cabin, big engine
After all, it fits some of the characteristics that seem to define eVTOLs and other designs powered by alternative energy sources. Big performance claims? Check. Ecologically friendly? Check. Odd shapes? Check. Certification right around the corner? Check.
But instead of electrical power, the 500L will go old-school with a RED A03, 500-horsepower V-12 diesel engine driving a pusher propeller. The powerplant can burn Jet A or biodiesel fuels, and the company claims the engine beats FAA and ICAO emissions standards by more than 30 percent. Otto said the all-aluminum airplane has had 31 test flights and accumulated 35 hours in flight. Fuel consumption is reported as 16 to 22 nautical miles per gallon, and hourly operating costs as a low, low $328 per hour.
Sure looks like a blimp on steroids!As for performance, the company says the airplane will be a roomy, six-seat passenger aircraft with a cabin height of six feet, two inches; capable of flying as far as 4,500 nm; and at speeds “in excess of 460 mph [400 knots].” Its glide ratio is advertised as 22:1, meaning that from an altitude of 30,000 feet the 500L can glide for 125 nm. It achieves its speed, fuel efficiency, and glide because of its laminar-flow aerodynamic characteristics. Despite the fuselage’s blimplike shape, Otto says it’s built to optimize laminar flow. Its drag profile is said to be 59 percent lower than aircraft of a similar size.
Otto has kept its work on the 500L under wraps, but the company now says certification will come in 2023, followed by entry into service in 2025. No word on price, so stay tuned. Based on its shape, it could serve roles other than passenger-hauling.
