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The Aurora is on the horizon to make your dreams come true. Whether you're headed to the mountains for skiing or hiking, or perhaps the islands to dive and fish, the Aurora can transport you and your passengers there in unparalleled comfort and style and you won't have to leave anyone or anything home again. That's because you're able to fly six adults and a hundred and eighty pounds of what they need most for the trip and still top the tanks for a twelve hundred mile range. Thanks to advanced Aero-deisel technology, range and payload can be achieved together in one flight.
When you board the Aurora you're greeted by an overhead door and airstep which leads into a beautifully appointed fifty inch wide interior. Once you secure the air tight door the aroma of leather fills the air as you settle into the padded seats. Now very comfortable, everyone relaxes sensing a pleasant flight ahead. With room to stretch out it will stay that way. As you prepare to get underway the air-conditioning is keeping everyone in perfect comfort during the earth bound portion of this trip. When the clearance comes, you glide the throttles forward and four hundred and sixty horses catapults you to your cruise altitude. In just minutes you have leveled off and are traveling non-stop to your destination as your guests enjoy the wet bar and in-flight movie. While cruising along your not wasting anyone's time throttled back to sixty five percent because your Aurora is slipping though the heavens at two hundred and fifty knots! All this while sipping only thirty two GPH of Jet-A. If you feel real conservative, go up above twelve thousand and you can reduce that up to fourteen GPH without losing a knot! Whether you opt for conventional or club seating, you and your passengers will enjoy one of the roomiest and quietest interiors ever to fly. Up at the business end of your Aurora the panel has everything you ever wanted to put in it, from the color radar up in the nose to the color moving map display you've always wanted. As you make inputs with your finger tips on the conventional controls, the Aurora gives you a responsive feel back from its very stable airframe.
The magic of your new bird is found in its three surface layout. Unlike its canard cousins, the Aurora has a conventional elevator and flap arrangement. This enables it to have excellent pitch trim authority for all CG and speed conditions, and lift augmentation for landing allowing for a smaller wing resulting in minimal drag for cruise. A unique and positive advancement over the conventional platform is the Aurora's second wing and pusher configuration. The front wing allows us to move the main wing and engines back to a minimum drag location and greatly reduced cabin noise, leaving you with the added benefit of excellent visibility. Couple this with the advances in Aero-diesel engine technology the Aurora will literally be in a class by itself! Benefits include reduced fuel consumption, smaller size, higher power to weight ratios, elimination of mixture controls, shock cooling, valve train and ignition / magneto systems. Because of this coming revolution in engine design, not until now has an aircraft such as the Aurora been possible.
The Aurora will utilize advanced composite tooling and construction methods to provide the builder with one of the easiest to construct kits available. Don't let the size and second engine fool you into thinking it's too much. The Aurora is really no more demanding to build than any large single engine high performance kit on the market today. The effort will yield a truly IFR redundant platform with speed and capacity unparalleled. For those who prefer, the Aurora will also be available in a "fast finish" state providing a great reduction in airframe construction time. Other finishing options will be available to aid the owner in completing their Aurora as early as possible such as pre-upholstered interior groups and "plug in" engine and propeller packages.
The Aurora is a home builders derivative of the Piagio Avanti P-180. The three flying surface arrangement provides numerous advantages, some aerodynamic and some ergonomic, but also represents a technological elegance not duplicated until now. Aurora's overall size is very similar to the Aerostar 601, but the cabin interior is lengthened and widen slightly to provide Baron class 6-place seating. The emerging Aero-Deisel engine designs were selected for the baseline design as a reliable and low cost horsepower / dollar powerplant that ultimately inspired the overall Aurora configuration. Automotive, turbine and fan jet engines are also viable possibilities. Future extensions of the design include pressurization possibly in the experimental version.
The three surface wing system provides adequate wing area necessary for high speed cruise and a reasonable stall speed using a 30% chord, 70% span fowler flap system. The wing area is about 20% less than a similar light twin because it's empty weight is lighter by about 1400 pounds. A high cruise speed was one of the key design requirements to provide relatively high efficiency, range and block to block times. Some runway length was sacrificed to achieve this goal, but this compromise affords speed to those of us who are time conscious. The builder will have to make a canard but it will be easy to assemble and relatively small (about 8 feet from tip to tip). Laminar flow airfoils are used on all flying surfaces. Because of the "canard-like" stall characteristics of the three surface arrangement the front wing unloads before the main wing resulting in a gentle nose down at the stall break.
The fuselage is about 24 feet long from nose to rudder post. The Aurora is a cabin class aircraft that can be constructed in a relatively small space. Interior cabin volume and seating is similar to the Seneca IV but in reverse. Cabin width at the pilot/copilot seats is about 47 inches and widens to a maximum width of 50 inches near the second row of seats. Cabin width at the aft seats is about 51 inches. Cabin height at the pilot/copilot seats is about 45 inches and tapers to about 48 inches at the aft seats. A small aisle exists between the first two rows of seats. Cabin access/egress is via a single overhead door and step between the front and mid seats on the left side of the fuselage (ala Lear and Avanti).
The aircraft is being designed with a 4300 lb gross weight at +6,-3 G limit loads. Following structural testing the gross weight will be increased for +4.4,-2.2 G limit loads (utility category). With an estimated empty weight of 2250 to 2300 lbs, Aurora will have a payload of about 1700 lbs. Aurora has been designed to accommodate 6 full size, FAA 170 lb passengers, but a 95% human model (6'-4") was used to verify interior space for the pilot/copilot. Just about right for the wife and kids with plenty of luggage (51 cubic feet).
Dual control yokes are provided for the pilot and co-pilot seats. Multi-function grips provide a great degree of hands on control. Ailerons and elevator are pushrod actuated while the rudder is cable operated. There is also pitch, yaw and roll trim capability. The flaps of the canard and main wings are interconnected via cables with electric asymmetry lock out.
Aurora uses a fully retractable tricycle landing gear. The mains use tapered spring steel such as found on the Cessna P-210 style, while the nosewheel is sprung via a gas charged air/oil cylinder. Retraction is accomplished using electro-hydraulics. Each gear bay is completely closed in flight by mechanically sequenced doors. Landing gear track and wheelbase are both wider and longer than the requirements for turn over angles in the FAR's, so ground handling should be good.
Erospace Technologies has chosen to use an efficient concurrent engineering approach. Essentially all of the critical mechanical systems have been prototyped electronically in 3-D. This approach permits the designers to have very high confidence in the success of the final design and greatly minimizes prototype build time and costs.
The aircraft has been designed using state-of-the-art 3-D CADCAM software technology. All detail component design has been performed on CAD workstations which provide very precise information on the location and clearances of all system components. Most of the components have been designed in 3-D using, yielding valuable information about the inter-relationships of systems. Lofting images like those on this page allow us to ensure beauty, as well as functionality in the geometry and tooling of our design.
Production tooling is currently under development with the prototype aircraft to be constructed from production molds and tooling. The high temperature composite tooling will be produced in house based on our experience in the kit industry. All parts will be inspected by ETI Quality Assurance Teams. Certifications will be required from vendors supplying critical raw materials to assure integrity of engineering.
Dynamic Analysis and Research Corp. Will be providing the theoretical computational models to fine tune the aerodynamics. They have provided Piagio with the initial design work on the P-180 so they are the most qualified we feel to do this work on the Aurora. In house over the years we have developed several software tools to assist in the static stability analysis and performance modeling. Longitudinal (pitch) static stability analysis has been performed to determine neutral point and stability margin based on estimated mass properties and the aerodynamic design. Directional (yaw) stability was analyzed and appears to be more than adequate for single engine operation, but will be verified during flight test. Lateral (roll) stability will be verified by flight test, but Aurora uses a very similar wing system the original Avanti. All stability work has been done by the traditional method of building up and estimating the various stability derivatives based on the configuration. The statistical method of "Volume Coefficients" was used only to initiate the design prior to the analysis.
The Aurora is one of the most extensively engineered kitplanes. State-of-the-art aerospace industry computer tools and concurrent engineering processes have been used to develop an aircraft that has a look of the next millennium. The Aurora is the future!
ETI is assembling an experienced team of aerospace and aeronautical engineers to assist in the design engineering effort. Experts in Finite Element Analysis (FEA) of composite structures with years of spacecraft and aircraft experience are being used to perform the structural design. Aurora is designed to meet or exceed FAR Part 23 design requirements with a design factor of safety of 2.0. The airframe has been designed for limit loads of +6 and -3 G's.
Construction is a hybrid of materials selected to provide ease of assembly, protection of cabin occupants, and light weight. The reasons for an all composite airframe were manufacturing cost, material availability, and ease of assembly. The fuselage utilizes kevlar for protection to help maintain integrity in a gear-up abrasion or impact scenario. The major structural elements are bonded to the inside of the fuselage shells with the major hard points installed at the factory. The critical tasks of mating fuselage shells, bulkheads, spars, wing panels etc. are greatly simplified by a "fast finish" option.
The fuselage shells are constructed of aircraft quality, high temperature, epoxy based pre-impregnated (pre-preg) fiberglass composites using a NOMEX honeycomb core. Use of pre-preg provides a light structure with a high level of confidence in the quality of the part. This produces parts which are stable and strong up to 250 degrees. Wings, stabilizers, and control surfaces are all composite with carbon fiber used in the wing spar caps. Carbon fiber is used for construction of the control surfaces to maximize stiffness, but the use of this material is limited to critical components due to flutter considerations and cost. Careful attention to surface quality by including a surface sealer for all outer painted areas of the fuselage, wing and empennage should provide a pin hole free surface. 5-Axis milled tooling plugs will result in very high precision parts in which to form the production tooling.
An extensive structural testing and ground flutter analysis effort will be performed to verify that production parts match the finite element structural models. Static load tests will be performed prior to the first flight of the prototype. Production flying surfaces will be assembly and load tested to failure to verify ultimate loads. Further flutter analysis will be performed by an independent flight test pilot to ensure the predicted flight envelope. Stick forces will be analyzed and adjusted as necessary during flight test to provide harmony of forces per Air Force MIL standards. Rigorous analysis and testing will verify to ETI's engineering team and it's customers that Aurora is a very safe design structurally when operated within the flight envelope.
Aurora is designed to make the building process rewarding, educational, and memorable. All critical parts necessary to make a flyable aircraft will be included in the kit. Paint, interior fabrics and avionics will be left to the builder's discretion and taste though a limited number of factory options will become available to speed up these processes. A complete list of materials will be provided down to the mixing cups and sticks which may be purchased at your local craft store. No special tools are required, no welding or machining is necessary. All components requiring close tolerances are provided finished ready to assemble. The construction manuals are being produced as the prototype comes together and will be one of the finest in the industry.
Aurora uses a joggle type part matching process which provides very precise indexing of mating of assemblies. For example, the fuselage halves will be assembled so the matching joggles are seated then match drilled and held together with Cleco fasteners. Structural adhesive will be applied between the overlapping flanges of the joint and held with the Clecos until cured. All critical dimensional information will be pre-marked on the skins or shells to minimize measurement errors. Due to Aurora's size, ETI intends to provide the fuselage shells joined with the major bulkheads in place. Joining of the fuselage shells at the factory will insure the fuselage is jigged true. Additional interior fuselage bulkheads are cut from the provided templates and bonded to the fuselage at the appropriate locations to complete the fuselage.
Assembly of the wings and control surfaces is common to standard processes used in the kitplane industry. ETI intends to provide the wing, canard, horizontal stabilizer's and vertical stabilizer's main and rear spar attach fittings pre-drilled to provide accurate wing incidence and dihedral. These attach fittings will be assembled in a jig to provide accurate alignment for your convenience. Templates will be provided to construct a build table so the wing skins, ribs and spars are properly aligned and positioned at assembly. The flying surfaces will also be provided in a "fast finish" state. Ribs are produced using the RTM process so that all wing geometry can be maintained throughout the design, they look very similar to stamped metal ribs yet they are composite.
Build time will depend significantly on the experience of the builder and availability of undisturbed amounts of time. But, based on the level of complexity and comparisons to other kits of similar difficulty (but not of similar size) 1600 to 1800 hours should be a reasonable estimate. This build time is, of course, dependent on each builder's level of acceptable finish quality. Every effort will be made by the design team to provide clear and methodical instructions from the manuals and videos, but if a question arises, technical support will be only a phone call away. ETI wants to make building your aircraft one of the most fun and fulfilling experiences of your life. Every effort will be made to inspire confidence in your building skills very early in the process. We want you to be satisfied with your results on the day when you first leave the ground in Aurora.
The Diesel engine has demonstrated the lowest specific fuel consumption of any prime mover (as low as .26 Ib/hp hr for large 2-stroke marine Diesels). It uses fuel which is much cheaper and still contains more energy per gallon than gasoline or avgas. There were Diesel aircraft engines decades ago (Guiberson, Packard, Rolls-Royce, Clerget, Fiat...). In the 1930's the Junkers JUMO. With today's materials and engineering it is possible to achieve greater goals in power plant design. The Aurora will employ this new technology to advance the range and payload above the existing available light twins.
Diesels offer these advantages over conventional spark ignition engines:
The engines being developed by the Williams company are also being considered. Auto derivatives might be considered. Link to Aero-Diesel page.
For Erospace Technologies to grow and be successful in the aerospace industry, a reputation must be built on satisfied customers. ETI is committed to establishing a good reputation within the experimental community. ETI desires to reflect safety, quality, integrity, and technical excellence in everything it does. ETI is completely committed to seeing Aurora builders experience the fun of completing and flying something as magnificent as this modern aircraft. The day is coming when ETI will be hearing from owners flying to places all around the world, because the Aurora is designed to be an international traveler. Therefore, as a promise to those who entrust us with their money, time, and very lives, we will do everything we can to see you succeed in achieving your dream.
The start of the customer support begins with this information. You need to make informed decisions concerning an investment that will require a considerable amount of your time and money. If, after reading this web site, you have any questions... please call. This aircraft is intended to be a travel machine... traveling with friends, loved ones, and traveling to places you've always dreamed of being. But it is also an exhilarating pilot's machine, a high wing loading and 500+ hp tells you that.
Once an order is placed, a detailed construction manual will immediately be sent to you describing construction of the first Sub Group, the Fuselage. The Aurora is currently broken into Three Sub Groups. The complete manual detailing the tasks for each subsequent Sub Group will be supplied prior to the shipment of the hardware if the entire kit is not bought up front. Sub Groups are arranged to provide you with components and systems that will quickly build confidence and provide a tangible reminder of progress towards building an airplane. The construction manuals will be computer developed and will contain illustrations and photographs from actual construction along with detail CAD construction drawings . Each page of the manuals will have a revision system so you can be assured you're working from the latest information available for that procedure. Inevitably some builders will come up with a better way to do something. That information will be passed to all builders via a revision of the appropriate page. Quality, precision, readability and detail will be evident in the Aurora construction manuals. In fact, you will see this professional approach in all aspects of the design, marketing and support of the Aurora.
Video tapes will be provided with the manual for each Group. If a picture's worth a thousand words, what is video worth? The video will illustrate the techniques used by our technicians to assemble the Aurora prototype. The videos will be upgraded as processes are significantly modified.
Building seminars will be established at the Erospace facility to provide instruction for some of the critical assembly processes if a builder desires this assistance. Several days of construction and training will be provided if a customer chooses to pick up their kit. Aurora can be delivered in "one big box" like some kits. There are Sub Groups which can be purchased separately if the builder desires. If a customer wants to save shipping costs and receive some hands-on training, they can pick up the kit, otherwise the Sub Groups will be shipped via standard overland methods. We hope our customers would prefer to come, spend several days, get acquainted, receive some training and return home with a whole kit, experience and knowledge. We really want to be more than a voice on the end of a line.
ETI will establish a technical support line with the sale and delivery of the first kits. Primary technical support will be during working hours, but members of the technical staff will be on call during the off hours. The newsletter will provide customers with current technical and construction related information related to Aurora product developments. This newsletter will be a forum to provide the synergy between builders and the Aurora engineering staff to provide everyone with better results. This internet site is in place to provide rapid inquiry responses to those who have the computer resources.
Included in the cost of the kit will be ground instruction and 4 hours of flight time in the Aurora prototype or factory demonstrator at ETI's Florida facility. There are no kits with the, handling, number of engines, wing loading, and landing characteristics of the Aurora. Before your first flight, we want you confident and familiar with your aircraft's characteristics so that your first flight will be filled with awe... not surprises. The ETI test/demonstration pilot will provide instruction during this flight time.
Purchase of an Aurora is not simply another sale. We at Erospace Technologies regard this as a long-term relationship with you. We know the success of this relationship depends on our ability to maintain the quality of your satisfaction and trust.
Airframe Construction: High temperature, epoxy based composites for fuselage, empennage, cowling, and wing systems. Retractable tubular spring main gear and gas/oil steerable nose wheel. Overhead gas assist left side cabin door with fold down step.
If you'd like a little taste of flying the Aurora, try the following data for use in Microsoft's Flight Simulator. Have fun!
* Fuselage Shells (Left and Right)
* Control yoke Assemblies
* Composite Panels (Bulkhead Construction)
* Main Lift Bulkheads
* Structural Adhesive
* Epoxy
* Windshield and Windows
* Glass Fabric
* Door, Latches, and Hardware
* Landing Gear Attachment Fittings
* Fuselage Construction Manual and Video
* Vertical Stabilizer Skins, Spars and RTM Ribs
* Rudder Pedal Assembly
* Rudder Skins and Hinge and Trim Hardware
* Main Landing Gear
* Nosewheel Gear and Steering System
* Wheels, Tires, Brakes
* Landing System Hardware and Hoses
* Gear Retraction System
* Landing Gear Manual and Video
* All Wing Attach Hardware
* Composite Main & Rear Spars
* All RTM Ribs
* Main Wing Skins (Top and Bottom)
* Wing Tips, Nav Light Lenses
* Engine Hard Points
* Flap Skins and Track Hinge Hardware
* Aileron Skins and Hinge Hardware
* Aileron and Flap Control Hardware
* Pitot Tube and Hardware
* Horizontal Stabilizer Skins
* Elevator Skins and Hinge Hardware
* Elevator Torque Tube and Bellcrank
* Elevator and Rudder Control Hardware
* All RTM Ribs
* Pitch Trim System
* Structural Adhesive
* Epoxy
* Glass Fabric
* Wing Construction Manual and Video
* Fuel Tank Hardware and Sealant
* Nacelles, Radiators, Ducts, Cowl Flaps and Hardware
* Engines and Propellers
* Throttle Quadrant, Cables and Hardware
* Engine Mounts and Hardware
* Main Electrical Wiring Buss and Switches
* Exhaust Systems
* Instrument Panel and Shock Mounts
* Oil, Coolant, Sump Tanks and Hoses
* Seat Bases, Belts and Shoulder Harnesses
* Fuel Lines, Valves and Hardware
* Engine/Systems Installation Manual and Video
* Spinners, Backplates and Hardware
Aurora stands alone in capabilities, and beauty in the current kitplane market. If you long to own an aircraft that opens unlimited possibilities to you, your friends, and family.... Aurora could be the aircraft for you.
Until the pre-production prototype is completed, pricing cannot be fixed,
but it has initialy been set at:
Full Kit (first two sub groups, non pressurized)______________70,000 Fuselage Sub Group___________________________________________ 40,000 Flying Surface Sub Group_____________________________________ 40,000 Engine Systems Group (Aero-Diesels 230hp+costant spd. props)__70,000 Options Group - switches, seats, interior items...etc*____ to be set Paint sub out*_____________________________________________4000-8000 Interiour*_________________________________________________1000-8000 Avionics*______________________________________________ 4000-80,000? Fast Finish Build Option__________________________________ to be set *available from other sources
We also have a design input form which will enable us to respond better to our future customers needs. You are cordially invited to take a few miniutes and give us your ideas and comments along with a little information about yourself.