Swiss SmartFish project

[flateric]

www.smartfish.ch

"The objective of team SmartFish is to develop and commercialise a revolutionary general aviation aircraft technology that is highly innovative in terms of safety, economy and emotion. This technology can be used for a wide range of applications, from UAV to high performance sports planes to business jets that can accommodate up to 20 passengers.

The SmartFish proof of concept will be realized in collaboration with following companies: Extra (world leader in aerobatic aircraft) for system integration and test flights, Leichtwerk for interpretation statics and dynamics, LTB Borowski for composite manufacturing, Liebherr Aerospace for Landing Gear System development, DLR (German Aerospace Center) for flutter analysis and inlet optimization, RUAG Aerospace for wind tunnel testing, and EPFL, the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (they did a great job for Alinghi) for overall design optimization. "

 

[Orionblamblam]

www.smartfish.ch

"The objective of team SmartFish is to develop and commercialise a revolutionary general aviation aircraft technology that is highly innovative in terms of safety, economy and emotion. ... "

Wow. Just... wow. They actually think that this design would be landable safely by general aviation pilots? This looks like it'd have the glideslope and maneuverability at low speed of the Space Shuttle, with an agle of attack at landing that would be damned near pointing straight up.

 

[flateric]

That's why, Scott, it was posted in 'The Bar'

 

[Jemiba]

"They actually think that this design would be landable safely by general aviation pilots?"

Why not ? "Care free handling" is built into the flight control systems of modern fighters,
and this aircraft surely wouldn't be flyable at all without it. Ok, if it fails, the pilot will have a
problem, but having a look into safety records and statistics of the general aviation, it's
quite obvious, that the biggest risk is sitting in the cockpit ! A modern flight control system
may well enhance safety even more, than ULM-like parachute systems, I think. It's just a
matter of money ...

 

[dannydale]

Is it just me or does that design look almost like a hypersonic waverider when viewed from the top?

 

[flateric]

That's why Rutan and Branson called for Philip Stark to design interior...but not exterior...

 

[Sundog]

To me, the problem with this design won't be one of L/D, it will probably have a much lower wing loading then the Shuttle. But hasn't the problems with designs like this been the non linearity of the lift curve as alpha increases and the attendant drag associated with high lift of such designs making them difficult to control? I remember RANS made a lifting body fuselage homebuilt with twin tails and such, to look like a homebuilt F-18, but it had flight control/stability problems IIRC and eventually crashed.

Granted, they could make an FCS that could deal with that, but if they are talking about it for GA purposes, the plane must run around the cost of a GV, just for the FCS and the cost to maintain it.

That's why Rutan and Branson called for Philip Stark to design interior...but not exterior...

LOL!

 

[flateric]

At least model flights well...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3sD3WD6CMRY

Taken from http://alvelda.blogspot.com/2007/04/smartfish-hydrogen-fuel-cell-powered.html

 

[AeroFranz]

I look at this bird -sorry, fish- and I don't see how they can sell it as a GA. I mean, the looks are exciting and everything you want, but aerodynamics and economics tell you you want decent aspect ratio on a GA aircraft. I am not questioning that something like that will fly, but unless it's optimized for a flight regime unlike what you would typically expect from a VLJ (say 300-400kts, up to 1,000nmi range), the wing planform does not make sense. It's no coincidence that all VLJs have aspect ratios around 5-7 and little or no sweep. Is this really supposed to be a commuter airplane?
Does anybody know what the powerplant would be? FJ33/PW615?

my guess is, this is a PR thing to get investors salivating. the real thing would look different (i.e., more conventional).

 

[yasotay]

I look at this bird -sorry, fish- and I don't see how they can sell it as a GA. I mean, the looks are exciting and everything you want, but aerodynamics and economics tell you you want decent aspect ratio on a GA aircraft. I am not questioning that something like that will fly, but unless it's optimized for a flight regime unlike what you would typically expect from a VLJ (say 300-400kts, up to 1,000nmi range), the wing planform does not make sense. It's no coincidence that all VLJs have aspect ratios around 5-7 and little or no sweep. Is this really supposed to be a commuter airplane?
Does anybody know what the powerplant would be? FJ33/PW615?

my guess is, this is a PR thing to get investors salivating. the real thing would look different (i.e., more conventional).

Phsst!!! There you go obviscating the notion with facts. ;D

 

[dannydale]

At least model flights well...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3sD3WD6CMRY

Taken from http://alvelda.blogspot.com/2007/04/smartfish-hydrogen-fuel-cell-powered.html

Yeah, it does fly nicely. It still looks like a hypersonic design, especially if you moved the engines to the bottom between a compression ramp and a SERN. I'd move the tailplanes somewhere else to prevent interference with the exhaust, however.

 

[Grif]

I've just realised what this reminds me of..."Stand-By For Action! Anything Can Happen In The Next Half Hour!" Stingray!
Grif

 

[hesham]

Hi,

http://www.smartfish.ch/index.cfm/fuseaction/show/path/1-2.htm

 

[dannydale]

LOL!! Now it really looks like a fish! Also....

Is it just me or does that design look almost like a hypersonic waverider when viewed from the top?

It still looks like a hypersonic design, especially if you moved the engines to the bottom between a compression ramp and a SERN. I'd move the tailplanes somewhere else to prevent interference with the exhaust, however.

I CALLED IT! I FRAKKING CALLED IT! Well, mostly. Behold, the SPACEFISH reentry vehicle! First ballon-borne prototype launch is this month, too!

 

[JP Johnston]

It was originally designed by a group of Swiss university students to be a glider on Saturn's moon Titan.

I think it should be a Manned Suborbital Ultralight.

Launched either by balloon or atop a rocket, say a slightly larger version of the original SpaceX launch vehicle, Falcon 1.

JP Johnston ME CSWP
Rogue Exploration Technologies
Woodburn, IN USA