KC 518 Adventourer
Role Helicopter
National origin New Zealand
Manufacturer Composite Helicopters International
Designer Peter Maloney
First flight 8 May 2012
Number built 2

The Composite Helicopters International KC 518 Adventourer is a composite fuselage, 5-6 place turbine kit helicopter.[1]

Design

The KC 518 is a composite fuselage helicopter kit for amateur construction. The airframe uses a carbon fiber and kevlar composite fuselage with a shrouded tail rotor. An auxiliary fuel system can be installed.[2]

Variants

Other versions with the same fuselage are KC630 with Rolls-Royce RR300 engine in 2017 (priced at US$970,000), KC640 with the RR250 in 2018, and KC650 with the Honeywell LTS101, expected to be certified by 2019.[3] The rights to the KC630 were acquired by Innova Helicopters in 2017.[4]

Specifications (KC 518 Adventourer)

Data from Manufacturer

General characteristics

  • Crew: 1
  • Capacity: 5 passengers
  • Length: 8.8 m (28 ft 10 in)
  • Width: 1.46 m (4 ft 9 in)
  • Height: 3.5 m (11 ft 6 in)
  • Airfoil: MRB VR7b
  • Empty weight: 794 kg (1,750 lb)
  • Gross weight: 1,542 kg (3,400 lb)
  • Max takeoff weight: 1,542 kg (3,400 lb)
  • Powerplant: 1 × Rolls-Royce RR250T63-700 Turboshaft, 240 kW (320 hp)
  • Main rotor diameter: × 9.018 m (29 ft 7 in)

Performance

  • Cruise speed: 250 km/h (155 mph, 135 kn)
  • Never exceed speed: 300 km/h (180 mph, 160 kn)
  • Endurance: 3.6hr
  • Service ceiling: 4,300 m (14,000 ft)
  • Rate of climb: 5.1 m/s (1,000 ft/min)

Test flight crashes

At about 11:15am on 7 May 2013, while on a test flight Pilot Peter Maloney and his female passenger were rescued uninjured after ditching in the Hauraki Gulf, New Zealand.[5]

At about 9:30am on 8 November 2014, while on a test flight Pilot Peter Maloney and his co-pilot, Norbert Idelon were uninjured after a heavy landing near Silverdale, Auckland due to suspected mechanical problems.[6][7]

See also

Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era

References

  1. ↑ "KC 518 Adventourer". Archived from the original on 1 March 2013. Retrieved 23 August 2012.
  2. ↑ "Kitplanes". Archived from the original on 28 December 2011. Retrieved 23 August 2012.
  3. ↑ Head, Elan (April 2015). "Going for certification". Vertical Magazine. p. 41. Archived from the original on 19 April 2015. Retrieved 11 April 2015.
  4. ↑ "Is this the end of the New Zealand helo dream?". 23 February 2017. Archived from the original on 24 February 2017. Retrieved 25 February 2017.
  5. ↑ "Rescued helicopter pilot feeling 'really good' after crash". TVNZ.
  6. ↑ "Lucky pilot survives his second crash". NZHerald.
  7. ↑ Composite Helicopters releases accident video, investigation findings archive
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