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Fuselage, wings and tail surfaces are designed to limit drag by making best use of extended laminar flow, resulting in a speed of 391 knots and a projected range of 3,900 nautical miles
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AIRBORNE REVOLUTION
With an unconventional shape but high aerodynamic efficiency, this aircraft is ready to overturn our ideas about flight times and cost. We’re talking about the new design from Otto Aviation, for now a revolutionary prototype but set to hit the market in 2025
by Sergio Barlocchetti ph. courtesy by Otto Aviation
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smart yacht magazine like ours is also the right
made by California-based Otto Aviation. The company
place to feature a kind of flying submarine that
began designing the plane in 2017 and hopes to receive
can carry six passengers at a speed of 391 knots
FAA authorisation by 2023, enabling it to enter service
(almost 725 kph or 460 mph). While a conventional
sometime around 2025.
aircraft would need to develop almost 2,000 hp to achieve
Its projected range is 3,900 nautical miles, over 7,200 km.
this kind of performance, the Celera 500L reaches it with
Passengers will travel in a cabin with enough headroom to
an output of “only” 500 hp. In other words it goes as fast
allow them to stand upright inside – the fuselage diameter
as a jet without being one, as it’s powered by a turbodiesel
is 188 cm. Until now this kind of roominess has been
burning kerosene-based Jet A1 fuel. Made in Germany,
reserved for significantly larger business aircraft. With
the RED A03 is a 6,134 cc, liquid-cooled 12-cylinder
the price of fuel at around 1.70 euro per litre, operational
engine weighing 363 kg. It has a common rail and two
costs in Europe will be 300 euro per hour, compared to
intercooled turbochargers enabling it to put out 500 hp.
600 euro per hour for a conventional jet of the same size.
The drive shaft is then coupled to a 1/1.88 ratio reducer
The price is still a closely-guarded secret, but it’s not
unit attached to a special five-bladed prop turning at
only the design of this flying machine, which seems to
around 2,200 revolutions per minute, changing speed in
have come straight out of Flash Gordon with an added
response to power demand.
touch of steampunk, that grabs the attention - the
All this is supported by a wafer-thin wing. As well as
“thermodynamic” result is a fuel consumption of 210
being the prototype of a revolutionary aircraft, this
grammes per kilowatt/hour, and depending on the in-
model is also the Celera 500L technical demonstrator
flight engine regime this can mean from 16 to 22 miles
The Celera 500L can carry up to six passengers. Cabin headroom nudges 1.88 metres. There are no windows on the prototype, but they will be fitted on subsequent models
per gallon. This translates to 30 to 40 kilometres per 3.78
of interest is that there are no windows on the prototype
litre of fuel, generating a drop in CO2 emissions of 80%
– they will be fitted on the second example in such a way
compared to previous-generation business jets and 40%
that the transparent section will be perfectly flush with
compared to traditional airliners.
fuselage. “Our aim was to create a private airplane that
The initiative is driven by company founder and designer
can provide direct flights between all American cities at
William “Bill” Otto, an American aerospace veteran who
a comparable speed and cost to commercial airlines”, says
worked in the Los Alamos Scientific Labs on tactical
Otto. “In many cases individuals and families can buy
nuclear weapons and carried out research on missile silos.
but also hire the Celera 500L at prices comparable to the
He then moved to North American Aviation to lead the
cost of commercial airline tickets but with the comfort of
engineers developing the Rockwell B-1 Lancer bomber.
a private airplane.
Bill has designed the new aircraft to make use of what he
We believe that when the price of a private airplane
calls “extended laminar flow” along the fuselage, wings
becomes comparable to that of commercial flights this
and tail surfaces. This means that air flows smoothly over
will create a huge market opportunity”. Founded in
the aircraft surfaces throughout all stages of flight - if the
Orange County, California, in 2008, Otto Aviation is
air “vein” is interrupted this generates increased drag.
the aerospace company of Otto Laboratories, and at the
On the Celera 500L this characteristic has been sought
time of going to press the aircraft has made its first test
not only in the lines but also with the volumes, creating
flight and is about to undertake the FAA certification
a precise relationship between width and length and the
programme. First deliveries are predicted for late 2025.
dimensions of the of the wing and tail surfaces. One point
Orders can be made at: www.ottoaviation.com
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