Gallery: Aviation Startup Cobalt's Sleek New Plane Stars a Canard
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Aviation startup Cobalt is developing a new plane that aims to radically improve safety by making it harder to stall.
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The Co50 Valkyrie is a stylish five-seater.
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Its most notable feature is the second, smaller wing near the nose.
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Called a canard, the extra wing creates a new, added source of lift, making it virtually impossible to stall the airplane.
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The idea of the canard has been around for decades, and was popularized by legendary aircraft designer Burt Rutan.
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Cobalt CEO David Loury has spent 10 years working on the design.
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“We really want to make things happen and not just be dreamers,” he says. “We want to offer better designs that enhance your safety.”
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The engine and propeller (neither are in place here) are in the back, so there’s nothing up front to obscure the pilot’s view.
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Turned-up winglets at the end of each wing provide extra lift.
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The Valkyrie’s turbocharged, 350-horsepower off-the-shelf Continental engine is good for a top speed of about 300 mph and a range of about 1,200 miles.
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The cockpit is designed to be ultra-simple and user-friendly.
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It uses a glass-panel Garmin 3X flight display system.
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The airplane unveiled this week is Cobalt’s fifth prototype. It hasn’t yet flown, but will enter flight testing next spring.
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"This is the final aircraft, that we can now deliver in an experimental version, for about $600,000,” Loury says.
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If Loury attains his dream of getting the airplane fully certified by federal regulators—a daunting and expensive process for a small company, costing millions and taking years—the Valkyrie would be unique in its class.
