Some of you may have heard of this, but awhile back a weird bullet shaped aircraft was spotted at an airport in Victorville, CA.
I stumbled upon this while reading a Drive article and then I saw they had this article.
The mystery plane's registration is N818WM, and according to the FAA database the mystery plane is called "Celera 500L" and it was built/owned by a company called "Otto Aviation Group LLC". Really strange.
Here is another photo, and another one of this weird aircraft.
What to you guys think of it? It's got high-aspect ratio wings with a single engine and a 5-bladed prop.
WAIT HYDROGEN POWERED WTHECK!?
wow i though this post was dead.
@THEOKPILOT https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OttoCelera500L.
@Kerbango ayo bro, i think you solved it! this must be some former physicist projects or something.
i think this plane is some type of experimental project maybe.
mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmBOI
@Kerbango
So I was reading a patent I found on the aircraft, and it appears to have a gas-fueled engine, not electric. It mentions having multiple turbo chargers, a pressurized cabin, hidden air ducts in the fuselage, and some other interesting features. I'm really curious to what's powering this thing.
@Kerbango
Are electric engines considered reciprocating?
I can almost guarantee you that it's going to be an electric powered plane. There is no exhaust ports. Which if it was a standard fuel engine there would be exhaust.
Oh, seems like I missed it from visiting last month. Sounds cool, thanks for the info! @JohnnyBoythePilot
@QingyuZhou
Yes Victorville is on the way I think. The airport, Southern California Logistics Airport (KVCV) is public and military. There is a small airforce base on the airport, George AFB, and on the ramp of the public part of the airport, on Google Maps I can see a couple of Cessna's, bizjets, what looks like a fire-fighting water bomber, and I can see a Southwest 737 and an Allegiant Air MD-80 parked near the terminal. So the airport is part public part military.
KVCV airport also has a pretty big aircraft boneyard to the north of the field and has retired/decommissioned airlines scattered around the airport as well. It also seems Boeing has a service hangar at the south of the field with what looks like a 787 parked at the hangar. It would be a pretty cool airport to visit.
@JohnnyBoythePilot They had my idea of engines behind the fuselage
I was wondering are we able to get in the airport or not, because I drove from LA to Las Vegas in winter holiday and victorville is supposed to be on the way
@tsampoy
I might do a replica on it. It does look pretty simple to make.
@Kerbango
Wow thanks for the info. It makes sense; a bullet shaped fuselage and a high-aspect ratio wing. Most likely the aircraft uses composite materials. What I'm most intrigued by is the powerplant. A single engine with a very small 5-bladed propeller. On the FAA database it lists the single engine as a reciprocating engine, but it's make/model is unknown. I wonder if it's some uber-fuel efficient engine that uses a different type of fuel.
Let’s make it! It looks pretty easy to create.
@JohnnyBoythepilot now I am intrigued I think I shall make something very very very similar.
@chancey21 the article States:
The company appears to be affiliated with Applied Physicist William M. Otto, who was also a key player at a firm called Otto Labs. Mr. Otto was previously the chief scientist for the B-1's avionics system development program, and held many other positions at North American-Rockwell. According to one academic honor society website, "Otto has retired from active participation in Otto Laboratories Inc., and assumed the presidency of Otto Aviation, managing the design and production of extremely low-drag aircraft."
The name “Otto” is significant in aviation. Otto Lilienthal made gliders in early aviation. That is mysterious...
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