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Porto Aviation Group (was SEO-Avio)

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Racing Risen — A “Pandora’s Box” (and Lesson) About Speed Records in Light Aircraft

By Dan Johnson || June 8, 2020 6 Comments

In our strongest month ever, April 2020, our biggest story was about the Swedish Blackwing "Speed Monster." Pilots almost universally admire a beautiful and fast aircraft. Blackwing won hearts …and perhaps some orders for the Scanadanavian manufacturer. Blackwing edged out Risen with its record flight, prompting a representative of Porto Aviation Group to provide a deeper perspective. Many years ago as an active hang glider pilot, I found the records-keeping body, FAI, to be very strict and formal in how it administered world record claims.

Siren or Risen Whatever the Name; It's Fast

One of my most popular videos (with well over a half million views and hundreds of comments) is an interview I did with Alberto Porto, developer of Risen. It was 2015 and he had just introduced his speedster He said it would set records and it turns out he knew what he was saying.

Porto's Siren looks fast even with fixed landing gear.

When I read Blackwing's statements about eclipsing an older record, I wondered at the name Siren, the previous record holder. I wondered if it was a misspelling of Risen, but no, it was not. Risen is the retractable gear model. Siren is a fixed wing example (nearby photos). Porto commercial director Stéphan D’haene wrote, "The [Blackwing people] were flying at FL100 (10,000 feet MSL). We were flying sea level. That makes a huge difference," he exclaimed! "We are in discussion with FAI for clarification of the rules," Stéphan continued, "as different countries make different interpretations, apparently." He refers to FAI's practice of designating a national group to oversee and verify record claims before sending to the international headquarters.

Porto Aviation Siren fixed gear with a carbureted Rotax 912 ULS heading out for a 50km closed course record.

I noted the inexact match of record attempts. SEA/Porto's record attempts were flown at a low altitude under FAI rules that "have evidently been reinterpreted," Stéphan speculated. Any flexibility in how FAI reads the data is hard for me to accept given how rigid they used to be. In addition, he noted Siren was limited to 1,042 pounds (472.5 kilograms, a European microlight standard). Stall was less than 35 knots and Porto's fixed gear design had some 40% less horsepower available. Those points add up to a significant difference.

Siren undergoes a weighing process under FAI supervision; fuel and crew must remain below 472.5 kilograms (1,042 pounds). Although Siren is labeled "Turbozentrum," the aircraft is equipped with a non-turbocharged 912 ULS and is completely stock. Turbozentrum was one of the record attempt sponsors.

"For the Risen 914T — introduced in 2016 — our brochure stated 75% cruise at 355 kilometers per hour (192 knots)," Stéphan noted. "At full power the aircraft will exceed 200 knots at FL100." "Altitude is a key contributing factor to a record based on ground speed," observed Porto Aircraft, expressing a point most pilots will recognize. "We all know, that speed varies with altitude." Stéphan said, "[This means] the two record flights (Blackwing more recently and Risen a few years back) were not done in comparable conditions. For that reason, they should not be compared." He explained that FAI previously stuck to a consistent approach that allowed records to be compared using a correction factor.

Team Porto Aviation Group pose with both record-setting aircraft (fixed-gear Siren at back with retractable Risen behind team).

Speaking for company boss Alberto Porto, Stéphan believes Risen 914 Turbo would fly 10 kilometers per hour (5.4 knots) faster than the Blackwing powered by the more powerful 915iS. He also reported, "Alberto did not go all the way during that run. He left some room to do future records." "It’s very simple. If we extrapolate the performance of the Risen 914T using the FAI correction factor, Risen 914T would be 392 kilometers per hour and [thereby] faster than Blackwing," Stéphan stated. "We didn’t even mention the 22.5% more power" that Blackwing's 915 has over Risen's 914. In the previous benchmark, the retractable, turbocharged Risen claimed a straight-line record — but the story continues.

"Things are even more confusing for the [second record for a] 50-kilometer closed-circuit course," said Stéphan. "In every record we attempt, our motivation is to show that our marketing brochure is very accurate without inflated numbers. Because nobody could believe the performance of the fixed-gear Siren with [100 horsepower] 912ULS, we decided to set a new record. The result was an astonishing 288 kilometers per hour (corrected for ISA). We could fly the Risen 914T and set a much faster record, because of retractable gear and an extra 15 horsepower of the Rotax 914." "We [did not believe another company would attempt to break a] record set by our fixed-gear Siren model," expressed Stéphan. "Why? Because [any speed] increase would be marginal, not much to brag about. All manufacturers in Europe understood that very well. There was [little] to win in beating this record and [until recently] everybody steered clear of the 50 kilometer closed circuit."

Previously reported Blackwing heads out for a record attempt.

"Not so for the Swedish," Stéphan believed. "…they found a solution but facts are still facts." The Blackwing 915 performance on the 50 kilometer course corrected to normal FAI calculation is 302 kilometers per our versus 288 for the fixed-gear Siren. That’s 14 kilometers per hour (7.6 knots) faster for a retractable gear design with 41% more power and higher cost. Just imagine a fixed-gear Siren with that same Rotax 915iS?"

Closing Thoughts

Stéphan observed that I had written (in my second article about Blackwing's achievement), "This ain’t over yet…" I suspect it is still not over but here we have an example of how records work to stimulate new innovation. While the exchange of official FAI record bragging rights from Blackwing and Porto make for interesting reading, the truth is both have accomplished a lot — speeds beyond 200 miles an hour on fairly small engines. Such a figure speaks to airframe efficiency, clever engineering, and determination. Aviation can use all of that it can get. Bravo to both companies!

https://youtu.be/sfy4UWv041o

In our strongest month ever, April 2020, our biggest story was about the Swedish Blackwing “Speed Monster.” Pilots almost universally admire a beautiful and fast aircraft. Blackwing won hearts …and perhaps some orders for the Scanadanavian manufacturer. Blackwing edged out Risen with its record flight, prompting a representative of Porto Aviation Group to provide a deeper perspective. Many years ago as an active hang glider pilot, I found the records-keeping body, FAI, to be very strict and formal in how it administered world record claims. Siren or Risen Whatever the Name; It’s Fast One of my most popular videos (with well over a half million views and hundreds of comments) is an interview I did with Alberto Porto, developer of Risen. It was 2015 and he had just introduced his speedster He said it would set records and it turns out he knew what he was saying.

More Details on Swedish Light-Sport Aircraft “Speed Monster” Record Attempt

By Dan Johnson || April 27, 2020 2 Comments

Our most-read story of 2020 was this breaking report on Blackwing's assault on the world speed record for the Microlight category. Since we published that article, Blackwing Sweden CEO Niklas Anderberg offered more details and — because this was a popular read for many visitors — it is worthwhile to tell you, as famous radio broadcaster (and aviation enthusiast *), Paul Harvey, used to say "…the rest of the story."

— In His Own Words —

"On April 15th, a personal dream of mine came true," wrote Niklas earlier today. "We pushed the turbocharged Blackwing aircraft to a new speed record in FAI's Microlight RAL2T Category."

"A few weeks earlier," he continued, "we started high-speed taxi tests. We noticed immediately that this aircraft is something special. The turbo-charged engine (Rotax's new 915iS, a 141-horsepower turbocharged and intercooled entry) in combination with a single power lever [controlling] the hydraulic MT propeller, accelerated like nothing I have tried before. Already on the second test flight, we were reaching 195 knots at 3,000 feet. We were very excited and increased the envelope every day. At 5,000 feet we were reading 200 knots on the airspeed indicator, at full power [in] level flight. With fuel consumption of 10 liters/hour [2.64 gallons per hour] we were reading 130 knots TAS. Can this really be true airspeed? On the next flights, we carried a [FAI-required] logger and confirmed the Garmin speeds. "Due to the pandemic, unique possibilities opened up. We could fly at any altitude we would like, with the support from Sweden control [ATC]. On Saturday, we practiced the world record course three times. It was challenging to fly over 200 knots (400 kilometers per hour), bank three G, and still keeping a precise altitude. We also started to fly at heights, FL90-110, and at speeds higher than we ever have flown before. It felt good to have a parachute.

"On Tuesday the weather conditions were perfect. We decided to fly at 10,000 feet. The [FAI] criteria that the course could only be flown once made it even more intense. At the first turn, I climbed some 300 feet, and returning to altitude she accelerated to 219 knots (405 km/h). I felt extremely tense and had a hard time keeping the ball in the center. Overall I am happy that I managed to fly a pretty good course. On the straight course, we got 212 knots average speed. It was great to celebrate the success with my co-pilot Fredrik Lanz, and the rest of the Blackwing team.

"The flight testing will continue in spring and summer. After 50 hours of flight testing, we can start taking passengers. "The aircraft used for the record is a standard BW600RG with the Rotax 915iS engine. In order to optimize the drag, we only had one outside antenna and sealed some of the gaps." Once again, my heartiest congratutions to Niklas, Fredrik, and Team Blackwing, for a job well done!

This Ain't Over Yet

Meanwhile, in nearby Belgium, the folks from JMB Aircraft are promoting their own speedy Light-Sport Aircraft-like equipped with the Rotax 915iS.

"JMB Aircraft is proud to announce some achievements from the past few months," the company wrote recently. "After more than 100 hours of flight test with two planes, we manage with success to perform a V-dive test reaching an indicated 381 kilometers per hour and 425 km/h (229 knots) true air speed. This enable us to safely increase our VNE up to an indicated 340 kilometers per hour (184 knots)." On April 25th JMB added, "With all nominal operating parameters, we climbed to FL180 in 13 minutes with one short level off due to a too-fast climb reported by ATC. The conditions were ISO +7 degrees Celsius (45°F) and 600 kilogram MTOW. Our test pilots performed a level flight of several minutes at maximum continuous power and reached 380 km/h (205 knots) true airspeed, breaking the mythical 200 knot barrier."

I suspect the LSA-like airspeed race isn't over yet, especially given the previous record holder — Risen, from a formerly Swiss, now Italian company renamed as Porto Aviation Group — is another speedy design. All these aircraft, plus others such as BRM Aero's retractable model of their Bristell line, can fly faster than what FAA may be planning for LSA 2023 but these attempts might influence rule writers to consider faster-yet speeds. As the world slowly begins to emerge from the global lockdown, who know what speed feats we'll see next.

Not to leave Americans behind, consider Arion Aircraft's Yankee speedster, the Lightning XS (currently Experimental, but who knows in 2023?). https://youtu.be/gqOL9oZNzAw

* Paul Harvey was a very popular radio commentator who donated a substantial sum to EAA for the organization to establish a video studio. Each of his broadcasts began with, "You know what the news is; in a minute you're going to hear the rest of the story."

Our most-read story of 2020 was this breaking report on Blackwing’s assault on the world speed record for the Microlight category. Since we published that article, Blackwing Sweden CEO Niklas Anderberg offered more details and — because this was a popular read for many visitors — it is worthwhile to tell you, as famous radio broadcaster (and aviation enthusiast *), Paul Harvey, used to say “…the rest of the story.” — In His Own Words — “On April 15th, a personal dream of mine came true,” wrote Niklas earlier today. “We pushed the turbocharged Blackwing aircraft to a new speed record in FAI‘s Microlight RAL2T Category.” “A few weeks earlier,” he continued, “we started high-speed taxi tests. We noticed immediately that this aircraft is something special. The turbo-charged engine (Rotax‘s new 915iS, a 141-horsepower turbocharged and intercooled entry) in combination with a single power lever [controlling] the hydraulic MT propeller, accelerated like nothing I have tried before.

Sea-Avio — Risen (high performing Swiss microlight)

By Dan Johnson || August 19, 2016 4 Comments

One of the most eye-catching microlights at Aero 2015 was the Sea-Avio Risen. This may be the fastest aircraft in the world using a 100-horsepower Rotax 912 ULS. At the show, we were able to interview the developer to get his view of his machine. What you see in the video is the first production model while the prototype has acquired more than 300 hours of flight time. It's expensive, yes, but man!, does this bird fly fast. Get more detail in this video.

One of the most eye-catching microlights at Aero 2015 was the Sea-Avio Risen. This may be the fastest aircraft in the world using a 100-horsepower Rotax 912 ULS. At the show, we were able to interview the developer to get his view of his machine. What you see in the video is the first production model while the prototype has acquired more than 300 hours of flight time. It’s expensive, yes, but man!, does this bird fly fast. Get more detail in this video.

VIDEO — Check Out the Speedy Swiss Risen

By Dan Johnson || September 5, 2015 Leave a Comment

In this newest posted video, you see the gorgeous Risen from Sea-Avio.com (SEA is Swiss Excellence Airplanes). Update June 2020 — SEA is now Porto Aviation Group. Now, this is not simply one more entry in the increasingly crowded Light-Sport or (European) microlight market. This may be the fastest airplane in the fleet and is certainly — if not the fastest — one of the speediest airplanes to use the Rotax 912 ULS engine. In the video you'll hear some figures from Alberto Porto, the developer of Risen. Watch the video. At several airshows a year, Videoman Dave and I chase around the grounds and conduct interview of airplanes we find that we believe are new in some way or have qualities we think you may find of interest. We commonly do between 20 and 40 of these, so while we are done gathering material before the show ends, once Dave goes home, the real work begins.

As they are done and as I get the time to post them, I will advise you of new ones of interest. However, before I do that you can find many of the new ones plus all the earlier ones on the SportAviationMagazine.com YouTube channel. When you watch these videos here you can arrange them by date posted or by alphabetical listing. That's good as we have around 400 videos and many more to come so finding them can be challenging. Each video has a short description to help you see if you want to watch it. Please check back here often and visit the YouTube channel soon. Your support of that YouTube channel allows Videoman Dave to do his work. Please consider subscribing.

In addition to what you can read on ByDanJohnson.com, we have a growing library of videos. When I attend airshows, I frequently hear from attendees that they thoroughly enjoy these 8-12 minute productions. I have the fun job, seeking out airplanes and speaking to the developers behind them while on camera. After that my video partner, Dave, does the big job of editing these things into what I consider to be very nice productions. You get views of the airplane, hear the details, and see more about them than any other way than attending the airshow yourself. In this newest posted video, you see the gorgeous Risen from Sea-Avio.com (SEA is Swiss Excellence Airplanes). Update June 2020 — SEA is now Porto Aviation Group. Now, this is not simply one more entry in the increasingly crowded Light-Sport or (European) microlight market. This may be the fastest airplane in the fleet and is certainly — if not the fastest — one of the speediest airplanes to use the Rotax 912 ULS engine.