The Race!
WHAT IS FASTER? A SPORTS PLANE, A HELICOPTER OR A POWERFUL SPORTS CAR?
P
ower to weight ratios are important; so is acceleration. And it may be affected by manoeuvrability! A helicopter can turn in place; a car might try a hand brake turn, but even a small aircraft has to pull G and bank into a tight turn. The three-way race at our Air Festival should provide some answers, as Doug Brooker’s speedy MXS meets a powerful (650hp) Gulf Almac Cobra alongside a Squirrel helicopter.
THE MXS The high tech, carbon fibre MXS is the outstanding modern aerobatic aircraft. Developed from an American design, the MXS is now produced in Perth, Western Australia, and is widely used in aerobatic championships world-wide. The MXS has a 360hp Lycoming engine.
24
THE GULF ALMAC COBRA 427R The Cobra was built in Upper Hutt in 1989 as a replica of a Shelby Cobra 427. The body is made of Kevlar, the motor is a 1960’s LS7 454 ‘big block’ Chevrolet ls7 race engine. Bevan Wright has owned the car for about 30 years
THE AS350 BA SQUIRREL Flown by Tim Williams, the Squirrel (Ecureuil) is powered by a Turbomeca Arriel 1B turbine engine of 848hp which drives a 3-blade main rotor. It can reach 287kmh (178mph) and has a range of 660km.
THE RACE
