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| Kirby
Chambliss
Flying at over 250 mph and pulling a span of 20 negative and positive Gs isn’t enough for Kirby
Chambliss - he needs to be able to do this at any given time. So he built a runway for his light-weight, high-speed plane just feet from his back door at his home outside Phoenix, Arizona in a neighborhood aptly titled “Flying Crown Ranch.” One of the perks of living in his neighborhood is, “My hangar is part of my house, and I can fly upside down right past my door,” affirms Kirby. As five-time U.S. National Aerobatic Champion and Red Bull Air Race World Champion, this guy puts in a lot of practice.
Chambliss, who has been flying since age 13, became the youngest commercial pilot at his U.S. air carrier at 24. His boyish looks sometimes caused passengers, who thought the plane was being piloted by a teenager, to ask if he was old enough to have a driver’s license. By the time he made it to captain at age 28, he was already polishing his aerobatic skills – an interest acquired during aerobatic training for his job flying a business jet.
Chambliss, who has won five U.S. National Aerobatic championships, is clearly a man obsessed with flying. |
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THE
PLANE
EDGE 540
The EDGE 540 utilizes a
computer optimized steel tube fuselage with a number of unique
features. This results in a stronger, lighter fuselage
that is designed to take over 15 G's of sustained loading.
The use of steel tube frame with composite fairings results in
an extremely light, easily repairable, and very durable overall
fuselage. The E-540 aircraft has the highest
aerobatic thrust to weight ratio of any competition aerobatic
aircraft currently available.
SPECIFICATIONS
Wing: Fully composite EDGE Wing
Engine: Lycoming IO-540, producing 327+ HP
Propeller: MT Propeller
Fuel and Oil: Inverted System
Roll rate: 420 degrees/second
Climb rate: 3,700 ft/min
Empty weight: 1,155 lbs
Max weight (aerobatic): 1,550 lbs
Fuel capacity (fuselage): 44 gal
Vne (Velocity Never Exceed): 265 mph
Vs (Velocity Stall): 58 mph
Wingspan: 24.4 feet
Length: 20.7 feet
www.chamblissaerobatics.com
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air show photos in the AirVenture
photo gallery. |
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