This Flying Egg was Super Duper FAST

This is the story behind the tiny egg-shaped Questair Venture. Beyond its mind-boggling shape and size is a plane that fulfills one mission better than any other aircraft in its category. Discover the genius behind the design and what became of this curious speedster.
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Big shout out to the great folks at questairventure.com who assisted in sourcing lots of the great footage and detailed information. Interested in more Questair info? Contact: [e-mail]
I don't own these clips. All rights are reserved to their respective owners. Creative common videos are also utilized. If your clip is included and you'd like it removed, please email me, and we'll address the matter right away. [e-mail]
• Questair Venture - Pas...
• Questair Venture Bad I...
• Questair Venture ///7 ...
• QuestAir Venture High ...
• Video
• N94Y Questair Venture
• Rare, Fast Plane disco...
• Questair Venture Overview
• Questair Venture - PM...
• Aviation F/X Questair ...
• The Red Rocket # 1
• Passion For Flight
• Venture Steep Turns
• Venture Takeoff
• It's a flying egg!!! ...
• 300mph Egg Takeoff
• 300mph Egg Startup
• Questair Venture Part ...
• WONDERFUL WORLD OF FLY...
• Questair Venture Ballet
• Mork And Mindy TV Show...
• 1985 Piper Malibu - SOLD
• 1984 Piper Malibu - SOLD
• Questair Venture "Bad ...
• Questair Venture Takeo...
• Questair Venture
• Questair Venture - Par...
• Questair Venture Gear ...
• Questair Venture engin...
• Questair Venture N99TW...
• 1985 Piper Malibu - SOLD
• Questair Venture "Bad ...
• Questair Venture Takeo...
• Questair Venture
• Questair Venture N99TW...
• QUESTAIR VENTURE TEST ...
• Questair Venture at Tr...
• 2007 LANCAIR 360 For Sale
• Glasair III at Shelby ...
• Piper Seneca II Taking...
• Luxury Life | Billiona...
• Landing Gear Swing Bee...
• AXALP F18 HORNETS LAND...
• Questair Aircraft Fact...
• Cessna 172 Approaching...

[@stefanschneider3681]

I am neither a pilot nor plan I ever to become one, I am just a YT-consumer interested in all kinds of topics. And I kept watching till the end! Because the video is well done, good footage, good pace and nicely narrated. Thx!

[@aircraftadventures-vids]

Thanks for your kind words! I'm my own worst critic (aren't we all?) and feel there's lots of room for improvement, but I'm trying to get there with each new video.

[@TheJaymon1962]

I agree completely. Very nicely done. New subscriber here!

[@aircraftadventures-vids]

Thank you! Means a lot 👍@@TheJaymon1962

[@ChestrCopprpot]

I totally agree with the original comment. It’s a perfect video. The friendly, conversational narration and relaxed pace made it a pleasure to listen to. The research, excellent visuals, and clear animations made it fascinating. Bravo!

[@ChestrCopprpot]

Oh and nice Jedediah Avatar!

[@user-fd8zd9fx3f]

This is a very good video and explanation, plenty of comments as well. There were three of us that founded the company, my dad, Jim (after leaving Piper) and Ed MacDonough (retired before joining) and me. We all had specialties and worked very well together. I was mostly involved in Stability and Control, IT and CAD/CAM designing and machining operations. Those of you that have flown in the Venture know of the up and away handling qualities, I'm proud of the efforts we put into getting it to fly the way it does. I know we designed the aircraft to meet Part 23 requirements, but actual FAA certification would have been expensive. That was an eventual goal (see Cirrus) but other events got in the way. Comments on the comments: 1) Carbon would not have been lighter, but would be more tooling intensive, 2) The ration of MAC from Wing AC to HT AC is 3 to 3.2, sweet spot for good design (mentioned in the video), 3) Tandem seating would not be faster, just skinnier and longer (gear placement, wetted area of the aircraft, ...) and you would lose the center console, 4) I could have done better on the header tank (Part 23 requirement) and fuel selector, 5) The Porsche PFM 3200 was the original (thanks Ken), but it was a weekend of relofting to fit the IO-550G, good choice for speed. The video mentioned a skinny wing, the tip was 10% T/C and the root was 17% T/C, average 13.5%, relatively thick, but the tip fooled the viewer eye.

[@aircraftadventures-vids]

I'm honored to have you here in the comments! And many apologies for my oversight in not including your involvement in the program, I only took knowledge once the video was nearing completion. And also thanks for providing the additional insight for the viewers here. It's a plane with a ton of misconceptions for sure!

[@user-fd8zd9fx3f]

@@aircraftadventures-vids - Thank you for making the video, no issue at all about the recognition. I have connections with a number of owners/builders and interested folks, they know who I am. I've flown in the Venture for over a hundred hours and I love the comfort and ease of flying. I'll try to respond to comments as I see them. Doug Griswold

[@mattwilliams3456]

Things like this are the best part of youtube. If you were making a version 2.0 today are there any significant changes you'd incorporate?@@user-fd8zd9fx3f

[@jc11250f45]

@@user-fd8zd9fx3f Thanks for the input Doug. You know Dan and I love the Venture. I have flown over 10 different Ventures and the prototype Spirit. My Questair Venture hours are now over 2000 and there is not a finer flying or more efficient single engine in the air that can burn 5 GPH @ 150 KTAS or 10.3 GPH at 17,000 ft truing out at 235 KTAS. My current Venture with your Dad’s name as the builder has been to over 35,000 ft. I regularly make 1000 nm trips non stop with about 250 nm reserve. My cruise climb is 160 KTS indicated and approx 1800 rpm depending on the temps. In a hurry to get thru a layer of ice just set the airspeed on 120 KTS indicated and climb at 3000 FPM. Thanks for the wonderful airplane you helped develop!

[@jc11250f45]

Meant to say 1800 ft per min @ 120 KTS indicated on a high performance climb to avoid ice. Also N27V carries 10 extra gallons of fuel beyond the standard 52 gallons.

[@moremetafeta]

I got to fly in in one a long time ago and it was amazing! The climb attitude and climb rate were just crazy. It seemed more like a jet than a single engine piston GA aircraft like a Cessna 182. Jim Griswold the designer was mentioned a lot in the video, as the designer, but Ed MacDonough was a great engineer too. He was involved with the design of the inboard gull wing section of the F4U Corsair fighter from WWII. I remember I was with Ed looking at an F4U parked at Oshkosh and he discerned that the plane we were looking at came from a GoodYear factory and not Chance Vought, just my looking at the rivet patterns on the aircraft. That amazed me.

[@aircraftadventures-vids]

Wow! Thanks for that info on Ed, I didn’t really have an intel on him but it sounds like the ultimate duo if you ask me.

[@moremetafeta]

Yeah, and Jim Griswold's son Doug also was an engineer on the project. I think he did some work on the General Dynamics F-16.@@aircraftadventures-vids

[@aircraftadventures-vids]

Yes in fact he dropped a comment here today to provide some more insight! @@moremetafeta

[@kruck96]

Flew mine yesterday. From sea level to 7k in 3 minutes at 145kts indicated. Two people and just over half tanks.

[@aircraftadventures-vids]

@@kruck96 wowza!

[@gutsymovies]

I went to work at Cessna as a young engineer in 2000 and had the pleasure of meeting Doug Griswold, son of Jim Griswold. Doug was also involved in the development of the prototype Venture aircraft and he let me borrow a set of plans and photo album of the prototype construction. It's kind of a funny looking aircraft on the ground but looking at the total wetted area vs. piston area you can see why it's a rocket. It's an absolutely brilliant design. I'd love to see the kit put back in production again with modern assembly techniques like the Van's aircraft series.

[@aircraftadventures-vids]

Cool experience, thanks for sharing! Had the honor of Doug dropping some commentary on the video yesterday.

[@Rhaspun]

Too bad Vans doesn't pick this plan and sell it.

[@einundsiebenziger5488]

There is a line of plastic plane models by Japanese maker Hasegawa called the Egg Series in which all kinds of famous plane types are re-modeled into, well, egg-shaped planes. Seems like the designer of this plane was a great fan of that series.

[@bradh6185]

The sounds are fantastic.

[@larryweitzman5163]

Questair was a neat bird. Interestingly, didn't know Griswold designed it and how it was designed, so thanks for that as I have some time in Malibus. But you made a mistake listing the Malibu at 3,000 pounds, that's its empty weight, no fuel, no pax. But today to get Questair performance in a great shape one has to look at the Lancair Legacy, essentially just as fast with similar power and longer range. Hard to beat a Legacy. It's issue is its construction material, but it can be built relatively quickly. I fly a very fast, totally stock V35B.

[@aircraftadventures-vids]

Not a mistake, I listed both out with empty weights, so orange to orange comparison.

[@garyhoward4064]

Venture will cost half…

[@gregjennings9442]

I worked with the designer’s brother, Mike Griswold, when The Flying Egg first came on the scene. Mike was the chief engineer of the AFTI F-16 program. The admin made cookies for each member’s birthday. Their choice as to the kind of cookie. Mike let it be known that they could have any cookie they wanted as long as it was snickerdoodles.

[@anandsharma7430]

Even as a complete layman, this was a completely enjoyable and informative video. Heck, even I could afford to buy a ride on this plane for a weekend trip given how fuel efficient it seems to be.

[@aircraftadventures-vids]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@heidisparklebottom]

Great vid, you deserve a much wider audience!

[@aircraftadventures-vids]

Thank you! Working on it...

[@user-dq5xx9hi4q]

I'll never forget seeing Tommy Rose's Venture dive in when his stabilizer folded during the 2002 Reno Air Races. He exceeded several of the manufacturer's redlines, so not the aircraft's fault. RIP.

[@cyclingbutterbean]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/aqmUgXePfJicm6M

[@incargeek]

I was there when that happened. RIP.

[@cyclingbutterbean]

It was ugly for sure.@@incargeek

[@mikestirewalt5193]

Nicely done.

[@Mogry51]

Fantastic Mini Documentary! This video made me smile. Thank you for making this! Great airplane. That plane reminded me of my little Mazda Miata. (at least in spirit)

[@aircraftadventures-vids]

Glad you enjoyed it! Miata with 500hp would be a good comparison, lol

[@texastyrannyresponseteam794]

This will always be one of those.. "damn i should have" airplanes.. when we chose the Glasair this was one of the kits we looked t getting.. along with a lancair.. RV.. and a handful of others.. in the end, we Built a Glasair... and it was the right move.. solid, fast, sexy, nimble, and FUN..

[@trueairspeed130]

owning a Questair and having owned a glasair, I think the composite plane with a more conventional gear system is better.

[@aircraftadventures-vids]

Both are incredible planes. Both perform well, and to many pilots, the Glasair / Lancair look more "conventional" and that alone probably helped boost their success.

[@johannjohann6523]

Thanks for the video. That's crazy 5,000 hours build time for such a small aircraft. I mean it has so many pluses with the engine and cockpit. But taking up to 10 years to build had to be 10 years of frustration for pilots. If they lived that long. lol

[@Coldwarrior7781]

Looks like a blast.

[@EnriqueMartinez-tn2qw]

I love this aircraft, thank you for share the best content. I'd like more the Glasair 3 and Lancair IV-P

[@garyvanremortel5218]

I met and had lunch with Alan Tolle and his wife at The Spirit of San Luis restaurant back in the days right after he built his Venture. The gear was tweaky. He was a great guy.

[@handy335]

An excellent video! Thank you!! I got to fly in a Venture in 1999. On departure, we hit 160 mph prior to the end of the runway! Then, we flew 53 miles from 10,000' at the MOA above Lake Isabella, CA back to the Porterville airport (KPTV) in 7 1/2 minutes (400mph + - downhill all the way). Blew me away!

[@aircraftadventures-vids]

Glad you got to experience that, tx for sharing

[@larryweitzman5163]

Handy, you are aware of the 250 knot speed limit below 10,000' Maybe there is no speed limit in a MOA, but I think it would apply to non military aircraft. But I think that's a good question, time to look it up. But great fun!!

[@larryweitzman5163]

Just check, when a MOA is active, military aircraft are exempt from the speed limit below 10,000'.

[@AC-jk8wq]

@@larryweitzman5163 the rule that most GA pilots have to memorize, but never get the chance to break…. 😃

[@e36s50b30]

@@AC-jk8wq😂😂😂 yep!

[@hugejohnson5011]

Hey, thanks for a well put together and informative video! I learned stuff!

[@aircraftadventures-vids]

My pleasure! And I do too!

[@brendanthebdog]

This plane looks extremely fun to fly, awesome video!

[@BrilliantDesignOnline]

As a Varieze owner, my next step I was thinking would be a LongEZ or a Cozy MKIV, but this could be a great contender, with a top end like that. But 13 gph makes it a bit less economical considering I currently get 4.5 gph at 145 ktas. Nonetheless, that top end is sweet and the side by side cockpit is a wife pleaser. Great vid, since I did not even know this was a thing.

[@aircraftadventures-vids]

Very pleased to introduce you, it's definitely not a mainstream aircraft and am very happy if more people can learn about it (whether they like the plane or not) FYI, I'm not 100% sure but I think the green Questair in the video is for sale. You can email Jim (see my description) if you want to inquire about it. I want a $5 finder's fee if that happens 😂

[@BrilliantDesignOnline]

@@aircraftadventures-vidsHeck, you got a deal...I may even up it to $5.99, AND give you a ride; But, I would not hold my breath, either.

[@08turboSS]

Time is$ abd in 3 hrs you'll be barely 430 mi but the Egg will get you 540 mi in 2 hrs, sure its a bit more fuel but itll be close.

[@user-bh5ql2oc9i]

I WANT ONE ---WOW what a great bird -- I'm in LUV

[@joelpww]

So super intrigued by this one

[@aircraftadventures-vids]

i'm still intrigued! (even after having sat in one)

[@willfox4813]

Very nice video. I fly a Questair Venture. It is incredibly efficient (flat plate drag area of only 1.46 feet^2) and has outstanding performance. It is a beautiful plane to fly. The controls are well harmonized and feel solid. Looks can be deceiving. It is quite stable in terms of both static and dynamic stability. What else would you expect from an aircraft designed by Griswold and McDonough, both professional aircraft designers. The high aspect ratio wings give it excellent performance at altitude. It handles x-winds just fine. The retractable landing gear was perhaps the most challenging part of the design. It can be finicky, but works well when properly rigged and maintained. The Venture is a thrill to fly. Makes a Bonanza feel like a Cessna 172 in comparison:-)

[@aircraftadventures-vids]

Uh oh, Bonanza owners will be storming in soon! Thank you Will for your support in this video and also dispelling some myths. I had a lot of fun producing this video and Jim's an outstanding guy, that helped me connect all the dots to the story also.

[@biblewaytolive]

Thank You for informations: Could you tell us where more are located? Are there any in Bend, Oregon? James--

[@countrichardvoncoudenhovek8855]

Greetings from Ireland 🇮🇪,, a very enjoyable video, wow what an exciting little aircraft....don't like the landing gear though ,could be a handful in a cross wind 😁

[@aircraftadventures-vids]

@@countrichardvoncoudenhovek8855 greetings from Florida! Thanks!!!

[@aircraftadventures-vids]

Thanks for watching! This was a fun video to work on for sure @@countrichardvoncoudenhovek8855

[@johnfitzpatrick2469]

Terrific video and quality content. Merry Christmas 🌏🌲

[@aircraftadventures-vids]

Thank you! Merry Christmas to you 👍

[@SUPER_HELPFUL]

Oh cool another plane to add to the list of planes I desperately want.

[@aircraftadventures-vids]

Likewise!

[@kennethavesato3883]

Always liked this bird nice design cant deny that😊

[@aircraftadventures-vids]

Same here!

[@heartsky]

I think Mike Patey built one of these and set some records before building his Lancair. Great informative video, very well done.

[@aircraftadventures-vids]

Sounds like Mike alright! And thanks for the kind words.

[@michaeldaltonsr8954]

TY! Becoming a pilot has always been a dream of mine, yet life has gotten in the way! Anyway, in 2012, I had a head-scratching experience, which wasn't solved until 2021. What I saw, I knew dam well that I saw it. Yet, even I thought I was crazy, and didn't actually see it. Until, in 2021, home-bound by Coof-protocol, I Googled the kit-planes, and there was what I saw in 2012. Not your Venture, but similiar. Obviously, I'm just a poor country bumpkin!! But, I would still love to fly one of those rascals!!😊

[@That_Guy5575]

What a funky looking little plane, I like it! But what struck me the most is how it almost sounds like a war bird buzzing by! So cool!

[@FLHTdriver]

This is designed just like the Gee-Bee or GB racer from the 1930's air racing days. Both R1 and R2 were hard to fly but very fast as they were built with a Bumble Bee as the base for the design concept. One was built as a replica and flying out of Creswell Oregon if memory serves. I can't remember the name of the pilot but he could make that aircraft dance in the sky. It was a real joy to see a plane going that that fast but the wings were only 2.5 inch's thick and very short. But this looks very similar in it's proportions to the GB.

[@haroldasraz]

Amazing pocket rocket!!!

[@edcew8236]

I've flown in the two prototypes and a kit built airplane. The Venture was a great airplane but with two faults. One is that the gear and flaps were linked together. Not necessarily a problem, but the flaps were full span and included the ailerons. On landing, with the flaps down and the ailerons less effective, and the tiny wheels, when the wing was tilted, the lift vector would pull the plane off the runway. (I obviously don't remember all the details.) Second, the fuel system had (I think) header tanks, and there were circumstances in which that could lead to fuel starvation. A friend lost his due to this. As an aside, the control systems had spring to give the control feel, and those needed to be adjusted properly. On the prototypes, the plane flew like a truck, exactly what you want for an IFR, X-C plane. And the very sharp leading edge on the horizontal tail could accumulate ice easily, according to all the theories.

[@ArneChristianRosenfeldt]

Don’t have flaps and the drag of the gear both have the effect to push down the nose. Should the cg not move backwards? Wheels stored in front?

[@aircraftadventures-vids]

Thanks for your perspective on that!

[@jimharbison6088]

Ĺ II​@@ArneChristianRosenfeldt

[@SeanHollingsworth]

I remember when these were still racing at Reno. I think 3 crashed in the same year. Their tails couldn't handle the stress. They were incredibly fast.

[@georgecharleston8532]

I saw one ground loop at Reno, after one shed a wing! In the same race.

[@drifter503]

Pretty cool video, very informative

[@aircraftadventures-vids]

Thanks, appreciate it!

[@chriscalderin6677]

Cute I wish I had one

[@KutWrite]

Looks like a fun plane. Love your little avatar of the pilot from "Mad Max." He flew a different kind of egg.

[@aircraftadventures-vids]

Gyro captain. One of my favorite characters of all movies. Up to no good but had a good heart.

[@wayneschenk5512]

Should be built again in the current market it would be very competitive.

[@handy335]

My thoughts exactly. No piston powered aircraft on the market today can touch it except perhaps the Thunder Mustang.

[@friendlymaendi]

@@handy335and Darkaero 1.

[@jj4791]

It takes about 6,000 hours to build one. If you count factory parts production and builder final assembly. Experimental aircraft are built for two reasons. Cost, and performance. But rarely performance at any cost. Therefore, the market for these types is in the double digits at best.

[@aircraftadventures-vids]

The Vans RV series set the standard for build time, so unless a quick-build is offered which substantially cuts down build time, it's going to be hard to compete.

[@marksmith6634]

Looks like a blast to fly, I hope it makes a come back, someone should start producing them again, just re-engineer the landing gear!

[@aircraftadventures-vids]

I hope so too!

[@tomeickhorst6787]

Would love to see Mikey Patey get ahold of one of these and mod it like he does everything

[@mgintrouble1499]

Now I want one.

[@bluetickfreddy101]

Nice Presentation Thx

[@aircraftadventures-vids]

Glad you liked it

[@bearlemley]

Yes it was designed on cad cam. We had licensed the cad program from McDonald Douglas to build the Malibu and the “baby Malibu” was designed by the same team as a bit of a pet project. Griswald leaving with the plans was part of his severance package. So when the Baby Malibu got the big NO from the ever changing corporate structure at the time (I think Lear Sigler owned us then) gave the project a big NO, Griswald took his toy and left. I was really hoping he would make it as that was / is a nice plane.

[@aircraftadventures-vids]

That's fascinating! Thank you for providing that unique on the Venture. I had suspicions he wanted to certify the plane after all.

[@jjm2948]

It was

[@alain99v6]

That plane came on the kit plane market in the same era as Lancair and some others came with their fast buit kits that knocked down 1000's of hours wth composite molded frame ready to work on, I remember it very well 30 years ago, couldn't afford one and was looking for a more traditionnal Rand Robinson KR-2 with a VW beetle engine

[@clarencehopkins7832]

Excellent stuff bro

[@aircraftadventures-vids]

Much appreciated!

[@taproom113]

Looked into one years back. Investigated putting a PT-6 on it. Passed on the project, though it still tickles my fancy ... ^v^

[@aircraftadventures-vids]

Yikes, that would have been absolutely bonkers!! Maybe best you didn't lol

[@taproom113]

@@aircraftadventures-vids Copy that ... would have been a hoot, though! I intended to make an aircraft like Mike Patey's 'Turbulence' ... and like Mike's, the redesign required to make the Venture handle the PT-6 was just too extensive. So, I went with a clean sheet of paper, tandem design instead. Still, the Swearingen SX-300 and this later, simpler Venture were good efforts. The military was interested in the Turboprop version of the SX-300, but during a demo flight for the military, the prototype shed its wings ... game over. ^v^

[@donny526]

Good idea. This used to be the light twin domain now it’s faster on less fuel

[@blancolirio]

Don’t see to many of these around any more. Most have been crashed. Primarily on landing.

[@aircraftadventures-vids]

"Most?" Out of all built?

[@quelin1]

5:36 that voice in the background scared the heck out of me. sounded like somebody standing behind me at my desk

[@aircraftadventures-vids]

Lol, I didn't even realize that voice was in there till I cranked up the volume way loud! That was the owner Jim offering some history on the plane, and I forgot to edit it out.

[@craigpennington1251]

Hey, a suppository with wings. Nice paint job too.

[@aircraftadventures-vids]

I've always said that about the new Goodyear blimp.

[@michaelmartinez1345]

What a Hot Rod! Interesting design and an application of the "What if we made a Malibu shorter?"... It looks like it could be an unstable design, but the designers KNEW what they were doing with this one, as most of the people who have been up in this plane said the controls feel really nice.... A big 520 cid engine in this little plane!!! I'm wondering what the glide ratio is...

[@jc11250f45]

Glide ratio with gear and flaps up is a little over 15:1. The standard engine is an IO-550G 280 hp @ 2500. Several Ventures have the IO-550N which is 310 hp @ 2700 rpm. Or just turn up the G model to 2700 rpm and you have the same thing.

[@michaelmartinez1345]

@@jc11250f45 Wow, not a bad glide ratio for a 300 mph plane! Gotcha on that engine size and induction system / cylinder layout...

[@bayanon7532]

Good article. Wish I were younger.

[@shakehandswithdanger7882]

Don't we all

[@decnijfkris3706]

nice plane

[@yousaid3127]

Very nice

[@atWay.]

Very cool 😎

[@2view4fun]

Nice and super interesting report, thanks!

[@aircraftadventures-vids]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@msmeyersmd8]

I knew a wealthy cardiac surgeon who was an experienced pilot. He loved the airplane during VFR and minimal crosswind landing conditions. He said to me that he would never fly it in IFR conditions. Because without a properly operating auto-pilot? It was too unstable to hand fly an IFR approach if there were any problems at all. I respected him for telling me that. I believe he sold the airplane soon after our conversation? Personally, I believe there is a reason that there are no high speed common aircraft that look like this short-coupled narrow landing gear airplanes that last the test of time. Your mileage may vary.

[@joearnold1843]

Great vid

[@aircraftadventures-vids]

Thanks!

[@ClutchCobraKID1]

I loved everything about this plane, it's landing gear, it's aluminum construction, it's efficiency, it's size, it's space etc but all that was irrelevant when I saw where the flight stick was ugh lol. If I built one I would def use a different flight stick, and prolly fit a turbo or a diff engine.

[@kruck96]

The location of the stick is one of the best things about the design. It's totally out of the way making it easy to get in and out and leaves tons of room for your legs. The engine is the best engine on the market. It's incredibly efficient and robust. A turbo wouldn't help that much due to the limited fuel capacity.

[@aircraftadventures-vids]

While I have no flight time in a venture, I had the chance to sit in one recently and the side stick felt completely natural. I mean, it's your only choice if you own a Cirrus, and it seems to have worked out for them. And Airbus! (plus many other kitplanes)

[@SevenDeMagnus]

Hehe cute like in Macross. God bless.

[@brocluno01]

Cool 😊

[@shane142]

Sounds strange, but in some ways, it reminds me in looks and the ideas of the Bell XP-77

[@aircraftadventures-vids]

Not strange at all. To me, it reminds me of the McDonnell Goblin

[@groomngirl]

A pilot who flew out of the airport I worked at had a Malibu engine come uncorked on him over Colorado in a storm, wait the fun is just beginning, he landed in the parking lot of a dynamite factory and walked away unharmed. True story!

[@aircraftadventures-vids]

Yikes! That could have had an explosive outcome

[@tetttettamilli6761]

Very interesting burd. Excellent video.

[@aircraftadventures-vids]

Thanks!

[@someanonym3811]

Non-retractable gear Piper PA-128 parameters for comparison: Taking off, rotate at about 60 knots; Final approach speed 63 KIAS; Stall at max gross (2400) is 47 knots dirty. The Questair Venture can cruise at twice the cruising speed of the PA-28 (great stuff, abbsolutely), but would stall sooner at 60 knots. Does the stall speed tell that PA-28 is safer to fly despite its vintage parameters?

[@svartmetall]

It's so cute! It looks like a chibi plane out of some anime...or something...I love it.

[@aircraftadventures-vids]

It does!

[@toddcrumpler4117]

Looks like it got some inspiration from the B-GEE racer.

[@JessPeters-qg1bn]

First thing I thought😂

[@markgarvey7024]

I'd love one of these!! 😊 Although I don't have a pilot's licence. 😢

[@aircraftadventures-vids]

Those are helpful to have

[@Bass.Player]

It sounds like a Warbird on those high speed flyby's...✈

[@aircraftadventures-vids]

It does a bit.

[@joncox9719]

Fast enough at Reno Air Races for the horizontal stabilizer to fold up and nose dive into the ground in about .5 seconds making a smoking hole!!

[@aircraftadventures-vids]

Structural failures happen to many homebuilts, not necessarily a fault of the original design. Also Reno they pushed harder than originally designed for.

[@jj4791]

The Ventures were pushing 360+ mph at 5,200'MSL at Reno. That is absurdly fast and ill-advised.

[@joncox9719]

Well, someone didn't get the Memo!@@jj4791

[@AC-jk8wq]

Seeing all of the design additions used to strengthen Mike Patey’s Turbulence…. Exceeding design speeds requires some pretty high engineering and build talent…. And piloting skill as well. 😃 And then you have a plane that isn’t like any other out there…. Very few at least. Racing at Reno… tough place to be for both the pilots and machines… extreme high g compared to the ordinary general aviation world…

[@einherz]

some one cutie some another beauty... some third both

[@peterbee88]

It looks lethal to me

[@baseballlife5884]

There’s one of these at my fly in neighborhood right now. Super cool looking.

[@aircraftadventures-vids]

Nice! Where is that?

[@baseballlife5884]

@@aircraftadventures-vids Spruce Creek Fly In. After watching more of the video I’m not sure if that’s it or not so I’m going to have to shoot back over to it to see but it looked like a egg rocket and had the odd landing gear.

[@aircraftadventures-vids]

Hmm, so that could be either a Venture or a Swearingen SX 300. Both have the same type of gear, but the SX is a bit longer. I'd love to go there one day (I'm down in fort lauderdale)@@baseballlife5884

[@baseballlife5884]

@@aircraftadventures-vids it truly is the greatest neighborhood in my humble opinion. The Christmas parade and air show we just had was incredible for a neighborhood. They do air shows every Friday and I live on the golf course part. We have two restaurants, hair salon, tattoo parlor, massage parlors all in the neighborhood.

[@aircraftadventures-vids]

Well sign me up! Sounds like a paradise to me, lol. We've got an airpark down here in Wellington but for the most part it's pretty sleepy. @@baseballlife5884

[@chrishamilton4999]

I see from a comment below that building the Questair Venture in carbon fibre has been considered, but the tooling required would be more complex. The fact that it was constructed in aluminium and there were thoughts of having it certified one day, well, this would make sense. Perhaps, but if it reduced building time, It might have been the way to go. Surely there would still be a market for this aeroplane now, using something like the Lancair Legacy model of production and building (i.e. building schools to get the major components together by the builder, and demonstrating how to use composite materials etc.. Anyway, I know the manufacturing of kit aircraft is a very fraught area, and the owners of the Questair rights would know the economics of it. Perhaps it needs a rich businessman or company owned by an enthusiast to take it on from which the owner can write off losses against massive income from elsewhere? Many thanks for a great quality and authoratiative video, and perhaps you might have a look at the Tailwind or the Dyke Delta one day. Let us know if you do.

[@aircraftadventures-vids]

No way! Guess what airplane I'm researching right now? Dyke Delta 😂😂😂. Spoken to a few owners already, it's got a rich history and rabid fans.

[@stevenbeach748]

My old boss had one. I never got to fly in it with him though. He also owned an MU2 but he preferred to fly this one. I’m pretty sure he set a west to east coast record for an experimental with it. I know he had oxygen in it and used to fly it super high.

[@aircraftadventures-vids]

I think I recall one of the Venture owners telling me about this.

[@donaldvincent]

I would love one. Bare Aluminum with invasion stripes & a nice clear coat. Fly it like you stole it. But I guess that's what it was made for.

[@kennethavesato3883]

A beautiful egg 😅😊

[@killeresk]

First time i see one of those.

[@christopherkehoe3402]

If it's slower than a p-51 mustang, its slow. Thats my rule of thumb.

[@nostradamus7648]

As an aviation noob, I'm only interested in stability and reliability. My first goal is getting the Pipistrel Explorer. Will this be a good step up after long experience in that one?

[@MililaniJag]

Gee, its a modern-day Gee Bee without the radial! Cheers!

[@elgato9534]

Awesome! Nothing really comes close!

[@aircraftadventures-vids]

You got that right!

[@superflashduke2197]

Lots of the story about the Venture is missing in this video. It was produced at one point in Connecticut with a turbo charged PMA engine. You can see one photo in the video with the red and silver 62V having a PMA sticker right behind to air vents for the turbo chargers. The owners of the engine and the owner of the airframe company where both killed in 4Q back in 1995. If this tragic event never happend we might have seen more production of this aircraft.

[@aircraftadventures-vids]

Lots? Well there's very little to go off of from Google, and certainly nothing on the PFM engine choice (which I found out here in the comments). Even then, several Questair owners filled me in with some more info before the video. I'll definitely consult with you before my next aviation video, lol.

[@edwardhellerman6011]

If eggs look like that I'm cooking the wrong thing for breakfast

[@larz46north18]

h500D 🐣

[@coriscotupi]

So much for that old _"If it looks right..."_ adage.

[@seaplaneguy1]

The flat plate drag is an amazing 1.34 square feet, as compared to a C210 at 6.1.

[@aircraftadventures-vids]

Yikes! Yeah that would have been a really cool comparison to include in in the video.

[@chrisp1601]

I’ve never seen a tricycle landing gear with the rear wheels ahead of the pilot AND the wing.😮

[@h2otek312]

I recall that the main oleo gear caused problems when not pressurized adequately. I don't recall why this wasn't known by the owners, but it seemed like it may have been a typo in the manual or such.

[@aircraftadventures-vids]

Yeah, but from what it sounds seems like most owners have since addressed this. Still, made ground handling a bit interesting on the early ones.

[@xpump876]

Very interesting design and quite the performer. I'd be curious if landings were problematic. Having to make a +60mph landing with that very tall & narrow wheelbase would weigh on my mind during the entire flight.

[@aircraftadventures-vids]

I was told first-hand that the LG has lots of lateral play with the oleo struts so landings are a non-event, especially if you've got the nosegear steering issues sorted out (that's what bit the initial batch of Questairs). Certainly harder to land than say a Cherokee, but nothing as bad as it looks.

[@xpump876]

@@aircraftadventures-vids Thx for that reply ! The short distance from wing to stab must make it very responsive. Its such and odd-duck with that egg shape. The dimensions seem 'off' to me. Id speculate having a longer tail section would have enhanced stability and control ( but if that as the case, why wasnt it not built that way?) Probably fine as is.

[@aircraftadventures-vids]

@@xpump876 Well, they do make longer versions. They call them "Lancairs" 😂

[@charlesharper7292]

Nice airplane. Aspiring pilot one day...

[@matsuihenriques2013]

Can you imagine if it had a more efficient propel??? MAYBE ONE DAY??? ❤❤

[@danbenson7587]

Remember VWs and Corvairs with swing axle suspensions? When cornering the roll center shifted, and bam! Over they went. Airplanes don’t drive on skid pads, but a gust lifting a wing? Still a remarkably fast plane. Too bad not rendered in composites to reduce build time.

[@aircraftadventures-vids]

Maybe, maybe not. Keep in mind the equivalent composite planes (lancair, glasair) of the day took an insane amount of hours to build in their early days too. The only short-cut is a quick-build kit for either material.

[@AviewFromUnder]

I remember seeing this plane for the first time in kit planes magazine. It's looks have grown on me over the years, kinda like my wife, she's got all the curves, she's on the short side but wow those wings are a work of art! Though it still reminds me of a paper wasp dragging its legs behind and below as the gear is going in. I do miss the early days of fast low wing kits, there was a lot of creative fun fast sexy planes to dream about.

[@aircraftadventures-vids]

Lol, interesting comparison. Yea the 80s were filled with really cool and crazy looking homebuilts, it was somewhat of a new arena and many did not go beyond prototype either.

[@motomech83]

nice video

[@aircraftadventures-vids]

Thanks!

[@lauriejones3198]

I guarantee the Venture will develop a history of landing and takeoff incidents with that retractable gear. It is very narrow and will be diabolical in any decent crosswind. I wonder about spin characteristics too.

[@kruck96]

I guarantee you have no idea what you are talking about and are wrong.

[@trueairspeed130]

Spin is ok from what I have heard, but I agree with the landing issue or controllability on the ground.

[@stevemccarty6384]

Wing down and top rudder in a cross wind and you'll be fine. Don't crab! @@kruck96

[@Jay-Leigh863]

Looking at that empenage group I'd say it's spin recovery would be excellent.

[@craigwall9536]

Spin recovery issues are often related to the longitidinal mass distribution. As short as this airplane is, I really doubt it has that problem.

[@panzerabwerkanone]

Close fuselage mounted gear and side stick controls I immediately thought F-16.

[@mikesuch9021]

It does kind of resemble an egg. Or a Browning M2 BMG projectile going backwards. Jimmy won his races wearing spit shine shoes. Pressed slacks and shirt with a tie.

[@sambananas4513]

Reminds me kinda of the GeeBee, slightly.

[@johnrisher3007]

This type airplane killed a guy i knew. He had started flying in the Reno air races and the last one he competed in he was in second place, I think, and the tail broke off and he crashed and was killed. I saw his plane just before that race. A mechanic was checking the landing gear. That's the last time I saw that plane. It was so sad for me to know he was killed only a day or two later. Rest in peace

[@aircraftadventures-vids]

Very sorry for your loss. Reno is brutal. (or, was, I should say)