Arguably the most advanced civil one- and two-seat airplanes ever, the Extra series of unlimited class aerobatic airplanes just got better and cooler. And a few other superlatives to boot.
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Extra announced the new plane at the International Aerobatics Club building at AirVenture 2019 in front of a throng of journalists and acro nuts, and company founder and president Walter Extra made it worth their while.
The new plane is everything you’d expect an Extra to be, but it’s got a new secret ingredient…comfort. How they pulled that off is just about the entire story, though part of it is still top secret. Oh, come on, Walter, the world wants to know!
In any case, the trick was to eliminate the steel-tube skeleton of the plane in favor of all carbon-fiber construction. Now, if you think that this sounds basic, well, you’re right and you’re wrong. Because Extras can do about anything humanly imaginable, they pull more Gs than Sesame Street dishes out when “G” is the letter of the day. They are tested to enormous G levels, more than the human body can endure without passing out, so that steel tube infrastructure was a huge safety backup.
But, as Walter Extra explained at the unveiling, he was able to come up with a new composite construction technique that made the plane very strong and very light—it’s awaiting EASA approval. Unfortunately, he wouldn’t disclose the secret to what he says is a patentable process. Oh, man.
Enjoy this slideshow of photos from EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2019 from photography Jim Koepnick!
Because of the new structure, the plane isn't only lighter than the previous top dog in the Extra lineup but it’s faster, too. Perhaps most importantly, it’s way more comfortable, making the NG a great airplane to not only do crazy things in but perhaps to go crazy places.
The cost of the NG is around $450,000, which is less than its current top model. We can’t wait to fly it!