BUDAPEST, Hungary - Of the two race planes that feature in the Red Bull Air Race World Championship, the Edge 540, from manufacturer Zivko, holds particular significance in the evolution of the competition. As the first seriously competitive aeroplane to be used, it took early converts Mike Mangold and Kirby Chambliss to victory. Every world champion to date has flown the Edge 540 and the current incarnation is about to get even better if the rumours are to be believed.
With a total of ten teams from the 15-wide field opting for the Edge, it’s clear that the machine is still considered highly competitive. Current world champion Hannes Arch has remained at the top of the 2009 standings in his Edge while further down, American Michael Goulian is finally getting more from his with an upgraded engine package. It’s a tough machine to beat and in the right hands, with the right technical team, it’s potentially unstoppable. Britain’s Paul Bonhomme owns two Edge 540s and three out of four 2009 rookies chose the Edge over the MXS-R. Only Australian Matt Hall went with the rival machine – and interestingly, he’s the most successful newcomer to have ever raced. But the preference for the Edge highlights the fact that it is trusted by veterans and novices alike.
Signature Wing
The man who put his name to this history-making machine is designer Eric Zivko who is in Budapest to watch the race and keep a close eye on the performance of his cherished creations. He’s an unassuming man considering he has taken some revolutionary steps in aircraft design, going against some longstanding traditions in the pursuit of better performance. “It was not well received and we came up against some pretty tough negativity at first,” says Zivko, pondering the journey his Oklahoma-based company has been on since the first prototype was sold in 1992. “We use a straight leading edge on the wing which is totally different to the traditionally-shaped tapered wing, like you see on the MXS-R, and people didn’t like what we were doing.”
Zivko’s unwavering conviction meant that rather than conforming to decades of aircraft design principles, he went out on a limb to create a highly capable, aerobatic aircraft which had his “signature wing”. This project was spurred on by then US National aerobatic team member Kirby Chambliss, who became the company’s first customer even before the prototype was complete. As one who places much importance on flying by instinct, Chambliss gave Zivko his full support from the start and has championed the aircraft ever since, initially in the aerobatic competition arena and in more recent years as a Red Bull Air Race pilot. The faith in Zivko’s design continues to this day, with Chambliss currently flying his 4th Edge 540.
New Edge?
The rumour mill is working overtime in Budapest with whispers of an extra 25hp from “the new Edge” but Zivko is tight-lipped. “We are thinking five, six, seven years down the line in terms of ideas,” he teases, clearly not planning to give much away. “To design a brand new airplane takes a couple of years but it could be a fairly big jump. It’s actually pretty hard to improve on what there is now but even with improvements it might be hard for the fans to notice any big differences.”
Most big developments which could reduce weight and therefore improve performance are unlikely to be indicated by radical visual changes. “An airplane is an airplane and they are all going to look pretty similar no matter what you do,” explains Zivko, pointing out that the only way fans will be able to really notice anything will be when pilots begin posting significantly faster times. “Collectively we are pushing the boundaries and the future of this event could be very exciting,” he adds. “We’re moving on to something bigger and better as this whole event progresses.” Will his company be focusing efforts on creating the ultimate race plane? “I’m absolutely certain and I hope so.”
Building an Edge 540 is a 6-month process according to Zivko, who has now sold more than 40 of his daring designs. “We really listened to our customers,” explains Zivko, whose design heritage began with the construction of a stand-alone wing in 1989. “Initially we built a composite wing for a different airframe. Pilots weren’t able to get a 24ft wing made of high quality wood for the spar so we came up with the idea of making a composite wing instead. At first we used fibreglass but we then changed to carbon fibre at a later stage.”
The improved material meant a weight saving of almost 20kg – which is all important in the battle to improve the power to weight ratio. The cost of such a big improvement? “That was about triple!” admits Zivko. The benefits clearly merit the investment and it was at this stage that the company saw an opportunity to build a complete aeroplane using this technical knowledge. “I haven’t looked back since,” smiles Zivko. There’s no doubt, he’s firmly focused on the future and it’s going to be exciting. “There is a new project but I can’t tell you the details. You should expect to see something at the beginning of next year and that’s all I’m saying!”
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