LaBiche Aerospace FSC-1 History

GENERAL | AUTOMOTIVE | AIRCRAFT

GENERAL

Q: What does FSC-1 stand for?
A: The FSC-1 stands for "Flying Sports Car #1." After considering a number of different names and gimmicks, we chose the “no nonsense” approach in naming the vehicle. A philosophy that extends to our vehicle design as well!

Q: Is this a kit vehicle?
A: Yes. There are a number of reasons for this, but the primary reasons are to hold down cost and weight to provide maximum vehicle performance. The car will be licensed as a kit car and the airplane will be licensed as an experimental airplane under experimental homebuilt aircraft. This requires that the owner provide 51% of the labor to assemble the vehicle. LaBiche Aerospace is working with the FAA to minimize the labor to be provided by the customers.

Q: Can I get assistance to help me put the vehicle together?
A: Yes. LaBiche Aerospace will have a Builder Assistance Program. This will include an in-house factory assistance program, along with strategically place number of builder assistance facilities around the country. The builders assistance program will include everything from simple construction operations to helping with the final paint job! However, the help doesn't stop there. Manned hot lines will be available nearly 24 hours a day. As your FSC-1 nears completion, LaBiche Aerospace will give flight instructions using factory vehicles to assure complete confidence in all systems and flight operations.

Q: What does the kit include?
A: The kit includes everything necessary for the standard equipped FSC-1. Engine, avionics, interior and all necessary electronics and mechanisms come with the basic kit. There is an option list customers can also choose from for additional features. Due to the fact that the vehicle is a kit built vehicle, owners have more freedom to customize their vehicle as desired (assuming it does not introduce safety issues). This is a definite advantage over certified vehicles, which require strict adherence to FAA regulations for certification. Customizing such as an external camera or removing the right side seats for a medical stretcher are easily within the range of more common deviations from the basic equipment package.

Q: Is the FSC-1 for sale at this time?
A: Yes. We are now accepting refundable deposits for initial production slots. Contact us regarding the terms and conditions for this one of a kind opportunity.

Q: What is the price of the standard kit?
A: The price for the standard FSC-1 package is 175,000 USD. We believe this is an excellent price-performance value when comparing this to purchasing a sports car and high performance aircraft that still cannot deliver the combined functionality of the FSC-1.

Q: Where can I buy one? When can I get one?
A: LaBiche Aerospace is the only manufacturer at this time. Deliveries of production units are scheduled to begin sometime in the near future.

Q: How safe is it?
A: The FSC-1 has numerous safety and monitoring systems to provide maximum safety without taxing the pilot/driver. IT IS OUR TOP PRIORITY! Some of these features include tire pressure monitoring, automatic fold and retracting systems with dual redundant locking systems for the wing and canard systems, automatic weights and balance, “critical numbers” verbal warnings while in aircraft mode, etc.

Q: Can I get features such as air conditioning, autopilot, GPS, etc?
A: Yes, air conditioning and many other features are included in the baseline package. Many other accessories are available through the Customer Accessory Selection List.

Q: How fast can it go?
A: The Performance page contains all of the primary performance information on the FSC-1. But in short, the FSC-1 ground speed is about 180 mph and aircraft cruise performance is 275 mph @ 18,000 ft. making it the “fastest street legal car in the world."

Q: Why did you go to so much trouble to hide the wings, canard, and prop?
A: During the early development of the FSC-1, our pilot surveys and questionnaires showed concern with the appearance of the vehicle while it was in car mode and tampering issues with leaving the vehicle unattended in public parking lots. The V-tail is the only flight surface not concealed. This is due to the fact that is used in car mode as the rear deck spoiler for active ground effects. In short, any equipment that would “give away” the vehicle was considered necessary to stow to satisfy the customer requirement for an attractive ground vehicle.

AUTOMOTIVE

Q: Can I drive it on the road?
A: Yes. The FSC-1 is completely street legal and was designed to provide “world class” caliber sports car performance while on the road. The operator must have a valid state driver’s license to operate the vehicle. LaBiche Aerospace will provide complete details for your individual state procedures to speed the registration process. The typical cost for registration is about $40 for the FAA license and $35 for a DOT VIN plate, plus additional standard state license fees (as necessary).

Q: Can I drive it anywhere I can drive my car?
A: Absolutely! The FSC-1 was specifically designed to go anywhere a family sedan could go. The vehicle is 80” wide and has a 126” wheelbase - about the same as a typical SUV. It can pull up to any ATM or fast food drive through.

Q: What does it drive like?
A: The FSC-1 contains state-of-the-art performance sports car automotive equipment. Because of its lightweight, wide stance and performance suspension/wheels, the FSC-1 handling is on par with any performance sports car in the world.

Q: What about rough roads and speed bumps?
A: The ground clearance is driver adjustable from 4”-20". The nominal drive height clearance is 5", with 4" being a performance mode and 7" being a rough road clearance mode. The car can be raised to the 20” height to clear potholes, drive on the “ol’ cabin road” or traverse the occasional street flooding. In Auto-Mode, the suspension system will “adapt” itself to driving conditions.

Q: Where is the engine?
A: The FSC-1 is a mid-engine configuration. All high performance sports cars use this configuration for optimal front/rear weight distribution. The mid-engine also works extremely well for canard configuration aircraft as well.

Q: The design looks really low slung considering the seats will have to be above the folded wing storage bay. Are the operator and passengers really reclined?
A: The height of the front seat (pilot/copilot) compartment is approx. 43" in height that allows for a moderately large range of seat angle adjustment. The headroom for the rear seats is about 41" in height.

Q: How much travel do you have in the suspension?
A: The ground clearance is driver adjustable from 0-20". The vehicle rises to 20" for takeoff/landing configuration and retracts the wheels into the wheel wells after takeoff (0" ground clearance). The nominal drive height clearance is 5", with 4" being a performance mode and 7" being a rough road clearance mode. The suspension has over 7" of travel. However, during car mode the car will "float" in the center of travel with ±1.5" being normal travel. Remember, the FSC-1 also has front and rear torsion bars for performance handling.

AIRCRAFT

Q: Do I need a pilot’s license to fly it?
A: Yes. At the current time, the FAA requires anyone piloting a flying vehicle to have at least a private pilot’s license.

Q: Can I take off from the road?
A: Many people have expressed interest in taking off from abandoned roads in rural areas. However, it is currently illegal to take off from a location other than a FAA approved airport or from a privately owned strip.

Q: What is the propeller clearance?
A: The prop clearance (at landing/takeoff) is approximately 11".

Q: Is the C.G. far enough forward for the canard configuration?
A: The C.G. remains positive under all weight distribution scenarios. We have performed extensive trade studies, computer simulation, and dynamic modeling of the vehicle to verify this. We are currently making final "tweaks" to the shape and clean up of the configuration.

Q: Why did you pick a V-tail?
A: There are several reasons for the V-tail configuration. One is to make sure the tail stays in clean air even at moderate to high AOA during landing/takeoff approach configuration. The second is to provide a secondary pitch control system to assist the canard during emergency or off nominal loading configurations. The third was the "sex appeal" over the more conventional straight up twin tail.

Q: What does it fly like?
A: The FSC-1 has flying characteristics similar to the Rutan canard style aircraft with the exception of a higher roll moment-of-inertia. Modern canard aircraft exhibit exceptional roll and yaw stability with the help of the swept wings, rear vertical stabilizers and a pusher prop. In fact, most canard pilots rarely use their foot pedals to make coordinated turns due to the docile flight characteristics. One of the benefits of canard aircraft is their inherent stall resistance.

Q: How much baggage can it carry?
A: The center baggage area can stow approximately 150 lbs. of bags. However, while in aircraft mode, the now empty wing bay area becomes a large storage area for low-density oversized equipment and baggage (such as snow skis, clothes, duffel bags, etc.). The baggage can be accessed from the cabin through a floor hatch door. Larger items can be accessed through the wing main bay doors while parked.

Click on a category to find it on this page...						Last Updated: December 27, 2006
GENERAL \| AUTOMOTIVE \| AIRCRAFT GENERAL Q: What does FSC-1 stand for? A: The FSC-1 stands for "Flying Sports Car #1." After considering a number of different names and gimmicks, we chose the “no nonsense” approach in naming the vehicle. A philosophy that extends to our vehicle design as well! Q: Is this a kit vehicle? A: Yes. There are a number of reasons for this, but the primary reasons are to hold down cost and weight to provide maximum vehicle performance. The car will be licensed as a kit car and the airplane will be licensed as an experimental airplane under experimental homebuilt aircraft. This requires that the owner provide 51% of the labor to assemble the vehicle. LaBiche Aerospace is working with the FAA to minimize the labor to be provided by the customers. Q: Can I get assistance to help me put the vehicle together? A: Yes. LaBiche Aerospace will have a Builder Assistance Program. This will include an in-house factory assistance program, along with strategically place number of builder assistance facilities around the country. The builders assistance program will include everything from simple construction operations to helping with the final paint job! However, the help doesn't stop there. Manned hot lines will be available nearly 24 hours a day. As your FSC-1 nears completion, LaBiche Aerospace will give flight instructions using factory vehicles to assure complete confidence in all systems and flight operations. Q: What does the kit include? A: The kit includes everything necessary for the standard equipped FSC-1. Engine, avionics, interior and all necessary electronics and mechanisms come with the basic kit. There is an option list customers can also choose from for additional features. Due to the fact that the vehicle is a kit built vehicle, owners have more freedom to customize their vehicle as desired (assuming it does not introduce safety issues). This is a definite advantage over certified vehicles, which require strict adherence to FAA regulations for certification. Customizing such as an external camera or removing the right side seats for a medical stretcher are easily within the range of more common deviations from the basic equipment package. Q: Is the FSC-1 for sale at this time? A: Yes. We are now accepting refundable deposits for initial production slots. Contact us regarding the terms and conditions for this one of a kind opportunity. Q: What is the price of the standard kit? A: The price for the standard FSC-1 package is 175,000 USD. We believe this is an excellent price-performance value when comparing this to purchasing a sports car and high performance aircraft that still cannot deliver the combined functionality of the FSC-1. Q: Where can I buy one? When can I get one? A: LaBiche Aerospace is the only manufacturer at this time. Deliveries of production units are scheduled to begin sometime in the near future. Q: How safe is it? A: The FSC-1 has numerous safety and monitoring systems to provide maximum safety without taxing the pilot/driver. IT IS OUR TOP PRIORITY! Some of these features include tire pressure monitoring, automatic fold and retracting systems with dual redundant locking systems for the wing and canard systems, automatic weights and balance, “critical numbers” verbal warnings while in aircraft mode, etc. Q: Can I get features such as air conditioning, autopilot, GPS, etc? A: Yes, air conditioning and many other features are included in the baseline package. Many other accessories are available through the Customer Accessory Selection List. Q: How fast can it go? A: The Performance page contains all of the primary performance information on the FSC-1. But in short, the FSC-1 ground speed is about 180 mph and aircraft cruise performance is 275 mph @ 18,000 ft. making it the “fastest street legal car in the world." Q: Why did you go to so much trouble to hide the wings, canard, and prop? A: During the early development of the FSC-1, our pilot surveys and questionnaires showed concern with the appearance of the vehicle while it was in car mode and tampering issues with leaving the vehicle unattended in public parking lots. The V-tail is the only flight surface not concealed. This is due to the fact that is used in car mode as the rear deck spoiler for active ground effects. In short, any equipment that would “give away” the vehicle was considered necessary to stow to satisfy the customer requirement for an attractive ground vehicle. AUTOMOTIVE Q: Can I drive it on the road? A: Yes. The FSC-1 is completely street legal and was designed to provide “world class” caliber sports car performance while on the road. The operator must have a valid state driver’s license to operate the vehicle. LaBiche Aerospace will provide complete details for your individual state procedures to speed the registration process. The typical cost for registration is about $40 for the FAA license and $35 for a DOT VIN plate, plus additional standard state license fees (as necessary). Q: Can I drive it anywhere I can drive my car? A: Absolutely! The FSC-1 was specifically designed to go anywhere a family sedan could go. The vehicle is 80” wide and has a 126” wheelbase - about the same as a typical SUV. It can pull up to any ATM or fast food drive through. Q: What does it drive like? A: The FSC-1 contains state-of-the-art performance sports car automotive equipment. Because of its lightweight, wide stance and performance suspension/wheels, the FSC-1 handling is on par with any performance sports car in the world. Q: What about rough roads and speed bumps? A: The ground clearance is driver adjustable from 4”-20". The nominal drive height clearance is 5", with 4" being a performance mode and 7" being a rough road clearance mode. The car can be raised to the 20” height to clear potholes, drive on the “ol’ cabin road” or traverse the occasional street flooding. In Auto-Mode, the suspension system will “adapt” itself to driving conditions. Q: Where is the engine? A: The FSC-1 is a mid-engine configuration. All high performance sports cars use this configuration for optimal front/rear weight distribution. The mid-engine also works extremely well for canard configuration aircraft as well. Q: The design looks really low slung considering the seats will have to be above the folded wing storage bay. Are the operator and passengers really reclined? A: The height of the front seat (pilot/copilot) compartment is approx. 43" in height that allows for a moderately large range of seat angle adjustment. The headroom for the rear seats is about 41" in height. Q: How much travel do you have in the suspension? A: The ground clearance is driver adjustable from 0-20". The vehicle rises to 20" for takeoff/landing configuration and retracts the wheels into the wheel wells after takeoff (0" ground clearance). The nominal drive height clearance is 5", with 4" being a performance mode and 7" being a rough road clearance mode. The suspension has over 7" of travel. However, during car mode the car will "float" in the center of travel with ±1.5" being normal travel. Remember, the FSC-1 also has front and rear torsion bars for performance handling. AIRCRAFT Q: Do I need a pilot’s license to fly it? A: Yes. At the current time, the FAA requires anyone piloting a flying vehicle to have at least a private pilot’s license. Q: Can I take off from the road? A: Many people have expressed interest in taking off from abandoned roads in rural areas. However, it is currently illegal to take off from a location other than a FAA approved airport or from a privately owned strip. Q: What is the propeller clearance? A: The prop clearance (at landing/takeoff) is approximately 11". Q: Is the C.G. far enough forward for the canard configuration? A: The C.G. remains positive under all weight distribution scenarios. We have performed extensive trade studies, computer simulation, and dynamic modeling of the vehicle to verify this. We are currently making final "tweaks" to the shape and clean up of the configuration. Q: Why did you pick a V-tail? A: There are several reasons for the V-tail configuration. One is to make sure the tail stays in clean air even at moderate to high AOA during landing/takeoff approach configuration. The second is to provide a secondary pitch control system to assist the canard during emergency or off nominal loading configurations. The third was the "sex appeal" over the more conventional straight up twin tail. Q: What does it fly like? A: The FSC-1 has flying characteristics similar to the Rutan canard style aircraft with the exception of a higher roll moment-of-inertia. Modern canard aircraft exhibit exceptional roll and yaw stability with the help of the swept wings, rear vertical stabilizers and a pusher prop. In fact, most canard pilots rarely use their foot pedals to make coordinated turns due to the docile flight characteristics. One of the benefits of canard aircraft is their inherent stall resistance. Q: How much baggage can it carry? A: The center baggage area can stow approximately 150 lbs. of bags. However, while in aircraft mode, the now empty wing bay area becomes a large storage area for low-density oversized equipment and baggage (such as snow skis, clothes, duffel bags, etc.). The baggage can be accessed from the cabin through a floor hatch door. Larger items can be accessed through the wing main bay doors while parked.