HP Aircraft, LLC

03/04/2026

12/11/2025

Our Stinger tail fairing mod made this L-39 15 knots faster, on top of the 15+ knots from our CElipse wingtips.

09/15/2025

On Saturday 13 September 2025 I had the privilege of conducting the first test flight of the prototype HP Aircraft CMS-25 camber management system. This system of hardware and software senses airspeed and acceleration and uses it to automatically position a sailplane's flaperons to achieve optimal wing camber for the prevailing flight conditions.

I took off from KSIY with the system in Manual mode with flaps +5, and switched to +10 on the takeoff roll. After towing to the Siskiyou County house thermal at the Paradise Craggy lookout, I released and thermalled up to 8000 feet MSL, whereupon I switched over into Auto mode. The system immediately started smoothly adjusting the flaps every time they were more than 1 degree from optimal. After climbing to about 10,000 MSL I left the thermal and cruised out towards the Quartz, bumping along a cloud street.

Cruising with automatic flaps was a pleasant new experience. Instead of setting the flaps and flying in an appropriate speed range, or constantly adjusting flaps for the speed, I just flew the speed suggested by the flight computer, and the flaps just followed along. Whatever speed was appropriate, the flaps were right there.

Thermalling with the automatic flaps took a bit of getting used to, but they added a powerful new dimension to thermal entries. As soon as I felt the characteristic oomph in the seat of a thermal, I could immediately just pull up and roll in. The flaps were right there where I needed them. I found myself turning tighter and centering the core more quickly than ever before, with the CMS helping to capture the last bit of energy.

I did the landing with the flaps in Manual mode, which I think ought to be standard procedure. I did the pattern in +10, switching to +15 on final approach for a smooth low-energy touchdown.

Of course, this is just a prototype, and we have a lot of work ahead to turn it into a viable commercial product. But this successful test flight definitely validated the basic concepts and showed that the work so far has been worth it.

11/02/2024

When retired NASA aero engineer Dr. Stephen C. Smith wanted to make his RV-8 a bit faster, he designed these fairings for the inboard ends of the elevators. They improve the airflow around the inboard ends of the elevators on most RVs. The result is a decrease in drag that accounts for approximately a 1.6 knot (1.8 MPH) increase in top speed. They also close out the elevator roots for an overall tidier appearance for the airplane. BTW, Dr. Smith designed the wings for the RV-10 and RV-14, so even Vans thinks he knows a thing or two about airplane design.

The fairings are provided in primer gray, ready for you to finish and paint to match. To install them, you simply trim them to fit according to the instructions provided, and bond them on with VHB double-sided tape (included) or RTV silicone adhesive.
Fits RV-4, RV-6, RV-7, and RV-8. Price $200 plus shipping. Email [email protected] to order.

01/17/2024

10/11/2023

Our wings on Bob Mills' Rocket Six at the 2023 Reno Air Races. Bob's airplane was the second-fastest (mostly) metal airplane in the Sport Class.

Photo by Kevin Eccles

03/30/2023