Admin: Batch 15: new aircraft page

2026-11-02T17:34:54Z

Batch 15: new aircraft page

New page

{{Aircraft infobox
| name = Velocity
| image = Lee David Velocity (N81VA).jpg
| caption = Velocity. Photo: Armchair Aviator's, CC BY 2.0, via [[commons:File:Lee David Velocity (N81VA).jpg|Wikimedia Commons]]
| make = Velocity
| type = Homebuilt aircraft
| origin = United States
| first_flight = July 1985
| produced = 1985–present
| faa_registered = 259 (FAA register, October 30, 2026)
| seats = 1/2, 2/3 passengers / 1000 lb payload
| engine = Lycoming IO-360, 200 hp
| cruise = 187 kn (Velocity SE-RG IO-360)
| range = 1,000 nmi (Velocity SE-RG IO-360)
| ceiling = 20,000 ft (Velocity SE-RG IO-360)
| gross_weight = 2,300 lb (Velocity SE-RG IO-360)
| developed_from = Rutan Long-EZ
| category = Light-sport and kit aircraft
}}

The '''Velocity''' is a four-seat kit airplane with a canard (a small front wing) and a pusher engine at the back, sold by Velocity Aircraft.<ref name="wp"/> It is based on the [[Rutan Long-EZ]] and first flew in July 1985.<ref name="wp"/> In the U.S. there are 259 with a valid registration under Velocity model names, which include the larger Velocity XL.<ref name="faa"/>

== History ==
The first Velocity was a four-seat composite airplane with fixed landing gear. Retractable gear became an option in 1990.<ref name="wp"/> In 1992 a larger wing arrived that gave the airplane handling similar to a [[Cessna 172]]; airplanes with it were first called the "Model 173".<ref name="wp"/> A bigger Velocity XL followed in 1997.<ref name="wp"/>

== Versions ==
The 173 Elite added gull-wing doors, a full-length center console, adjustable bucket seats and a bigger windshield, and in time replaced the original as the standard model.<ref name="wp"/> The SUV ("Sport Utility Velocity") was a lower-cost fixed-gear model with one gull-wing door. In 2002 the two-door SE replaced it as the entry-level model.<ref name="wp"/> The specifications below are for an SE with retractable gear and a 200 hp Lycoming IO-360.<ref name="wp"/>

== Registered in the United States ==
The FAA register lists '''259''' of these airplanes with a valid U.S. registration. Here they are by the model name the FAA uses.<ref name="faa"/>
<div class="aw-wide">
{| class="wikitable sortable"
! FAA model name !! Registered
|-
| VELOCITY || 36
|-
| VELOCITY XL RG || 20
|-
| VELOCITY RG || 18
|-
| VELOCITY XL-RG || 12
|-
| VELOCITY V-TWIN || 11
|-
| VELOCITY XLRG || 9
|-
| VELOCITY XLRG-5 || 7
|-
| VELOCITY XL || 6
|-
| VELOCITY 173RG || 5
|-
| VELOCITY SUV || 5
|-
| VELOCITY STANDARD RG || 4
|-
| VELOCITY STD RG || 4
|-
| VELOCITY SE || 4
|-
| VELOCITY ELITE || 4
|-
| VELOCITY 173 RG || 4
|-
| VELOCITY XL FG || 3
|-
| VELOCITY XLFG || 3
|-
| VELOCITY SE-FG || 3
|-
| VELOCITY SE-RG || 3
|-
| VELOCITY SUV FG || 3
|-
| ''75 other model names'' || 95
|}
</div>

== Specifications (Velocity SE-RG IO-360) ==
<div class="aw-wide">
{| class="wikitable"
! Item !! Velocity SE-RG IO-360
|-
| Crew || 1/2
|-
| Passengers / capacity || 2/3 passengers / 1000 lb payload
|-
| Length || 19 ft
|-
| Wingspan || 29 ft 4 in
|-
| Height || 7 ft 9 in
|-
| Empty weight || 1,300 lb
|-
| Maximum takeoff weight || 2,300 lb
|-
| Fuel || 60 USgal
|-
| Engine || Lycoming IO-360, 200 hp (4-cyl. horizontally-opposed air-cooled piston engine)
|-
| Cruise speed || 187 kn
|-
| Stall speed || 60 kn
|-
| Never-exceed speed || 200 kn
|-
| Range || 1,000 nmi
|-
| Service ceiling || 20,000 ft
|-
| Rate of climb || 1,200 ft/min
|}
</div>
Figures as given in the Wikipedia article and its sources.<ref name="wp"/>

{{Owner notes}}

== Photos ==
<gallery mode="packed" heights="170">
File:Velocity 173 Elite RG.jpg|Velocity 173 Elite RG, Front Range Airport, Denver, Colorado. Photo: Greg Goebel, CC BY-SA 2.0
File:Velocity RG (N827PM, cn DMO-272) (4-10-2024).jpg|Velocity RG (N827PM, cn DMO-272) at 2024 Sun 'n Fun, Lakeland Linder International Airport. Photo: ZLEA, CC BY-SA 4.0
File:Xcor-rocketracer-N216MR-071029-07cr-7 (cropped).jpg|Velocity. Photo: Alan Radecki Akradecki, CC BY-SA 3.0
</gallery>
All photos are from [[commons:Main Page|Wikimedia Commons]]; click a photo for its full credit and license.

== Buying a Velocity ==
{{For sale soon}}

== Sources ==
<references>
<ref name="wp">Wikipedia, "[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Velocity_Velocity Velocity Velocity]", read November 1, 2026. Airplane Wiki's text is written in its own words; facts are checked against this article and its sources.</ref>
<ref name="faa">Federal Aviation Administration, [https://www.faa.gov/licenses_certificates/aircraft_certification/aircraft_registry/releasable_aircraft_download Releasable Aircraft Database], file dated October 30, 2026. Valid registrations of fixed-wing airplanes whose FAA maker and model names belong to this family. Airplane Wiki uses only counts from this file, never owner names or addresses.</ref>
</references>

Velocity - Revision history

Admin: Batch 15: new aircraft page