Redmond, OR – RDD Enterprises, LLC is taking aviation to new heights for pilots operating under the new Basic Medical rules.
 
In particular, the LX7-20 is a 550 SHP Pratt and Whitney powered airplane designed to operate at 285ktas at FL180 with a 5000’ cabin altitude on 28gph Jet A fuel.  The company is also introducing the fixed gear model--whose name has not been determined yet.
 
“The design philosophy for this aircraft is based on aircraft safety, efficiency, functionality, maintainability, aesthetics and simplicity. The result is an aircraft that provides the operator with a level of “freedom” previously unattainable,” said David McRae, one of the company’s owners.
 
“The LX7 costs around the same as a new Cirrus SR22 G5 or Cessna TTx, will give the airplane much of the appeal of an FAA certificated high-performance single but with greater speed than you can find in a Part 23 model.” wrote Robert Goyer of Plane and Pilot. 
 
With the introduction of these aircraft, the LX7 family covers both fixed gear and retractable gear, pressurized cabin environments, and piston or turbine engine options.
 
The LX7 exceeds industry standards in every relevant category, with a list of features and advantages so long that the plane has its own website (check it out at LX7aircraft.com). 
 
Highlights include:

Handling: The LX7 expands on the aircraft manufacturing technologies that RDD has developed on experimental projects for Airbus and others.  This gives the LX7 a stall speed of 63 knots, resulting in dramatically improved handling characteristics compared to the original IV-P. 

Avionics: Standard equipment for the LX7 includes a two-screen Garmin G3X Touch Flight Deck, the latest in WAAS technology coupled to the autopilot, with envelope protection and an emergency level function.

Performance: The LX7 climbs at 2000 ft/min to reach cruising speeds of 260 KTAS @ 24 gph and 250 KTAS @ 18 gph.  The combination of speed and endurance will take you miles beyond where other aircraft have to stop for fuel, making your trip shorter and more enjoyable.

Range: Coast to coast without stopping?  It’s totally possible with the LX7, with reserves left over. This aircraft will take you over 2,100 miles before you have to make a fuel stop. Fuel capacity is 180 gallons.

Safety: Full-aircraft BRS parachute, Garmin EFIS with Active Traffic, Forward looking terrain, synthetic vision, and Satellite and ADS-B weather, AmSafe inflatable seatbelts for the forward occupants, and a pressurized cabin environment, single piece wing with dual spars.

“The LX7 offers owners an unparalleled combination of performance, safety, luxury and value,” added McRae. “There’s just nothing else like it out there. I’ve been flying since 1989 and this airplane is like a traveling machine dream come true. I can easily fly from our facility in Redmond to just about anywhere I want to go without refueling,” continued McRae. 

“And the comfort level is superior to the original IV-P due to the increased legroom and passenger space. Flying with pressurization and greater fuel capacity increase confidence and peace of mind when tackling long distance flights,” McRae concluded.

RDD (Research. Design. Develop.) Enterprises is a full-service aviation company based in Redmond Oregon. RDD has been providing expert ownership assistance for high-performance personal aircraft (certified and experimental) since 2006. 
 
The company has a reputation for balancing efficient production with creative solutions and customized detail. RDD completed the airframe construction for Airbus’ Perlan Project, a multimillion dollar collaborative project that is putting “engineless aircraft on the edge of space” (perlanproject.org).
 
You can learn more about RDD at RDDent.com or by calling 541-504-0305.
 
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​Redmond, OR – Research, Design, and Development LLC is taking aviation to new heights with its LX7 Aircraft Conversion experimental aircraft.
 
“The design philosophy for this aircraft is based on aircraft safety, efficiency, functionality, maintainability, aesthetics and simplicity. The result is an aircraft that provides the operator with a level of “freedom” previously unattainable,” said David McRae, one of the company’s owners.
 
“The LX7 costs around the same as a new Cirrus SR22 G5 or Cessna TTx, will give the airplane much of the appeal of an FAA certificated high-performance single but with greater speed than you can find in a Part 23 model.” wrote Robert Goyer of Plane and Pilot. 
 
And, as part of the growing product family of the LX7, RDD is introducing the -20 which is a 550 SHP Pratt and Whitney powered airplane. They are also introducing the fixed gear model--whose name has not been determined yet.
 
With the introduction of these aircraft, the LX7 family covers both fixed gear and retractable gear, pressurized cabin environments, and piston or turbine engine options.
 
The LX7 exceeds industry standards in every relevant category, with a list of features and advantages so long that the plane has its own website (check it out at LX7aircraft.com). 
 
Highlights include:

Handling: The LX7 expands on the aircraft manufacturing technologies that RDD has developed on experimental projects for Airbus and others.  This gives the LX7 a stall speed of 63 knots, resulting in dramatically improved handling characteristics compared to the original IV-P. 

Avionics: Standard equipment for the LX7 includes a two-screen Garmin G3X Touch Flight Deck, the latest in WAAS technology coupled to the autopilot, with envelope protection and an emergency level function.

Performance: The LX7 climbs at 2000 ft/min to reach cruising speeds of 260 KTAS @ 24 gph and 250 KTAS @ 18 gph.  The combination of speed and endurance will take you miles beyond where other aircraft have to stop for fuel, making your trip shorter and more enjoyable.

Range: Coast to coast without stopping?  It’s totally possible with the LX7, with reserves left over. This aircraft will take you over 2,100 miles before you have to make a fuel stop. Fuel capacity is 180 gallons.

Safety: Full-aircraft BRS parachute, Garmin EFIS with active traffic, forward looking terrain, synthetic vision, and satellite and ADS-B weather, AmSafe inflatable seatbelts for the forward occupants, and a pressurized cabin environment, single piece wing with dual spars.
“The LX7 offers owners an unparalleled combination of performance, safety, luxury and value. There’s just nothing else like it out there. I’ve been flying since 1989 and this airplane is like a traveling machine dream come true. I can easily fly from our facility in Redmond to just about anywhere I want to go without refueling."
—David McRae, Owner, Research. Design. Develop.

“The LX7 offers owners an unparalleled combination of performance, safety, luxury and value,” added McRae. “There’s just nothing else like it out there. I’ve been flying since 1989 and this airplane is like a traveling machine dream come true. I can easily fly from our facility in Redmond to just about anywhere I want to go without refueling,” continued McRae. 

“And the comfort level is superior to the original IV-P due to the increased legroom and passenger space. Flying with pressurization and greater fuel capacity increase confidence and peace of mind when tackling long distance flights,” McRae concluded.

RDD (Research. Design. Develop.) Enterprises is a full-service aviation company based in Redmond Oregon. RDD has been providing expert ownership assistance for high-performance personal aircraft (certified and experimental) since 2006. 
 
The company has a reputation for balancing efficient production with creative solutions and customized detail. RDD completed the airframe construction for Airbus’ Perlan Project, a multimillion dollar collaborative project that is putting “engineless aircraft on the edge of space” (perlanproject.org).
 
You can learn more about RDD at RDDent.com or by calling 541-504-0305.
 
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The Airbus Perlan 2 Glider achieved new heights today while soaring over the Andes Mountains near El Califate, Argentina. The specially designed craft, built by RDD Enterprises,  and piloted by Jim Payne and Morgan Sandercock reached an unofficial altitude of 53,400 feet.

"RDD is excited for the entire Airbus Perlan Team", exclaimed Eric Schmidlin. Eric was the RDD Project Manager and is the Head of Engineering for the Company. "To see the team achieve a new record is the great continuation of the milestones set by this project".

The maiden voyage video is posted below from the well attended event at the Redmond Roberts Field Airport nearly two years ago, September 2015. The aircraft was built at RDD starting in September 2014. From all of us at RDD, congratulations to the Perlan Team.

We’re glad you have stopped by our site. We encourage you to click through the site to discover what RDD has to offer to make your aircraft ownership experience a fun and successful venture. Whether you would like expert assistance with a build, experienced maintenance, or an upgrade to your existing aircraft, we are here to help ensure that your project culminates in a work of aviation craftsmanship.

​Experimental glider project shines light on Redmond aviation

​By Beau Eastes / The Bulletin / @beastes
Published Sep 24, 2015 at 12:05AM / Updated Sep 24, 2015 at 05:55AMThe flight plan to 90,000 feet starts in Redmond. 

The maiden voyage of the Perlan 2, an experimental glider that hopes to eventually reach 90,000 feet, came off without a hitch Wednesday morning at the Redmond Airport. Pilots Jim Payne and Morgan Sandercock flew the 1,800-pound sailplane 5,000 feet above ground once the glider was released from its tow plane. Total air time for the first flight of the Airbus Perlan 2 Mission — the international aviation giant is sponsoring the project — was about 35 minutes.

“This really fits in with the DNA of Airbus,” said Allan McArtor, the CEO of Airbus Group, the company’s North American business division. “The Perlan Project is about exploration, innovation and pushing the envelope. It’s exploring new boundaries.”

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By Thom Patterson, CNN — Oshkosh, Wisconsin (CNN) – A super glider is on track to fly to the edge of space.
​
Crowds of aviation enthusiasts gathered Monday to get their first look at Perlan 2, an experimental glider on display this week at the Experimental Aircraft Association AirVenture air show in Oshkosh, Wisconsin.

Some onlookers wanted to touch the plane's strong, lightweight carbon-fiber fuselage. Others wanted to peer inside the tiny two-person cockpit.

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