A new experimental helicopter, the all-carbon-Kevlar KC 518 Adventourer, was scheduled to make its international debut at the Experimental Aircraft Association’s AirVenture Oshkosh, July 25 to 31 in Oshkosh, Wis. The KC 518 is a five-seat VIP or six-seat utility helicopter with a projected cruise speed of 135 knots and a maximum gross weight of 3,200 pounds (1,450 kilograms). That makes it significantly more capable than the typical two-seat, kit helicopter, and competitive with production models such as the Robinson R66 and Bell 206 JetRanger. Yet, it’s vastly more affordable than a production turbine helicopter, with an estimated completed cost of around $395,000 US.

The helicopter is the brainchild of Peter Maloney, a 10,500-hour helicopter pilot and 37-year licensed aircraft maintenance engineer based in New Zealand. Maloney and his wife, Leanne, are the original founders of Helipod International, makers of lightweight external helicopter storage pods and other aircraft equipment. The success of Helipod, and its subsequent sale, provided the financial resources required to get the KC 518 Adventourer off the ground.

The aircraft has undergone a successful initial review by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) of New Zealand’s Sport and Recreation division, and is expected to be on the market as a kit by early 2012. Maloney said the plan is for it to complete the home-builder “51 percent certification” in New Zealand first, followed by Australia, South Africa and the United States.

As a kit-built helicopter, the Adventourer will have to comply with the “51 percent rule,” which requires at least 51 percent of the helicopter be manufactured/built and assembled by the owner. Owner-builders will have the opportunity to attend a manufacturer’s training course before taking the project into their own hands. In the short-term, with approval from the CAA, early builds are being carried out at the Composite Helicopter Mfg. factory by kit owners, under direct company supervision. This strategy is to facilitate full development of the helicopter manuals and drawings to a level suitable for amateur builders.

Maloney expects the KC 518 Adventourer will appeal to home-builders ready for the next challenge, as well as certain international operators who are using experimental helicopters for limited commercial operations. “We identified that there was an opportunity to produce a composite five/six-seat helicopter with a turbine,” said Maloney in an interview with Vertical. “There’s a hunger for an affordable family helicopter.”

Maloney drew inspiration for the design of the helicopter from the great white shark, the shape of which is optimized for a lifetime of cruising the oceans. Along with a small team of designers and engineers, he designed the fuselage “from the outside in,” creating a carbon-Kevlar monocoque structure that does not require an internal frame for support.

According to Maloney, this approach yielded an exceptionally lightweight structure that nevertheless affords good protection for its the occupants, and can be manufactured and assembled in less than a quarter of the time required for a conventional airframe. The lightweight fuselage has allowed Maloney to add weight where it counts: for example, in critical components such as the main rotor driveshaft, the drivetrain, and the main and tail rotor systems. “Because we’ve got such a lightweight airframe, we’ve deliberately taken the opportunity to over-engineer other components.”

The KC 518 Adventourer has been designed for up to 450 shaft horsepower. Maloney said owners will have the option of Rolls-Royce T63 and M250-C18/-C20 engines for the kit helicopter. In the future, the RR300 may be another option, to replace the T63/250-C18; or possibly the M250-C20J or a de-rated RR500, as it becomes available, for the high-power version. With an optional auxiliary fuel cell installed, maximum endurance is expected to reach almost six hours. And, Maloney said the aircraft has been designed for passenger comfort as well as performance, with a spacious cabin, good visibility, and a four-bladed main rotor system for a comfortable ride. “Our objective was to produce a high-performing helicopter with good piloting characteristics and passenger appeal.”

The first four KC 518 Adventourers have already been sold, and Maloney will be actively seeking expressions of interest from other potential buyers. The fuselage on display at AirVenture is Serial Number 002. After the show, it will return to New Zealand, where its owner, with special approval from the CAA, will complete the assembly of the helicopter under supervision. In the meantime, Oshkosh attendees will have a chance to “get a feel for the helicopter,” as well as check out its twin Odyssey electronic flight instrument system displays from South Africa’s MGL Avionics.

Maloney said the helicopter has been designed with the new U.S. Federal Aviation Regulation Part 27 standards in mind: “Ultimately, we propose to take the aircraft through the certification process.” For the time being, however, owner-builders who invest in the KC 518 Adventourer will be rewarded with a capable helicopter at a price that can’t be beat. “An owner who builds it as a kit will have a helicopter that can compete with any of the light turbine helicopters out there.”