Adam A-500 (N500AX)

N500AX Adams Aircraft A-500.

Great photo of an interesting designed aircraft.

FAA records list this aircraft as "destroyed."

It is a shame this beautiful design didn’t make it!

I like how this plane is called an Adam A. This plane has my name all over it.

This one pictured is the first one, it has no winglets. I have the last one built and It fly's even better than it looks.

Beautiful photo! They were based here in Colorado, but sadly had to shut down. I wonder how many of their planes are still flying?

How efficient is the push/pull concept?

"How efficient is the push/pull concept?" It helps keep the wing airflow 'cleaner'.

I would suggest starting the aft engine first and at least starting a taxi out, then start the forward one. This avoids explaining the long takeoff roll in the accident report...

The push me pull you engine configuration was used very successfully on the Dornier 335 Pfeil (Arrow) heavy fighter of World War2. It was said to be the fastest piston engine plane ever.
See www.youtube.com/watch?v=jK8ydLY5QHQ for details.

The Do-335 Pfeil was briefly the fastest piston engine plane ever. However, in 1946 Republic Aviation rolled out the F-12 Rainbow in response to the same RFP that prompted Howard Hughes to build his F-11. Three examples of the Rainbow were built. One shattered all piston engine, propeller-driven, records with a non-stop LA to NY FL400 dash averaging just over 410 Knots GROUND-SPEED.

Push-pull props work fine. They do benefit from distance between props, counter-rotating props, and smooth airframe between props. The Adam A-500 has all the above. Burt Rutan clearly has a profound understanding of aerodynamics.

Sweet ride

I believe this plane was their prototype. I saw the same plane at Oshkosh Airventure two or three years in a row until they ceased production. The tail number, I believe was 500 for the model number and then AX stood for Adam Experimental. Correct me if I’m wrong. Also, if I remember right, it was the first all composite construction. Oshkosh also had cut-away sections of the fuselage showing the composite construction.

From what I've been able to come up with, there were only about 7 ever made, and the company went bankrupt. Inspite of several resurrection attempts, the design is all but dead.

One thing I did find was this quote, which makes this concept pretty much dead: "With the 230 US gal (870 l) fuel tanks full, the available payload for crew, passengers and baggage is 160 lb (73 kg), down from a projected 720 lb (327 kg). This means that the A500 cannot carry full fuel and one standard weight adult male or female pilot."

That A500AX was the POC (proof of concept) for the model. No info on it's current condition/existence.

I'd be willing to bet this can be redesigned to have better payload/range. Just love the looks of this one!:)

Hundo

Looks like the foothills in WA near Skagit Valley in the background