Cobalt Canard Pusher Debuts

AirVenture is often the site of lofty projects, and this year's show was the debut of the Co50. At a Wednesday press conference Cobalt head David Loury introduced his ambitious project, which is still in semi-mockup form. Loury announced that the company would begin taking deposits at the show. The Cobalt Co50 is a four/five-place composite canard to be powered by a 350-hp, Fadec-controlled Teledyne Continental TSIOF-550-D2B driving a three-blade Hartzell constant-speed propeller. Loury hopes to fly the prototype before the end of the year, though there appears to be much work to be done before then. Ambitious projected performance figures include high-speed cruise of 245 knots at 8,000 feet, 1,874-pound empty weight and 3,087-pound max takeoff weight, all of which would be well better than industry leading models. The appearance of the Cobalt Co50 is imposing, with its swept wings, forward tilting nose section and expansive windows and windshield, though some vexing problems remain, such as access to the rear seats and accommodations for emergency egress. Target price, Loury told Flying, is $650,000.