We are constantly exploring new ways to improve our aircraft. Lancair’s forward-thinking, aerodynamic designs meet the highest expectations and in many ways surpass traditional aircraft quality.

Wing design is of paramount importance to any aircraft and Lancair’s design team has painstakingly fine-tuned Barracuda’s wing to optimize it’s performance. The wing had to perform up to the high speeds that pilots expect from Lancair aircraft, combined with an increased emphasis on low speed handling and stability.

The wing has a unique double taper to maximize lift distribution from root to tip. This also allowed us to eliminate all “washout” which can compromise efficiency. The airfoil design creates extensive laminar flow across more than 50% of the surface resulting in a very carefully “tuned” wing design, which enhances overall aircraft performance. Roll control is light, snappy and balanced—a trademark of Lancair designs since the beginning. Plus, a relatively thick chord aids strength while providing ample room for fuel (up to 65 gallons).

In short, the Barracuda wing offers a lower stall speed, a better roll rate, improved low-speed handling and higher top speeds. The aircraft is ideal for high-speed cruising, meaning a trip from Seattle to Las Vegas or New York to the Florida Keys in just hours. With its nimble roll rate of 150 degrees per second and very solid control stick forces, flying the plane is a joy!

At the other end of the performance spectrum, the Legacy’s lowspeed roll control is nothing short of remarkable, with stall behavior that is “straight ahead.” The addition of simplified fowler-action flaps further increases the wing’s maximum lift coefficient to enhance this low-speed handling without any annoying forward pitch moment upon deployment. Translation? Slower approaches and shorter landing distances, providing a new level of safety.