"Not As Well As I'd Hoped It Would Be" and Other Concerns About The MXS...

Piloted by Nigel Lamb and Alejandro Maclean, the MXS has been advertised as the fastest and sleekest aircraft in the Red Bull Air Race.

While sleek, it has its issues.

First off, according to Alejandro Maclean (the picture above), the aircraft is rather unstable in the wind and can be unpredictable.

Of course, nothing is perfect when it comes out of the box. Like a new toy, the MXS does need some assembly, except in this case, it needs a pilot to assemble himself to be able to fly the aircraft at the breakneck speeds needed to set a fastest time.

Nigel Lamb, the first pilot to have an MXS says that his plane is "a single seat version of the MX2, the aeroplane that I was flying for over a season."

The aircraft kicks out 380 horsepower, which is more powerful than the Edge 540, has a slightly shorter wingspan, which should in theory be able to allow for tighter turns; and has a greater roll rate per second of 450 degrees versus the 420 degrees that the Edge has.

With all these amazing pluses that the aircraft has, then what is its problem?

Maclean says that there is an immense amount of controlability, "more than we're used to."

A sensitive aircraft to fly is one that allows for more control, but making the switch from an Edge to the MXS has been likened to switching from a Ferrari road car to a Ferrari Formula 1 car.

Obviously, one is used to putting more effort into making maneuvers, but when it becomes so easy, then you're making mistakes and thus lowering your rank in the standings.

What do I think about this? I think that the faults of the MXS lie in the design, one which the pilots just can't themselves get used to.

The season is a write-off for Maclean and Lamb, but I think that with practice and plenty of getting used-to, the MXS has the potential to be a race winner, and dethrone the Edge 540's seven-race win streak.

Anyhow, I'm hoping to see the MXS win a race or two, just for the sake of unpredictability...