TYPE: Four-seat kitbuilt.

PROGRAMME: Kit deliveries began 1990. On 20 February 1991, prototype set NAA world speed record between San Francisco and Denver of 314.7 kt (583.2 km/h; 362.4 mph). First kit completed July 1991.

CURRENT VERSIONS: Lancair IV: Standard version.
Description mainly applies to Lancair IV.
Lancair IV-P: Pressurised version; first flight 1 November 1993. Provides 0.34 bar (5.0 lb/sq in) differential; equipment from Dukes Research of California.
Lancair Propjet IV-P: Powered by 560 kW (751 shp) Walter M601E turboprop; prototype (N750TL, registered as a IV-TP) first flown 9 July 2001. Available as option to standard IV-P at cost of US$7,500; completed aircraft can be retrospectively converted; main structural alteration is repositioning of firewall.
On 11 September 2002, a Lancair IV-P Propjet flown by Wesley E Behel Jr claimed a Class C-1c Group 2 speed record over a 3 km course at restricted altitude by flying at 307 kt (568 km/h; 352 mph).
Lancair Sentry: Tandem-seat version based on Lancair IV and retaining wing and lower fuselage, with redesigned upper fuselage and vertical tail, latter of 10 per cent increased area. Prototype (N806EY) first flown 7 September 2002. Power supplied by same engine as Propjet IV-P, but with larger fuel tank. Intended for military training and civil air racing markets.

CUSTOMERS: Total of 500 kits sold; more than 250 flying by mid-2003. The Mexican Navy is to assess the Sentry, to augment its Aermacchi Redigo fleet.

COSTS: Fastbuild US$79,900. Pressurised version: Fastbuild US$104,900. Firewall fastbuild options and two-week builder workshop programmes available. Turbine IV-P US$115,900; Walter engine US$84,000. Sentry US$119,900 (2003).

DESIGN FEATURES: Conventional seating for four persons in airframe of new design, but following Lancair formula for high cruising speeds. Optional winglets. Quoted fastbuild construction time 1,000 hours.

FLYING CONTROLS: Conventional and manual. Fowler flaps. Sidestick controllers for both pilots. Trim tabs in port aileron and port elevator. Optional speed brakes.

STRUCTURE: Carbon fibre/epoxy airframe, with Nomex honeycomb cores.

LANDING GEAR: Tricycle layout. Mainwheels 15 x 6.00-6; nosewheel is 5.00-5. Cleveland dual-piston caliper brakes. Hydraulic retraction system.

POWER PLANT: One 261 kW (350 hp) Teledyne Continental TSIO-550-E1B, -E2B or -E3B twin-turbocharged flat-six engine driving a three- or four-bladed MT or Hartzell constant-speed propeller. Walter M601E turboprop can also be fitted; as described above. Two versions of PT-6A turboprop testbed during 1999, but apparently not proceeded with. Lancair IV-P N540LM flew September 2000 as testbed for 485 kW (650 hp) Eagle 540 piston engine. Fuel in integral wing tanks; total standard usable capacity in IV-P 341 litres (90.0 US gallons; 74.9 Imp gallons); long-range tanks, total capacity 416 litres (110 US gallons; 91.6 Imp gallons); in Propjet IV-P 473 litres (125 US gallons; 104 Imp gallons), optional long-range tanks increasing this to 568 litres (150 US gallons; 125 Imp gallons). Oil capacity 11.4 litres (3.0 US gallons; 2.5 Imp gallons).

SYSTEMS: Thermoelectric de-icing system tested during 2001.