Photograph:
Adventure Air Adventurer 333 VH-AJH (c/n 133) at Boonah, QLD (Ian McDonell)
Country of origin:
United States of America
Description:
Two or four-seat light sport amphibian
Power Plant:
One 248 kw (333 hp) Chevrolet ZZ3 eight-cylinder VEE liquid-cooled engine
Specifications:
- Wingspan: 10.93 m (35 ft 10½)
- Length: 7.34 m (24 ft 5 in)
- Height: 2.59 m (8 ft 6 in)
- Wing area: 16.62 m² (179 sq ft)
- Max speed: 254 km/h (158 mph)
- Cruising speed: 225 km/h (140 mph)
- Stalling speed: 98 km/h (61 mph)
- Rate of climb: 366 m/min (1,200 ft/min)
- Service ceiling: 5,486 m (18,000 ft)
- Take-off run on land: 244 m (800 ft)
- Landing run: 244 m (800 ft)
- Range: 1,126 km (700 miles)
- Fuel capacity: 227 litres (50 Imp gals)
- Empty weight: 907 kg (2,000 lb)
- Useful load: 605 kg (1,333 lb)
- Loaded weight: 1,497 kg (3,300 lb)
History:
The Adventurer 333 was designed and marketed as a light amphibious monoplane with a flying-boat hull and was available in kit form, a number of examples being sold around the world before the manufacturer ceased production. The kits were supplied by Adventure Air of Berryville, Arkansas, USA. There were a number of variations of the design, some having short ailerons, no flaps and an extended horizontal stabiliser. Accommodation was provided for two plus two, or two with 45 kg (100 lb) of baggage. The aircraft could take off from water in 304 m (1,000 ft).
The design was initially available as the Adventurer 2 + 2 aircraft and was first flown in 1991, this model being fitted with the Lycoming IO-360 engine , but some examples in the United States used a 3800 cc Ford V-6 unit which provided 164 kw (220 hp). It was offered in a new model, this being first flown in 1996, known as the Super Adventurer with a 248 kw (333 hp) Chevrolet ZZ3 engine, this unit also being fitted to the Model 333, the engine being converted for aviation use. The Adventurer Four-Place had a 149 kw (200 hp) Lycoming engine, and the Super Adventurer had a Continental IO-360 engine of up to 175 kw (235 hp).
It is known 120 kits were sold but only a few are known to have been completed. Eventually the manufacturer went into liquidation. At some stage the Chevrolet HO350 automotive conversion engine producing 248 kw (333 hp) became available.
The first completed in this region was ZK-WAI (c/n 206) operated for a time from Rotorua, and later with the Newton Syndicate at Whakatane. This aircraft was registered on 8 April 1999 and was noted at Tauranga in February 2004. The registration was revoked on 14 April 2010 and its fate is not known.
First of the type registered in Australia was VH-AJH6 (c/n 133) on 20 October 2006 at Port Macquarie, NSW. This aircraft was formerly registered in New Zealand as ZK-JZZ and was based at Ardmore. It was first registered in June 2004 and operated by Marcus Mewett in the Takapuna Beach area until its registration was cancelled in June 2006 when it was flown to Australia.
This aircraft was fitted with a Chevrolet ZZ3 350 eight-cylinder VEE engine with a two-barrel carburettor providing 230 kw (308 hp) at 2,850 rpm driving a three-blade Magnum IVO electric controllable-pitch propeller. It had a max speed of 241 km/h (150 mph) and a cruising speed of 204 km/h (127 mph).
On 14 January 2015 ownership was transferred to Robert Muller of Burleigh Heads, NSW. Subsequently it has been noted occasionally attending aviation events on the north coast of NSW and south coast of Queensland. In 2019 it was noted at Boonah, QLD in the open with the engine removed.