Country of origin:

Australia

Description:

Single-seat light sport monoplane

Power Plant:

One 37 kw (50 hp) Rotax 503UL-2V two-cylinder, two-stroke, fan-cooled electronic dual-ignition engine

Specifications:

History:

The Boorabee was an ultralight which could be built in either single-seat or two-seat form. Designed and built at Kyogle, NSW for the amateur constructor by Thomas Cadet, who at some stage resided at Evans Head, NSW, and was a member of the Casino Aero Club, it was of composite construction and had an enclosed cabin. It was a high-wing monoplane with a pusher engine mounted on the wing. It basically used the rear fuselage of a Maxair Drifter with a purpose-designed wing and an enclosed cockpit capable of seating two.

The pilot’s capsule of the prototype was constructed using the cockpit of a Rotec Panther which was modified to make the nose more pointed, extending it back to the wing. A sheet alloy floor pan was inserted, and the aluminium tube tail boom and empennage were taken from a Maxair Drifter.

A new aerofoil for the wing was developed, which was mated to the new fuselage. At that stage it became known as the Shuttle. The Shuttle had a single wing strut and a modified tail, undercarriage and control system. However, the undercarriage of the Shuttle was not suitable and a few of the Shuttles built used the Boorabee undercarriage. Eventually the Shuttle design was abandoned after the second aircraft completed developed vibration from the Jabiru engine and aileron flutter.

The wing of the Boorabee used fibreglass and kevlar ribs with a leading-edge of similar material. The main spar caps were of drawn alloy tubes with sheet web plates. The rear spar was of tube.

Two variants were produced: the Mk 1 having a 9.14 m (30 ft) wingspanand the Mk 2 having an 8.83 m (29 ft) wingspan, a re-designed lengthened fuselage pod, alloy shear plates to simplify construction of the wing, and flaperons. Kevlar was used extensively in the design. The first examples of the Mks 1 and 2 were registered in 1993.

Built to meet AUF/RAA Regulations, it was built as a kit to order and quite a number were completed over the years. It is not known how many were completed, but a few examples have been based at Caboolture, QLD. It was eventually available in three variants, the Mk I, Mk II and the MK I. Production continued for some years.

Aircraft registered have included: Boorabee 2 + 2 19-3756 (c/n 7); Acme Special 19-3671 (c/n 1) ; Mk Is 19-1418 (c/n 002) and 19-1392 (c/n 001); Mk IIs 19-3250 (c/n S06/006-99), 19-3110 (c/n JE04), 19-3111 (c/n DL05), 19-4509 (c/n 10), and 19-3037 (c/n 1061) with an HKS engine.

At least 10 examples were built with the Rotax 503 or 582 engine and have been registered with the RAA between 1998 and 2002.

One example was registered as ZK-WOT² (c/n B001-98) in New Zealand, this being a Mk I. This aircraft which had previously been registered with the RAA in Australia as 19-3037 and became ZK-WOT on 18 August 1998.

Most Boorabees still survived in 2017.