Photograph:
Hevle Classic VH-BQZ (c/n 001) at Narromine, NSW in April 2007 (David C Eyre)
Country of origin:
United States of America
Description:
Two-seat light sport monoplane
Power Plant:
One 75 kw (100 hp) Rotec R-2800 seven-cylinder air-cooled radial engine
Specifications:
- Wingspan: 8.53 m (28 ft)
- Length: 6.64 m (21 ft 9 in)
- Height: 1.82 m (6 ft)
- Max speed: 217 km/h (135 mph)
- Cruising speed: 169 km/h (105 mph)
- Stalling speed: 72 km/h (45 mph)
- Rate of climb: 305 m/min (1,000 ft/min)
- Take-off distance: 122 m (400 ft)
- Landing distance: 198 m (650 ft)
- Empty weight: 408 kg (900 lb)
- Loaded weight: 680 kg (1,500 lb)
History:
The Hevle Classic was a two-seat development of the Bowers Fly Baby (also known as the EAA Fly Baby) which was designed as a simple, easy to fly, low-cost, light aircraft for the amateur builder. Designed and built by the brothers Eric and Stacey Hevle at Bakersfield, California on the United States west coast in 2003, the prototype was flown for the first time on 16 January 2004 and the aircraft was fitted with the Australian-designed and built 75 kw (100 hp) Rotec R-2800 seven-cylinder air-cooled radial engine. It was reported to have plenty of leg room for large pilots in both cockpits, and had good flying characteristics, stalls being docile with no bad tendencies, the ailerons being light and responsive.
After some development flying, the fuselage was lengthened by 7.62 cm (3 in) and widened by the same amount, the aircraft being offered subsequently as a kitplane. A number of kits were sold. In 2004 the prototype was displayed at the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) fly-in at Oshkosh in Wisconsin.
The Classic was of steel tube construction with fabric covering and used the wings, tail, etc, from the single-seat Fly Baby, the kit comprising the new steel tube fuselage. Full dual controls were installed.
The Company also produced the Tandem Fly Baby, this being basically the same aircraft but with a wooden fuselage. A Ryan PT-22 type suspension, undercarriage, wheels and brakes were installed.
In 2006 the first of the type in this region was completed at Mordiallic, VIC, the aircraft being built by, and registered on 16 March 2006 to, Rotec Engineers Pty Ltd. Fitted with the Company’s R-2800 radial engine, it became VH-BQZ (c/n 001), making its public debut at the Natfly fly-in of ultralight aircraft at Narromine, NSW at Easter 2006.