Photograph:
Lake LA-4-250 Renegade VH-LAK (c/n 54) at Rathmines, NSW in November 1989 (David C Eyre)
Country of origin:
United States of America
Description:
Six-seat amphibious flying boat
Power Plant:
One 186 kw (250 hp) Avco Lycoming IO-540-C4B5 six-cylinder horizontally opposed air-cooled engine
Specifications:
- Wingspan: 11.58 m (38 ft)
- Length: 8.59 m (28 ft 2 in)
- Height: 2.82 m (9 ft 3 in)
- Wing area: 15.8 m² (170 sq ft)
- Max speed at 1,980 m (6,500 ft): 258 km/h (160 mph)
- Max cruising speed at 75% power at 1,980 m (6,500 ft): 245 km/h (152 mph)
- Stalling speed, flaps down: 89 km/h (56 mph)
- Max rate of climb at sea level: 274 m/min (900 ft/min)
- Service ceiling: 4,480 m (14,700 ft)
- Range with max fuel, 30 mins reserves: 1,668 km (1,036 miles)
- Empty weight: 839 kg (1,850 lb)
- Loaded weight: 1,383 kg (3,050 lb)
History:
The Renegade was a six-seat development of the Lake LA-4 Buccaneer, a type which has proved very popular in this region, with more than 40 examples registered over the years. Built by Lake Aircraft at Laconia, New Hampshire, Florida, the Renegade received its type certification in 1983, and by 1984 production had reached eight aircraft per month to meet market demand.
The Renegade was basically a lengthened Buccaneer to seat six, fitted with a 186 kw (250 hp) Lycoming engine driving a Hartzell three-blade propeller. Fuel capacity was a maximum of 341 litres (75 Imp gals). Ingress to the cabin was via large, top-hinged, hatches, cabin length being 3.14 m (10 ft 4 in); and when the aircraft was not fitted-out for passenger carrying, a stretcher could be accommodated. The Renegade was designed for a wide variety of uses, and overseas operators have used it for short commuter services, search and rescue, missionary work on the Amazon River and in the casevac role, fish spotting, patrolling dams, rivers and power lines.
In 1988 a turbo-charged 201 kw (270 hp) Renegade set a world altitude record for single-engine amphibians, and a second record for sustained flight at 7,467.6 m (24,500 ft). In October 2001 it was announced that Flying Power SDN BHD of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, had obtained manufacturing rights for the Seawolf variant of the Renegade, this being a military / maritime surveillance model. The prototype of this model (N59CA) was flown at Wilmington in Delaware in 1985. The series was later marketed in the United States by Lan She Aerospace and variants include the Renegade 2, 2T, Seafury and Seawolf, the latter being the commercial and special mission amphibian.
A few examples have been registered in Australia, the first VH-LAK (c/n 54) arriving in 1988, later becoming VH-AWI in 1996, the registration later being changed to VH-LKT. A further example was imported as a demonstrator, becoming VH-JLV (c/n 79 – ex N8419X) in 1992, and later again VH-AWD on 19 April 1996, it then becoming VH-WMW on 10 December 1998 before being removed from the register on 5 June 2018 and exported to New Zealand.
VH-RGA (c/n 120 – ex N8550F) was registered in March 1995, the registration being changed to VH-LKA in 1996. A further example became VH-KIW (c/n 114) with Island Air of Mackay, QLD on 18 May 2012 on tourist work.
One further example was imported to New Zealand. This machine has been based on the south island and operated with its American registration N8418B (c/n 77), being operated by Southern Aircraft Consultancy Inc from 2015.