Country of origin:

Australia

Description:

Single-seat light sporting monoplane

Power Plant:

On 34 kw (45 hp) at 5,800 rpm Zenoah G-50D two-cylinder horizontally-opposed two-stroke, dual carburetted free air-cooled engine with belt drive

Specifications:

History:

The Bush Cocky is a single-engine single-seat light sporting aircraft designed by John McCarron in Queensland and is a development of the Winton Cricket and Jackaroo series for the ultralight aircraft market. The prototype was registered as 10-0582 (c/n 1) and the designer, who had Brisbane engineer Bill Whitney check the drawings, proposed to put the aircraft into production. Either five or six airframes were constructed. It is believed three of the airframes were scrapped.

The prototype 10-0582 (c/n 1) was completed and registered on 25 July 1988. It was to be registered under RAA regulation 95:10 as they then were, but it was found to be overweight. After 1,000 hours of operation it was withdrawn from service on 27 November 2001. It was dis-assembled and placed in storage with the other surviving airframes. It was stored for some years until the designer decided to travel on his yacht and shelved further development of the design. Two others were placed on the RAA register, 10-0581 (c/n 2) registered from 25 July 1988 and withdrawn from service on 27 November 2000; and 10-0578 (c/n 4) registered on 25 July 1988 also but withdrawn from service in 1996. It is believed about five examples were completed.

In 2018 the surviving airframes were offered to and came into the possession of Raymond Tolhurst of Wedgetail Aircraft of Camden, NSW, this Company proposing to restore the prototype, complete a second aircraft and commence production of the type to meet orders, the type with some small modifications to become known as the Wedgetail Bush Cocky.