Photograph:
SAPlanes Bushbaby 450 19-5434 (c/n 89) at Mareeba, QLD (SAPlanes)
Country of origin:
South Africa
Description:
Two-seat light sport monoplane
Power Plant:
One 75 kw (100 hp) Rotax 912 four-cylinder horizontally-opposed liquid-and-air-cooled engine
Specifications:
- Wingspan: 9.6 m (31 ft 6 in)
- Length: 5.41 m (17 ft 7 in)
- Width (wings folded): 2.38 m (7 ft 8 in)
- Wing area: 12.43 m² (133.79 sq ft)
- Max speed: 177 km/h (110 mph)
- Cruising speed at 75% power: 153 km/h (95 mph)
- Stalling speed power off flaps down: 56 km/h (35 mph)
- Take-off roll: 100 m (328 ft)
- Landing roll: 100 m (328 ft)
- Service ceiling: 4,572 m (15,000 ft)
- Endurance: 7 hours
- Fuel capacity: 100 litres (22 Imp gals)
- Empty weight: 280 kg (617 lb)
- Loaded weight (ultralight): 450 kg (992 lb)
- Loaded weight (light aircraft): 500 kg (1,102 lb)
History:
The Bushbaby is one of South Africa’s most successful kit aircraft, produced in some numbers since the early 1990s. It is said to be based on time proved designs with the latest laminar aerodynamics for good performance and economy. It is built of jig-welded steel tube, the airframe and wings incorporating aluminium spars and plywood ribs. The whole structure is covered with fabric and is good for ‘bushplane’ type work in South Africa.
It is a conventional three-axis control machine and is manoeuvrable, with well balanced, light and responsive controls. Dual controls are standard. Differential aerofoil flaperons provide good handling at low airspeed. The cockpit seats two adults, with baggage for long cross-country bushplane work. For storage the wings can be folded and it can be built in tailwheel or tricycle undercarriage configuration. A range of engines may be fitted, including Volkswagen, Rotax and Jabiru, and engines from 48 kw to 75 kw (65 hp to 100 hp) can be installed.
A further variant became available, known as the Bushbaby Explorer, which is slightly larger and can take engines up to 86 kw (115 hp). The type is marketed by Kitplanes for Africa and the Australian distributor is M.E.L.T. Aviation of Mareeba, QLD, the first imported being a tricycle undercarriage variant which became 19-4488 on the RAA register, a tailwheel variant (ex ZU-CUR) being imported at the same time in early 2006. In more recent times the Company SAPlanes has been renamed as Kitplanes for Africa.