Aircorp Bushmaster

Last updated
B2-N Bushmaster
RoleCivil utility aircraft
National originAustralia
ManufacturerAircorp [1] [2]
Designer C. W. "Bill" Whitney [1] [2]
First flight28 October 1989 [1] [2]
Number built1 [1]

The Aircorp B2-N Bushmaster [lower-alpha 1] is a prototype Australian light aircraft designed for aerobatic, touring, and utility use. [1] [2] [3] It first flew in 1989 and did not enter production. [1]

Contents

Design and development

The Bushmaster is a high-wing, strut-braced monoplane of conventional design with fixed, tailwheel undercarriage. [1] [2] It has two seats, side-by-side, in an enclosed cabin. [1] [2] Fuselage construction is of welded steel tube, covered in fabric, and the wing is all metal. [1] [2] It is powered by a nose-mounted engine driving a tractor propeller. [1] [2] This engine was originally a Norton Aerotor 90 wankel engine, also intended to power production examples. [1] [2]

The prototype, VH-BOI, first flew on 28 October 1989. [1] [2] [3] Certification for the original Norton powerplant was delayed, so it was changed to a Lycoming O-235 after this first flight. [1] [2] [4] The engine change necessitated some other modifications to the aircraft, including changes to the engine cowling and the undercarriage. [4]

The Bushmaster received its Certificate of Airworthiness in late 1990. [1] Production was to take place at Caboolture Airport. [1] However, by early 1992, Aircorp was under financial pressure, which led one of the original partners in the company, Peter Ferro, to buy it out to continue the project. [4]

By 1992, a range of models had been proposed, and the prototype was modified to make it comply with American FAR 23 regulations in preparation for marketing in the US. [1] [2] Production examples were also to have redesigned wing spars, relocated fuel tanks, wings braced with I-struts instead of the V-struts of the prototype, and three-position flaps. [2] Flight testing of the four-seat B4-80 model was anticipated to start in late 1992. [4]

However, by 2007, no further examples had been produced and the prototype was sold off. [1]

Variants

B2-N
Prototype VH-BOI. First flight 28 October 1989 (1 built) [1] [2]
B2-16
Planned two-seat side-by-side production variant [1] [2]
B2-16A
Planned variant with 2+2 seating [1] [2]
B3-16
Planned variant with a single seat in front, with a bench seat for two passengers behind it [2]
B4-16
Planned four-seat variant with a stretched cabin [2]
B4-60
Planned four-seat variant with a stretched cabin and a 119 kw (160 hp) Lycoming engine [2]
B4-80
Planned four-seat variant with a stretched cabin and a 134 kw (180 hp) Lycoming engine [2]

Specifications (B2-N)

Data from Lambert 1991, pp.2-3

General characteristics

Performance

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References

Footnotes

  1. ↑ Eyre gives the prototype's designation as "BN-2", and that of other two-seat variants as "B2-xx". Jane's sources use the format "B2-N" for the prototype, consistent with the planned production models. This article follows Jane's.

Citations

Bibliography

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