 | |
| Industry | Aerospace manufacturing |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1984 |
| Founder | Darryl Murphy |
| Headquarters | 2-8155 Aitken Rd Chilliwack B.C. V2R4H5, , |
Key people | Managing director: Jensen Li |
| Products | Kit aircraft |
| Owner | Duofu International Holding Group |
| Website | www |
Murphy Aircraft Manufacturing Limited is a Canadian maker of civil general aviation kits for amateur construction. The company was founded in 1985 by Darryl Murphy and is located in Chilliwack, British Columbia. [1] [2] [3]
The company was started as the result of a hunting accident. Darryl Murphy was a mechanical engineering technologist who designed and built a rigid wing hang glider in 1978 as a school project at the Saskatchewan Institute of Applied Science and Technology in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. In 1984 Murphy was in a non-aviation accident that left him hospitalized for four months. During his recovery time he decided to design a biplane to fit into the then-new Canadian ultralight category. The aircraft was a single-seat model and was intended as a one-off aircraft for his own use, with no production intentions. Murphy named it the Renegade. [4] [5]
After taking the Renegade to a number of fly-ins and other aviation events, Murphy was encouraged by the positive response it received and by the number of people who asked him to build one for them. In 1985 Murphy quit his job and started Murphy Aviation (later renamed Murphy Aircraft Manufacturing), with his brother Bryan and located the company in Chilliwack, British Columbia. [4] [6]
The original Renegade design was turned into a two-seater by relocating the fuel tank from the centre fuselage to the upper wing, installing a second seat and designating it the Renegade II. Initial sales were disappointing as only one kit was sold in the first six months. Sales improved greatly once the aviation press began reviewing the aircraft. By 1986 the company had a backlog of orders, including many from outside North America. Murphy displayed the Renegade at the EAA Convention, Oshkosh and returned to Chilliwack with a substantial order book. During 1989 sales totalled 129 Renegade IIs. [4] [6]
In May 1987 a new version of the basic Renegade design first flew. Named the Renegade Spirit it added a radial engine-style round cowling and a 64 hp (48 kW) Rotax 532 and later the Rotax 582 engine. [7] [8] [9] [10]
In September 2008, as a result of restructuring due to the early 2000s recession, Murphy Aircraft split off their sales functions to a new company, Patterson AeroSales, headed by former Murphy sales representative Bob Patterson. Murphy Aircraft continues to concentrate on designing and manufacturing kit aircraft while Patterson handles "show appearances, advertising materials, promotions and general sales responsibilities". Murphy Aircraft President Darryl Murphy also explained that the company will only manufacture kits in batches once sufficient numbers of orders have been accumulated to justify a production run and that standard aircraft hardware parts, like rivets and bolts would be shipped directly from the suppliers to customers to save costs. [11]
On 9 January 2014 the company issued a press release indicating that Darryl Murphy was retiring and wished to sell the company, indicating he expected to receive in the "$2.5 to $4 million range, depending on how much of the manufacturing machinery the buyer wants". [12] [13]
On 22 January 2016 Murphy Aircraft announced that it has begun the process to put the Murphy Rebel into the light-sport aircraft category. [14]
The company unveiled a new Darryl Murphy design at AirVenture in July 2016, the Murphy Radical, which incorporates bicycle carriers on the wings. [15] [16]
The company was eventually sold to the Duofu International Holding Group, one of the top 25 Chinese conglomerates, which has subsidiaries in the fields of investment, manufacturing, mining, real estate, culture, tourism, international trade and aviation manufacturing. The company appointed Jensen Li as the managing director. [17]
The newly acquired company halted kit production while rewriting the kit documentation using CAD/CAM computerization and also re-working the kits to speed up assembly time with improved pre-drilling. Kit production was expected to resume later in 2023, with a reduced offering of only three designs, the Murphy Moose, Radical and Rebel. [18]
| Aircraft | Description | Seats | Launch date | 1st flight | 1st delivery | Number built | |
| Murphy Elite | propeller aircraft/float plane | 2 | |||||
| Murphy Maverick | propeller aircraft/ultralight/LSA | 2 | |||||
| Murphy Moose (SR3500) | utility monoplane | 2~6 | |||||
| Murphy Rebel | propeller aircraft/float plane/LSA | 2+1 | May 1990 | Feb 1991 | |||
| Murphy SR2500 Super Rebel | |||||||
| Murphy Renegade | biplane/LSA | 2 | |||||
| Murphy Yukon | propeller aircraft | 4 | 2007 | 2007 | 2012 | 3 | |
| Murphy JDM-8 | propeller acrobatic/ultralight | 1 | prototype only | ||||
| Murphy Radical | propeller STOL | 4 | 2016 | 2016 | 2017 | 5 (2023) |
The Advanced Aviation Explorer is a two-seat ultralight marketed in kit form, for amateur construction. It is a high-wing taildragger aircraft of pusher configuration with tandem seating.
The Murphy Rebel is a two- or three-seat, strut braced, high wing, taildragger monoplane which is sold in kit form by Murphy Aircraft in Chilliwack, British Columbia, Canada.
The Lockwood Aircam is a high-wing, twin engine pusher configuration aircraft with conventional landing gear, based on the single engine Lockwood Drifter and sold in kit form by Lockwood Aircraft. The open-cockpit aircraft seats two in tandem. As of 2019, 250 Aircams were licensed and flying. In 2019, a complete kit with Rotax 912ULS engines, less instruments, paint, shipping and crating was priced at US$128,990.
The Rans S-6 Coyote II is an American single-engined, tractor configuration, two-seat, high-wing monoplane designed by Randy Schlitter and manufactured by Rans Inc. The Coyote is available in kit form for amateur construction or as a completed light-sport aircraft.
The Aero-Works Aerolite 103 is an American single seat, high-wing, pusher configuration ultralight aircraft, designed by Terry Raber and introduced by Aero-Works, Inc, of Millersburg, Ohio, in 1997. The aircraft's model number indicates that it was designed to comply with the Federal Aviation Administration FAR 103 ultralight rules.
The Fisher Classic is a Canadian two-seat, conventional landing gear, single-engined, biplane kit aircraft designed for construction by amateur builders. The aircraft is a two-seat derivation of the Fisher FP-404. Fisher Flying Products was originally based in Edgeley, North Dakota, USA but the company is now located in Woodbridge, Ontario, Canada.
The Fisher Youngster is a Canadian single-seat, conventional landing gear, single-engined, biplane kit aircraft designed for construction by amateur builders. The aircraft was inspired by the German Bücker Bü 133 Jungmeister aerobatic aircraft of the 1930s.
The Fisher Dakota Hawk is a Canadian side-by-side two-seat, conventional landing gear, single-engined, high-wing monoplane kit aircraft designed for construction by amateur builders.
The Murphy JDM-8 is a Canadian single-seat ultralight monoplane designed by Daryl Murphy. The type was intended to be sold as a kit for home construction by Murphy Aircraft of Chilliwack, British Columbia.
The Murphy Renegade is a family of Canadian two-seats-in-tandem, single engine, conventional landing gear, biplanes, produced by Murphy Aircraft and intended for amateur construction.
The Sorrell Hiperlight is a family of single and two seat, negative stagger biplanes, designed for amateur construction.
The Rans S-7 Courier is an American single-engined, tractor configuration, two-seats in tandem, high-wing monoplane designed by Randy Schlitter and manufactured by Rans Inc. The Courier is available in kit form for amateur construction or as a completed light-sport aircraft.
The Rans S-9 Chaos is an American single-engined, tractor configuration, single-seat, mid-wing monoplane designed by Randy Schlitter for aerobatics and manufactured by Rans Inc. The Chaos is available in kit form for amateur construction.
The Rans S-10 Sakota is an American single-engined, tractor configuration, two-seats in side-by-side configuration, mid-wing monoplane designed by Randy Schlitter for aerobatics and manufactured by Rans Inc. The Sakota is available in kit form for amateur construction.
The Flying K Sky Raider is a family of American, high wing, strut-braced, single engine, conventional landing gear ultralight aircraft that was designed by Ken Schrader and produced by Flying K Enterprises and later Sky Raider LLC of Caldwell, Idaho for amateur construction.
The Titan Tornado is large family of cantilever high-wing, pusher configuration, tricycle gear-equipped kit aircraft manufactured by Titan Aircraft of Austinburg, Ohio, for amateur construction.
The Quicksilver GT500 is a family of American strut-braced, high-wing, pusher configuration, tricycle gear aircraft built by Quicksilver Aeronautics of Temecula, California. The aircraft is available as a kit for amateur construction or as a completed ready-to-fly aircraft.
The Murphy Elite is a Canadian light aircraft that was designed and is produced by Murphy Aircraft of Chilliwack, British Columbia. The aircraft is supplied as a kit for amateur construction.
The Glasair GlaStar is an American amateur-built aircraft that was designed by Tom Hamilton and produced by Stoddard-Hamilton Aircraft and later Glasair Aviation. It was first flown in 1994 and was superseded in production by the Glasair Sportsman 2+2 c. 2005. When it was available the aircraft was supplied as a kit for amateur construction.
The Murphy Radical is a Canadian STOL amateur-built aircraft that was designed by Darryl Murphy and is under development by Murphy Aircraft of Chilliwack, British Columbia. The aircraft is supplied as a kit for amateur construction.
