A bush airplane is a general aviation aircraft used to provide both scheduled and unscheduled passenger and flight services to remote, undeveloped areas, such as the Canadian north or

bush Bush commonly refers to: * Shrub, a small or medium woody plant Bush, Bushes, or the bush may also refer to: People * Bush (surname), including any of several people with that name **Bush family, a prominent American family that includes: *** ...

, Alaskan tundra, the African bush, or savanna,

Amazon rainforest The Amazon rainforest, Amazon jungle or ; es, Selva amazónica, , or usually ; french: Forêt amazonienne; nl, Amazoneregenwoud. In English, the names are sometimes capitalized further, as Amazon Rainforest, Amazon Forest, or Amazon Jungle. ...

or the

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...

Outback The Outback is a remote, vast, sparsely populated area of Australia. The Outback is more remote than the bush. While often envisaged as being arid, the Outback regions extend from the northern to southern Australian coastlines and encompass a n ...

. They are used where ground transportation infrastructure is inadequate or does not exist.

Common traits

Since a bush plane is defined by how it is used, a wide variety of different aircraft with different configurations have been used over the years as such. However, experience has shown certain traits to be desirable, and so they appear frequently, especially on aircraft specifically designed as bush planes. None of these traits are mandatory - merely they are commonly seen features of bush planes. * The

undercarriage Undercarriage is the part of a moving vehicle that is underneath the main body of the vehicle. The term originally applied to this part of a horse-drawn carriage, and usage has since broadened to include: *The landing gear of an aircraft. *The ch ...

is designed to be fitted with floats, skis or wheel/skis to permit operation from water or snow—primarily for Canadian, Alaskan and Russian use. * High wings ease loading and unloading, particularly from docks; improve downward visibility during flight; and increase clearance to reduce the potential for damage during landing, take-off, loading, or unloading. * Conventional or "tail dragger" landing gear—two large main wheels and a small rear wheel—reduces both weight and drag, increasing the aircraft's speed and useful load. It reduces stress on the airframe compared to a nosewheel. A failure is also less critical, as a broken tailwheel is easily repaired and won't prevent the aircraft from flying, unlike a broken nose wheel. * Short runway performance and low-speed flight characteristics are typically improved by high aspect ratio wings and high-lift devices such as flaps,

slot Slot, the slot or Slots may refer to: People * Arne Slot (born 1978), Dutch footballer * Gerrie Slot (born 1954), Dutch cyclist * Hanke Bruins Slot (born 1977), Dutch politician * Tonny Bruins Slot (born 1947), Dutch association football coach wh ...

s and

slats Super Low Altitude Test Satellite (SLATS) or Tsubame was a JAXA satellite intended to demonstrate operations in very low Earth orbit (VLEO, below 200 km), using ion engines to counteract aerodynamic drag from the Earth's atmosphere which i ...

. * Very large, low-pressure tundra tires may be fitted to enable the pilot to operate from broken ground. It is not uncommon for a bush pilot to land and take off from unprepared surfaces. *

Piston engines A reciprocating engine, also often known as a piston engine, is typically a heat engine that uses one or more reciprocating pistons to convert high temperature and high pressure into a rotating motion. This article describes the common featu ...

are preferred over turboprops, as they are cheaper to build and maintain and easier to start without the aid of ground facilities. In extremely remote areas where

avgas Avgas (aviation gasoline, also known as aviation spirit in the UK) is an aviation fuel used in aircraft with spark-ignited internal combustion engines. ''Avgas'' is distinguished from conventional gasoline (petrol) used in motor vehicles, w ...

can be difficult to acquire, some bush pilots prefer turboprop engines that can burn kerosene-derived

jet fuel Jet fuel or aviation turbine fuel (ATF, also abbreviated avtur) is a type of aviation fuel designed for use in aircraft powered by gas-turbine engines. It is colorless to straw-colored in appearance. The most commonly used fuels for commercial a ...

Current and historical bush planes

Years in brackets are of first flight. *

AAC Angel AAC may refer to: Aviation * Advanced Aircraft, a company from Carlsbad, California * Alaskan Air Command, a radar network * American Aeronautical Corporation, a company from Port Washington, New York * American Aviation, a company from Cleveland ...

(1984) *

Aermacchi AL-60 The Aermacchi AL-60 is a light civil utility aircraft of the late 1950s and early 1960s, originally designed by Al Mooney of Lockheed in the United States. After the company decided not to build the aircraft in the US, it was manufactured in s ...

(1959) *

Antonov An-2 The Antonov An-2 ("kukuruznik"—corn crop duster; USAF/DoD reporting name Type 22, NATO reporting name Colt) is a Soviet mass-produced single-engine biplane utility/agricultural aircraft designed and manufactured by the Antonov Design Bure ...

(1947) * Antonov An-14 (1958) * Antonov An-28 (1968) * Antonov An-38 (1994) *

Auster Autocrat The Auster J/1 Autocrat was a 1940s British single-engined three-seat high-wing touring monoplane built by Auster Aircraft Limited at Rearsby, Leicestershire. History As the end of the Second World War approached, the designers at Taylorcraft d ...

(1945) * Aviat Husky (1986) * Avro Avian (1926) * Avro Anson (1935) *

Avro York The Avro York was a British transport aircraft developed by Avro during the Second World War. The design was derived from the Avro Lancaster heavy bomber, several sections of the York and Lancaster being identical. Due to the importance of L ...

(1942) * Bach T-11P (1927) * Barkley-Grow T8P-1 (1937) *

Barrows Bearhawk The Barrows Bearhawk, now also called the Barrows 4-Place Bearhawk, is an American amateur-built aircraft, designed by Bob Barrows and produced by R&B Aircraft of Fincastle, Virginia, AviPro Aircraft and now Bearhawk Aircraft of Austin, Te ...

(1995) *

Beechcraft Model 17 Staggerwing The Beechcraft Model 17 Staggerwing is an American biplane with an atypical negative wing stagger (the lower wing is farther forward than the upper wing). It first flew in 1932. Development At the height of the Great Depression, aircra ...

(1932) * Beechcraft Model 18 (1937) *

Bellanca CH-300 Pacemaker The Bellanca CH-300 Pacemaker was a six-seat utility aircraft, built primarily in the United States in the 1920s and 1930s. It was a development of the Bellanca CH-200, fitted with a more powerful engine and, like the CH-200, soon became renowne ...

(1929) *

Bellanca CH-400 Skyrocket The Bellanca CH-400 Skyrocket is a six-seat utility aircraft built in the United States in the 1930s, a continuation of the design lineage that had started with the Bellanca WB-2. Retaining the same basic airframe of the preceding CH-200 and CH ...

(1930) * Bellanca Aircruiser (1930) * Bellanca Senior Pacemaker (1935) * Bellanca Senior Skyrocket (1935) * Boeing B1E (1928) * Bristol Freighter (1945) *

Britten-Norman BN-2 Islander The Britten-Norman BN-2 Islander is a British light utility aircraft and regional airliner designed and originally manufactured by Britten-Norman of the United Kingdom. Still in production, the Islander is one of the best-selling commercial air ...

(1965) * Buhl Airsedan (1928) *

Bushcaddy L-162 Max The Bushcaddy L-162 Max is a Canadian kit aircraft that was designed by Sean Gilmore and produced by Canadian Light Aircraft Sales and Service and most recently by Bushcaddy. The aircraft is supplied as a kit for amateur construction.Vanderm ...

(1995) *

Bushcaddy L-164 The Bushcaddy L-164 is a Canadian kit aircraft that was designed by Sean Gilmore and produced by Canadian Light Aircraft Sales and Service and most recently by Bushcaddy. The aircraft is supplied as a kit for amateur construction.Vandermeulle ...

(2007) * Canadian Vickers Vedette (1924) * Cessna Crane (1939) * Cessna 172 (1956) *

Cessna 180 The Cessna 180 Skywagon is a four- or six-seat, fixed conventional gear general aviation airplane which was produced between 1953 and 1981. Though the design is no longer in production, many of these aircraft are still in use as personal aircr ...

(1952) * Cessna 182 Skylane (1956) * Cessna 185 Skywagon (1960) *

Cessna 206 Stationair The Cessna 205, 206, and 207, known primarily as the Stationair (and marketed variously as the Super Skywagon, Skywagon and Super Skylane) are a family of single-engined, general aviation aircraft with fixed landing gear, used in commercial air ...

(1962) *

Cessna 208 Caravan The Cessna 208 Caravan is a utility aircraft produced by Cessna. The project was commenced on November 20, 1981, and the prototype first flew on December 9, 1982. The production model was certified by the Federal Aviation Administration, FAA ...

(1982) *

Champion Citabria The Citabria is a light single-engine, two-seat, fixed conventional gear airplane which entered production in the United States in 1964. Designed for flight training, utility and personal use, it is capable of sustaining aerobatic stresses f ...

(1964) * Consolidated Catalina/Canso (1935) * Curtiss HS (1917) * Curtiss Lark (1925) * Curtiss Robin (1928) *

Curtiss Thrush The Curtiss/Curtiss-Robertson Model 56 ThrushAll Curtiss model numbers lower than 75 were assigned retroactively. was a 1929 six passenger high-wing fixed undercarriage single-engine cabin monoplane airliner and utility transport powered by eith ...

(1929) * Curtiss-Wright C-46 Commando (1940) *

Curtiss-Wright Junior The Curtiss-Wright CW-1 Junior, originally named the Curtiss-Robertson CR-1 Skeeter is a light sports aircraft produced in the United States in the 1930s. It had been intended to sell it for the price of a mid-range automobile. The Junior had t ...

(1930) * de Havilland DH.60 Moth (1925) * de Havilland DH.61 Giant Moth (1927) * de Havilland DH.82 Tiger Moth (1931) * de Havilland DH.83 Fox Moth (1932) * de Havilland DH.89 Dragon Rapide (1934) * de Havilland DH.90 Dragonfly (1935) * de Havilland Australia DHA-3 Drover (1948) * de Havilland Canada DHC-2 Beaver (1947) * de Havilland Canada DHC-3 Otter (1951) *

de Havilland Canada DHC-4 Caribou The de Havilland Canada DHC-4 Caribou (designated by the United States military as the CV-2 and later C-7 Caribou) is a Canadian specialized cargo aircraft with short takeoff and landing (STOL) capability. The Caribou was first flown in 1958 a ...

(1958) *

de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter The de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter is a Canadian STOL (Short Takeoff and Landing) utility aircraft developed by de Havilland Canada, which produced the aircraft from 1965 to 1988; Viking Air purchased the type certificate, then restarted ...

(1965) * Dornier Do 27 (1955) *

Douglas Dolphin The Douglas Dolphin is an American amphibious flying boat. While only 58 were built, they served a wide variety of roles including private air yacht, airliner, military transport, and search and rescue. Design and development The Dolphin origin ...

(1930) *

Douglas DC-3 The Douglas DC-3 is a propeller-driven airliner manufactured by Douglas Aircraft Company, which had a lasting effect on the airline industry in the 1930s to 1940s and World War II. It was developed as a larger, improved 14-bed sleeper version ...

/ Douglas C-47 (1935) * Douglas DC-4 (1942) *

Eastman E-2 Sea Rover The Eastman E-2 Sea Rover, also called the Beasley-Eastman E-2 Sea Rover, was a light seaplane built in the late 1920s for business and shuttle use. Development The E-2 was designed by former Ford engineer Thomas Towle for industrialist Jim ...

(1928) *

Evangel 4500 The Evangel 4500 was a 1960s American twin-engined light passenger/cargo monoplane built by the Evangel Aircraft Corporation. Development The Evangel Aircraft Corporation was established to design and build a bush aircraft particularly for use b ...

(1964) *

Fairchild 24 The Fairchild Model 24, also called the Fairchild Model 24 Argus and UC-61 Forwarder, is a four-seat, single-engine monoplane light transport aircraft designed by the Fairchild Aviation Corporation in the 1930s. It was adopted by the United Sta ...

(1932) *

Fairchild C-82 Packet The C-82 Packet is a twin-engine, twin-boom cargo aircraft designed and built by Fairchild Aircraft. It was used briefly by the United States Army Air Forces and the successor United States Air Force following World War II. Design and develop ...

(1944) * Fairchild FC-2/51 (1926) *

Fairchild 71 The Fairchild 71 was an American high-wing monoplane passenger and cargo aircraft built by Fairchild Aircraft and later built in Canada by Fairchild Aircraft Ltd. (Canada) for both military and civilian use as a rugged bush plane. Design and ...

(1926) * Fairchild Super 71 (1934) * Fairchild 100 (1930) * Fairchild 82 (1935) *

Fairchild F-11 Husky The Fairchild F-11 Husky was a Canadian bush plane designed and manufactured in the post-Second World War era. Despite a promising design, a lack of a suitable powerplant hurt performance, and stiff competition from the de Havilland Beaver and de ...

(1946) * Fieseler Fi 156 (1936) * Fleet Freighter (1938) * Fokker Universal (1926) * Fokker Super Universal (1928) *

Fokker F.11 The Fokker F-11 was a luxury flying boat produced as an ' air yacht' in the United States in the late 1920s. Technically the aircraft was the Fokker Aircraft Corporation of America's Model 9. It was sold in North America as the Fokker F-11 and ...

(1928) *

Ford Trimotor The Ford Trimotor (also called the "Tri-Motor", and nicknamed the "Tin Goose") is an American three-engined transport aircraft. Production started in 1925 by the companies of Henry Ford and ended on June 7, 1933, after 199 had been made. It w ...

(1926) * Found FBA-2 (1960) * GAF Nomad (1971) *

Gippsland GA8 The Mahindra Airvan 8 (formerly the GippsAero GA8 Airvan 8) is a single-engined utility aircraft manufactured by GippsAero (formerly named Gippsland Aeronautics) of Victoria, Australia. It can seat up to eight people, including the pilot. The ...

(1995) * Gippsland GA10 (2012) * Grumman Goose (1937) * Grumman Widgeon (1940)Foster, 1990, p.197 * Grumman Mallard (1946) *

Halpin Flamingo The Metal Aircraft Flamingo was a monoplane produced in Cincinnati, Ohio by the Metal Aircraft Corporation in the 1930s. Design and development The Metal Aircraft Corporation purchased the design from the Halpin Development Co. and unveiled it ...

(1929) * Hamilton H-47 (1928) *

Helio Courier The Helio Courier is a cantilever high-wing light STOL utility aircraft designed in 1949. Around 500 of these aircraft were manufactured in Pittsburg, Kansas, from 1954 until 1974 by the Helio Aircraft Company. The design featured four lead ...

(1954) * Howard DGA-8/9/11/12 (1936) * Howard DGA-15 (1939) * Johns Ra-Son Warrior (1947) *

Junkers F.13 The Junkers F 13 was the world's first all-metal transport aircraft, developed in Weimar Republic, Germany at the end of World War I. It was an advanced Cantilever#Aircraft, cantilever-wing monoplane, with enclosed accommodation for four passenge ...

(1919) * Junkers G 31 (1926) * Junkers W 33 (1926) * Junkers W 34 (1926) *

Junkers Ju 52 The Junkers Ju 52/3m (nicknamed ''Tante Ju'' ("Aunt Ju") and ''Iron Annie'') is a transport aircraft that was designed and manufactured by German aviation company Junkers. Development of the Ju 52 commenced during 1930, headed by German Aeros ...

/1m (1930) * Kitfox (1984) * Lake Buccaneer (1960) * Lockheed Vega (1927) *

Lockheed Model 18 Lodestar The Lockheed Model 18 Lodestar is a passenger transport aircraft of the World War II era. Design and development Sales of the 10–14 passenger Lockheed Model 14 Super Electra, which first flew in 1937, had proved disappointing, despite the air ...

(1939) * Max Holste Broussard (1952) * Maule M-7 (1984) * Murphy Rebel (1990) * Murphy Moose (1995) *

Murphy Elite 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.Vandermeullen, Richard: ''2011 Kit Aircraft Buyer's ...

(1996) * Noorduyn Norseman (1935) *

Northrop N-23 Pioneer Northrop may refer to: Businesses * Northrop Corporation, an American aircraft manufacturer formed in 1939 * Northrop Grumman, an American aircraft manufacturer formed in 1994 as a merger of the above company with Grumman * Northrop Loom, an Americ ...

(1946) *

Northwest Ranger The Northwest Ranger was a Canadian bush aircraft that was under development by Northwest Industries (NWI) of Edmonton, Alberta between 1968-1972. The aircraft was a type certified design, and intended to be supplied as a complete ready-to-fly ...

(1968) * PAC P-750 XSTOL (2001) * Piper J-3 Cub (1938) * Piper PA-18 Super Cub (1949) * Piper PA-22 Bushmaster * Piper PA-23 (1952) *

Pipistrel Virus SW The Pipistrel Virus is a two-seat, single engine light aircraft, manufactured by Pipistrel in Slovenia and Italy, and sold as an ultralight, homebuilt kit, or light-sport aircraft.Vandermeullen, Richard: ''2012 Kit Aircraft Buyer's Guide'', Kitpl ...

(2006) * Pilatus PC-6 Porter/Turbo Porter (1959) * Polikarpov Po-2 (1927) * PZL-104 Wilga (1962) * Quest Kodiak (2004) * Rans S-7 Courier (1985) * Republic RC-3 Seabee (1945) *

Rutan Grizzly The Rutan Model 72 Grizzly is a tandem-wing STOL research aircraft designed by Burt Rutan, now preserved at the EAA AirVenture Museum, Oshkosh. The aircraft exhibited excellent Short Take-Off and Landing (STOL) capabilities, proving that this ...

(1982) *

Ryan Brougham The Ryan Brougham was a small single-engine airliner produced in the United States in the late 1920s and early 1930s.Taylor 1989, p. 772. Its design was reminiscent of the M-1 mailplane first produced by Ryan in 1926, and like it, was a high-wi ...

(1927) * Shavrov Sh-2 (1930) *

Short SC.7 Skyvan The Short SC.7 Skyvan (nicknamed the "Flying Shoebox") is a British 19-seat twin-turboprop aircraft manufactured by Short Brothers of Belfast, Northern Ireland. It is used mainly for short-haul freight and skydiving. The Short 330 and Short 36 ...

(1963) * Sikorsky S-38 (1928) * Sikorsky S-39 (1929) * Stearman C3 (1927) *

Stearman M-2 The Stearman M-2 Speedmail (nicknamed the Bull Stearman) was a mail-carrier aircraft produced by the Stearman Aircraft Company of Wichita, Kansas. It first flew in January 1929. The Speedmail was a single-seat biplane, with two large cargo comp ...

(1929) *

Stearman 4 The Stearman 4 is an American commercial biplane that was manufactured in the 1920s by Stearman Aircraft. They were marketed at the time as fast and luxurious executive transports and mail planes for about US$16,000. Development Stearman Airc ...

(1930) * Stinson Detroiter (1926) *

Stinson Junior The Stinson Junior was a high-winged American monoplane of the late 1920s, built for private owners, and was one of the first such designs to feature a fully enclosed cabin. Design and development Stinson Aircraft had introduced their large high-w ...

(1928) * Stinson Model A (1934) *

Stinson Reliant The Stinson Reliant is a popular single-engine four- to five-seat high-wing monoplane manufactured by the Stinson Aircraft Division of the Aviation Manufacturing Corporation of Wayne, Michigan. Design and development The Reliant is a high-win ...

(1933) * Stinson Voyager (1939) * Stinson 108 (1946) * Supermarine Sea Otter (converted after 2nd World War) *

Technoavia SM92 Finist The Technoavia SM92 Finist is a utility aircraft with a STOL capability, designed by the Russian company Technoavia. The maiden flight was on 28 December 1993. It is built by the Smolensk Aviation Plant. Variants ; SM92 Finist :Basic version ...

(1993) *

Travel Air 6000 The Travel Air 6000 (later known as the Curtiss-Wright 6B when Travel Air was purchased by Curtiss-Wright) was a six-seat utility aircraft manufactured in the United States in the late 1920s. Design and development It was developed as a luxury ve ...

(1928) * Vickers Viking (1919)Foster, 1990, p.47 * Waco 10 (1927) * Waco Standard Cabin series (1931) * Waco AQC-6/Waco ZQC-6 Freighter (1936)Foster, 1990, p.194 * Westland Limousine (1919) *

Wild DoubleEnder The Wild DoubleEnder is an American twin engine utility aircraft designed for bush flying and also to minimize risk from engine failure and subsequent adverse yaw. Design and development The DoubleEnder is a two place tandem seat conventional la ...

(2010) *

Yakovlev Yak-12 The Yakovlev Yak-12 (russian: Яковлев Як-12, also transcribed as Jak-12, NATO reporting name: "Creek") is a light multirole STOL aircraft used by the Soviet Air Force, Soviet civilian aviation and other countries from 1947 onwards. ...

(1947) * Zenith STOL CH 701 (1986)

Aviation museum An aviation museum, air museum, or air and space museum is a museum exhibiting the history and cultural artifacts, artifacts of aviation. In addition to actual, replica or accurate reproduction aircraft, exhibits can include photographs, maps, P ...
s with large collections of bush planes

* Alberta Aviation Museum *

Alaska Aviation Heritage Museum The Alaska Aviation Museum, previously the Alaska Aviation Heritage Museum, is located on Lake Hood Seaplane Base in Anchorage, Alaska. Its mission since 1988, is to preserve, display, and honor Alaska's aviation heritage, by preserving and displ ...

Canada Aviation and Space Museum The Canada Aviation and Space Museum (french: link=no, Musée de l'Aviation et de l'Espace du Canada) (formerly the Canada Aviation Museum and National Aeronautical Collection) is Canada's national aviation history museum. The museum is located ...

Canadian Bushplane Heritage Centre Canadian Bushplane Heritage Centre (CBHC), located on the north bank of the St. Marys River in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, Canada, is dedicated to preserving the history of bush flying and forest protection in Canada. It was founded in 1987 by a ...

Western Canada Aviation Museum The Royal Aviation Museum of Western Canada (formerly the Western Canada Aviation Museum) is a museum in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. The museum opened to the public in its new location on 21 May 2022. History The Western Canada Aviation Museum w ...

Common traits

Current and historical bush planes

See also

References

Citations

Bibliography

External links