The Freedom Lite SS-11 Skywatch (also called the Skywatch SS11) is a Canadian

ultralight aircraft Ultralight aviation (called microlight aviation in some countries) is the flying of lightweight, 1- or 2-seat fixed-wing aircraft. Some countries differentiate between weight-shift control and conventional three-axis control aircraft with ailer ...

that was produced by

Freedom Lite Spectrum Aircraft was a Canadian ultralight aircraft manufacturer that commenced operations in 1983 and went out of business in 1992. The company was known for its Beaver ultralight design, which remains in production by successor companies in ...

Walton, Ontario Walton (population: 96) is a Southwestern Ontario hamlet in Huron County, Ontario, Canada, located at the intersection of Huron County Road 12 and Road 25, 45 km east of Goderich. Geography The geography of the region was shaped by the W ...

and later by Legend Lite of New Hamburg, Ontario, introduced in 1996. When it was available the aircraft was supplied as a complete ready-to-fly-aircraft, or as a kit for amateur construction.Purdy, Don: ''AeroCrafter - Homebuilt Aircraft Sourcebook, Fifth Edition'', page 166. BAI Communications, 15 July 1998. Cliche, Andre: ''Ultralight Aircraft Shopper's Guide'' 8th Edition, page B-103. Cybair Limited Publishing, 2001. In Canada the SS-11 is a Transport Canada-accepted Advanced Ultra-Light Aeroplane

Design and development

Developed from the Spectrum Beaver RX650, the SS-11 Skywatch features a

strut-braced In aeronautics, bracing comprises additional structural members which stiffen the functional airframe to give it rigidity and strength under load. Bracing may be applied both internally and externally, and may take the form of strut, which act in ...

high-wing, a two-seats-in- tandem enclosed cockpit accessed through upwards opening doors supported by folding struts, fixed tricycle landing gear with wheel pants, a small auxiliary tail wheel and a single engine in

pusher configuration In an aircraft with a pusher configuration (as opposed to a tractor configuration), the propeller(s) are mounted behind their respective engine(s). Since a pusher propeller is mounted behind the engine, the drive shaft is in compression in nor ...

. In improving the RX650 the company made 186 design changes to produce the SS-11. The most obvious change was the move from Dacron envelopes for the wings to doped

aircraft fabric covering Aircraft fabric covering is a term used for both the material used and the process of covering aircraft open structures. It is also used for reinforcing closed plywood structures. The de Havilland Mosquito is an example of this technique, as ar ...

. The aircraft is made from

4130 steel 41xx steel is a family of SAE steel grades, as specified by the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE). Alloying elements include chromium and molybdenum, and as a result these materials are often informally referred to as chromoly steel (common ...

and aluminum tubing, plus fibreglass, with its flying surfaces covered with doped aircraft fabric. The cockpit cage is all 4130 steel, while the tail boom tube is aluminum. Its span wing lacks flaps and has a wing area of . The wing is built with an aluminum structure, with an I-beam spar and stamped ribs. The SS-11 has folding wings and a folding tail as well, to allow ground transport or storage. Folding the wings can be accomplished by one person in a few minutes, with the struts supporting the wing. The nose wheel is steerable, dual controls were factory standard, while the vertically-hinged cockpit doors were an option. With no occupants the aircraft sits on its tail. The SS-11's acceptable installed engine power range is and the standard engines used are the Rotax 503 and the Rotax 582 twin cylinder, two-stroke powerplants. The SS-11 Skywatch has a typical empty weight of and a gross weight of , giving a useful load of . With full fuel of the payload for the pilot, passenger and baggage is . The aircraft was manufactured using computer numeric-controlled matched centres. The manufacturer estimated that the supplied kit could be completed in about 250 hours of work.

Operational history

In January 2017 there were six SS-11s registered with Transport Canada, but none registered in the United States with the Federal Aviation Administration.

Specifications (SS-11 Skywatch)

References

{{Uncertified aircraft developed in Canada Skywatch SS-11 Skywatch SS-11 1990s Canadian sport aircraft 1990s Canadian ultralight aircraft Single-engined pusher aircraft High-wing aircraft Homebuilt aircraft