The Murphy Renegade is a family of

Canadian Canadians (french: Canadiens) are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of ...

two-seats-in-

tandem Tandem, or in tandem, is an arrangement in which a team of machines, animals or people are lined up one behind another, all facing in the same direction. The original use of the term in English was in ''tandem harness'', which is used for two ...

, single engine,

conventional landing gear Conventional landing gear, or tailwheel-type landing gear, is an aircraft undercarriage consisting of two main wheels forward of the center of gravity and a small wheel or skid to support the tail.Crane, Dale: ''Dictionary of Aeronautical Term ...

biplane A biplane is a fixed-wing aircraft with two main wings stacked one above the other. The first powered, controlled aeroplane to fly, the Wright Flyer, used a biplane wing arrangement, as did many aircraft in the early years of aviation. While a ...

s, produced by

Murphy Aircraft Murphy () ( ga, Ua Murchadha) is an Irish name, Irish surname and the most common surname in the Republic of Ireland. Origins and variants The surname is a variant of two Irish surnames: "Ó Murchadha"/"Ó Murchadh" (descendant of "Murchadh" ...

and intended for amateur construction.Vandermeullen, Richard: ''2012 Kit Aircraft Buyer's Guide'', Kitplanes, Volume 28, Number 12, December 2011, page 62. Belvoir Publications. ISSN 0891-1851Purdy, Don: ''AeroCrafter - Homebuilt Aircraft Sourcebook'', page 212. BAI Communications. Downey, Julia: ''2008 Kit Aircraft Directory'', Kitplanes, Volume 24, Number 12, December 2007, page 63. Primedia Publications. ISSN 0891-1851Kitplanes Staff: ''1999 Kit Aircraft Directory'', Kitplanes, Volume 15, Number 12, December 1998, page 57. Primedia Publications. IPM 0462012Bayerl, Robby; Martin Berkemeier; et al: ''World Directory of Leisure Aviation 2011-12'', page 66. WDLA UK, Lancaster UK, 2011. ISSN 1368-485XTacke, Willi; Marino Boric; et al: ''World Directory of Light Aviation 2015-16'', page 69. Flying Pages Europe SARL, 2015. In Canada all Renegade variants are eligible to be registered as amateur-builts, basic ultralights or advanced ultralights. In the USA the Renegade is not on the list of

Special light-sport aircraft A light-sport aircraft (LSA), or light sport aircraft, is a fairly new category of small, lightweight aircraft that are simple to fly. LSAs tend to be heavier and more sophisticated than ultralight (aka "microlight") aircraft, but LSA restrictio ...

, but is eligible for the Experimental - Amateur-built category.

Development

The Renegade was designed as the result of an accident. Darryl Murphy is a mechanical engineering technologist who designed and built a rigid wing hang glider in 1978 as a school project while attending the

Saskatchewan Institute of Applied Science and Technology Saskatchewan Polytechnic (formerly the Saskatchewan Institute of Applied Science and Technology or SIAST) is Saskatchewan's primary public institution for post-secondary technical education and skills training, recognized nationally and internat ...

Saskatoon, Saskatchewan Saskatoon () is the largest city in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. It straddles a bend in the South Saskatchewan River in the central region of the province. It is located along the Trans-Canada Yellowhead Highway, and has served as ...

. 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 resulting aircraft, C-IDJY, is 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''.Murphy Aircraft: ''Meet Our Staff: President Darryl Murphy'', Towards the Flightline, Winter 1993-84 page 3. Murphy Aircraft. After taking the aircraft to a number of

fly-in A fly-in is a pre-arranged gathering of aircraft, pilots and passengers for recreational and social purposes. Fly-ins may be formally or informally organised, members of the public may or may not be invited, the gathering may be at an airport ...

s and other aviation events, Murphy was encouraged by the large number of people who wanted him to build one for them. In 1985 he quit his job and started ''Murphy Aviation'' (later renamed Murphy Aircraft Manufacturing), with his brother Bryan and located the company in

Chilliwack, British Columbia Chilliwack ( )( hur, Ts'elxwéyeqw) is a city in the province of British Columbia, Canada. Chilliwack is surrounded by mountains and home to recreational areas such as Cultus Lake and Chilliwack Lake Provincial Parks. There are numerous outdoor ...

. The original Renegade design was turned into a two-seater by relocating the fuel tank from the centre

fuselage The fuselage (; from the French ''fuselé'' "spindle-shaped") is an aircraft's main body section. It holds crew, passengers, or cargo. In single-engine aircraft, it will usually contain an engine as well, although in some amphibious aircraft t ...

to the upper wing, installing a second seat and designating it ''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.Murphy Aviation: ''News Bulletin'', page 4. Murphy Aviation, Spring 1988 The Renegade two was initially offered to buyers in six different configurations:Murphy Aviation Limited: ''Renegade'', page 3. Murphy Aviation Limited, 1986.Murphy Aviation: ''News Bulletin'', page 2. Murphy Aviation, Summer 1987 *Plans only *Partial materials kits *Full materials kit *Complete kit, unassembled *Quick-build kit *Fully assembled aircraft Murphy Renegade Spirit with no registration 02

Murphy Renegade Spirit with no registration 02

In May 1987 a new version of the basic Renegade design first flew. Named the ''Renegade Spirit'' it added a

radial engine The radial engine is a reciprocating type internal combustion engine configuration in which the cylinders "radiate" outward from a central crankcase like the spokes of a wheel. It resembles a stylized star when viewed from the front, and is ...

-style round cowling and additional fuselage stringers to give the aircraft a rounded look. The standard engine was the

Rotax 532 The Rotax 532 is a two-stroke, two-cylinder, rotary valve engine, liquid-cooled, gear reduction-drive engine that was formerly manufactured by BRP-Rotax GmbH & Co. KG. It was designed for use on ultralight aircraft.Raisner, William: ''LEAF cat ...

and later the

Rotax 582 The Rotax 582 is a two-stroke, two-cylinder, rotary intake valve, oil-in-fuel or oil injection pump, liquid-cooled, gear reduction-drive aircraft engine manufactured by BRP-Rotax GmbH & Co. KG. It is for use in non-certified aircraft operating ...

of the same output, with the

four-stroke A four-stroke (also four-cycle) engine is an internal combustion (IC) engine in which the piston completes four separate strokes while turning the crankshaft. A stroke refers to the full travel of the piston along the cylinder, in either direct ...

Rotax 912UL added as a later option. Fibreglass wheel pants are also an option.Armstrong, Ken: ''Catching the Spirit'', Kitplanes MagazineMurphy Aviation: ''Catching the "Spirit" in a Murphy Rengade - Info Package''. Murphy Aviation, 1990Campbell, Jim: ''Getting the Spirit''. Sport Pilot, pages 20-25, 66-70, April 1989

Design

The Renegade fuselage is constructed of

aluminium Aluminium (aluminum in American and Canadian English) is a chemical element with the symbol Al and atomic number 13. Aluminium has a density lower than those of other common metals, at approximately one third that of steel. It ha ...

square tubing extrusions and fittings, fastened with Avex rivets. The turtle deck and engine cowling are made from

fibreglass Fiberglass (American English) or fibreglass (Commonwealth English) is a common type of fiber-reinforced plastic using glass fiber. The fibers may be randomly arranged, flattened into a sheet called a chopped strand mat, or woven into glass clo ...

. The fin, rudder, horizontal stabilizer and elevators are built from aluminum tubing and channel sections. The tail is wire-braced. A manual

trim tab Trim tabs are small surfaces connected to the trailing edge of a larger control surface on a boat or aircraft, used to control the trim of the controls, i.e. to counteract hydro- or aerodynamic forces and stabilise the boat or aircraft in a pa ...

mounted on the elevator is an option. The landing gear is of conventional configuration and incorporates bungee suspension. The welded engine mount is

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 ...

.Murphy Aviation: ''The Rengade Info Package''. Murphy Aviation, 1989 The Renegades's wings have a positive stagger and incorporate a single faired

interplane strut 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 ...

and

cabane struts 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 c ...

as well as wire-bracing. The top wing has a span of and incorporates a 10 degree sweep to improve visibility from the pilot's back seat, accessibility for the front seat passenger and reduces

adverse yaw Adverse yaw is the natural and undesirable tendency for an aircraft to yaw in the opposite direction of a roll. It is caused by the difference in lift and drag of each wing. The effect can be greatly minimized with ailerons deliberately designed to ...

. The lower wing has 3 degrees of dihedral. Ailerons are of the

Friese Friese may refer to: * Carl Friese, an American mycologist * Christian-Peter Friese, (1948-1970), victim at the Berlin wall * Donald Friese (born 1940), American billionaire businessman * Friedemann Friese (born 1970), German board game designer ...

type, with two ailerons on the lower wing standard and four ailerons optional. The front wing

spar SPAR, originally DESPAR, styled as DE SPAR, is a Dutch multinational that provides branding, supplies and support services for independently owned and operated food retail stores. It was founded in the Netherlands in 1932, by Adriaan van Well, ...

was initially a aluminum tube and the rear spar is "C" channel. Starting 1 January 1989 the front spar was changed to a rectangular spar and an outboard drag brace was added, increasing wing rigidity. The ribs are stamped aluminum and mate with an aluminium sheet leading edge. All surfaces are covered with

aircraft fabric 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 are ...

. Controls are via torque tubes. The Renegade II wing design was sand-bag tested on 16 February 1988 to , or +7.2 g working load, with a +10 and -6 gs ultimate load. The company indicates that construction time varies between 300–500 hours, depending on builder experience.

Operational history

Renegades have been equipped with floats for operations from water.Murphy Aircraft: ''Now Flying'', Towards the Flightline, Fall 1996 page 6. Murphy Aircraft. In his 2015 review Marino Boric said, "the Renegade can take less powerful engines like the Rotax 582, but the higher power of the 912 gives it the sprightly performance it deserves."

Variants

;Renegade :Single seat prototype, one built, powered by a

Rotax 447 The Rotax 447 is a , inline 2-cylinder, two-stroke aircraft engine, built by BRP-Rotax GmbH & Co. KG of Austria for use in ultralight aircraft.Raisner, William: ''LEAF catlog'', pages 6-105. Leading Edge Airfoils, 1995. Design and development ...

powerplant.Jones, Mary: ''Murphy's Renegade'', ;Renegade II :Two seat biplane, powered by a

Rotax 503 The Rotax 503 is a , inline 2-cylinder, two-stroke aircraft engine, built by BRP-Rotax GmbH & Co. KG of Austria for use in ultralight aircraft.Raisner, William: ''LEAF catlog'', pages 6-105. Leading Edge Airfoils, 1995. As of 2011 the Ro ...

. ;Renegade Spirit :Two seat biplane with round cowling, powered by a

Rotax 912UL

Aircraft on display

Kalamazoo Aviation History Museum The Air Zoo, founded as the Kalamazoo Aviation History Museum, is an aviation museum and indoor amusement park next to the Kalamazoo-Battle Creek International Airport in Portage, Michigan. The Air Zoo holds many historical and rare aircraft, incl ...

- Renegade Spirit

Specifications (Renegade II)

References

External links

* {{Murphy Aircraft 1980s Canadian ultralight aircraft Homebuilt aircraft Biplanes Single-engined tractor aircraft

Renegade Renegade or The Renegade may refer to: Aircraft *Lake Renegade, an American amphibious aircraft design *Murphy Renegade, a Canadian ultralight biplane design *Southern Aeronautical Renegade, an American racing aircraft design Games *'' Comman ...