Spectrum Beaver
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The Spectrum Beaver is a family of single- and two-place,
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 ...
, high-wing
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 were first introduced by
Spectrum Aircraft 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 ...
of
Surrey, British Columbia Surrey is a city in British Columbia, Canada. It is located south of the Fraser River on the Canada–United States border. It is a member municipality of the Metro Vancouver regional district and metropolitan area. Mainly a suburban city, Surr ...
,
Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...
, in 1983.Downey, Julia: ''2008 Kit Aircraft Directory'', Kitplanes, Volume 24, Number 12, December 2007, page 37. Belvoir Publications. ISSN 0891-1851Cliche, Andre: ''Ultralight Aircraft Shopper's Guide'' 8th Edition, pages B-9, B-70, B-103 & E-6. Cybair Limited Publishing, 2001. Beaver ultralights have evolved as designs over time, have been produced by several companies and remain in production in the 21st century.


Development

The first model Beaver was the RX-28, a simple lightweight single-seat aircraft that was intended to comply with the US FAR 103 ''Ultralight Vehicles'' category, including the category's maximum empty weight. The model designation indicated that it was ''Rotax-28 hp'' as it was powered by the
Rotax 277 The Rotax 277 is a , single-cylinder, two-stroke aircraft engine, that was 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. Development The ...
single-cylinder, two-stroke powerplant. With this engine the RX-28 had an empty weight of . The availability of the
Rotax 377 The Rotax 377 is a , twin-cylinder, two-stroke aircraft engine, that was 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. Development The Ro ...
engine lead to a higher-powered version of the RX-28, which was designated the RX-35. This Beaver model was fitted with floats and continued in production by Spectrum Aircraft until they ceased business in 1992. Building on the success of the single-seat Beaver models, Spectrum Aircraft introduced the two-place Beaver RX 550 in 1986 and it quickly became the most popular ultralight trainer in Canada. The combination of its predictable and docile handling, along with the reliable
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 ...
engine, ensured its success. Intending to improve on the RX 550, Spectrum introduced the Beaver RX 650 in 1991, intending to place it in the Advanced Ultra-light Aeroplane category (AULA) in Canada. The RX 650 has doors that fold upwards, making it ideal for use on floats. The cockpit cage was changed to welded steel tube, from the previously used aluminum and a sprung tailwheel was added. In service the 650 quickly proved to have structural issues and its acceptance in the AULA category was rescinded by
Transport Canada Transport Canada (french: Transports Canada) is the department within the Government of Canada responsible for developing regulations, policies and services of road, rail, marine and air transportation in Canada. It is part of the Transportati ...
until the issues could be rectified. Most customer 650s were kept flying by operating them in the
Basic Ultra-light Aeroplane The Canadian Aviation Regulations define two types of ultralight aircraft: basic ultra-light aeroplane (BULA), and advanced ultra-light aeroplane (AULA). Definition Regulation of ultra-light aircraft in Canada is covered by the Canadian A ...
category. Spectrum Aircraft went out of business in 1992, prior to rectifying the issues with the 650. A new company, Beaver RX Enterprises acquired the design and commenced production of the RX 550, placing it in the AULA category. They did not produce the single-seaters or the RX 650. Despite demand for the Beaver, the company soon went out of business. Fun Flight Inc of
Alexandria, Virginia Alexandria is an independent city (United States), independent city in the northern region of the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Virginia, United States. It lies on the western bank of the Potomac River approximately south of Downto ...
,
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also produced the RX550 model in the late 1990s.Purdy, Don: ''AeroCrafter – Homebuilt Aircraft Sourcebook, Fifth Edition'', pages 166 and 168. BAI Communications, 15 July 1998. In 1995 Aircraft Sales and Parts (ASAP) of
Vernon, British Columbia Vernon is a city in the Okanagan region of the Southern Interior of British Columbia, Canada. It is northeast of Vancouver. Named after Forbes George Vernon, a former MLA of British Columbia who helped establish the Coldstream Ranch in nearby ...
purchased the Beaver tooling and redesigned the RX 550. The new version, designated the ''RX 550 Plus'' incorporated a new wing with a greater number of wing ribs and standard aircraft fabric replacing the
Dacron Polyethylene terephthalate (or poly(ethylene terephthalate), PET, PETE, or the obsolete PETP or PET-P), is the most common thermoplastic polymer resin of the polyester family and is used in fibres for clothing, containers for liquids and foods ...
covering. The ASAP RX 550 Plus remains in production and available in kit form. It can be registered in the Canadian Basic and Advanced ultralight categories as well as in the US and Canadian
amateur-built aircraft Homebuilt aircraft, also known as amateur-built aircraft or kit planes, are constructed by persons for whom this is not a professional activity. These aircraft may be constructed from "scratch", from plans, or from assembly kits.Armstrong, Kenn ...
categories. By the end of 2007 a total of 2000 RX 550s had been produced by all manufacturers. In 1996 a new company, Freedom Lite of
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 ...
reintroduced the Beaver RX 650, first displaying it at
Sun 'n Fun Sun ’n Fun Aerospace Expo (officially styled SUN 'n FUN) is a nonprofit organization in Lakeland, Florida dedicated to the promotion of aviation education. It is best known for the annual week-long fly-in and airshow at Lakeland Linder Intern ...
that year. The improved RX 650 incorporated 186 changes over the previous RX 650 design and the company renamed it the Freedom Lite SS-11 Skywatch. The wings use conventional aircraft fabric instead of Dacron, giving build times of about 250 hours. The company placed the aircraft in the Canadian AULA category. Freedom Lite soon went out of business and the design was acquired by Legend Lite of
New Hamburg, Ontario New Hamburg is a community of approximately 11,953 (2011 stats) in the township of Wilmot, Ontario, Canada. It is in the far western part of the Regional Municipality of Waterloo, near the regional border with Perth County. It is adjacent to the ...
. This new company also closed its doors in the early 2000s. In 2000 the manufacturer of RX 550 Plus kits, ASAP, reintroduced a single-seat version of the Beaver, designated the ''Beaver SS'' (Single Seat). This is similar to the original RX-28, but 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 ...
engine and with a wing derived from the RX 550 Plus design, with additional ribs. The new wing is covered in standard aircraft fabric and incorporates drag tubes in place of the original drag wires. The empty weight has increased somewhat to , putting it above the maximum empty weight for the US FAR 103 category. In Canada it can be flown in the basic ultralight category or amateur-built. By the end of 2007 ten had been completed and flown.


Design

The Beaver family of aircraft all have similar construction, with the frame fuselage constructed around a single longitudinal 6061-T6
aluminum 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 has ...
tube that supports the tail, landing gear and seats. The wings and engine mount are similarly of 6061-T6 aluminum tube and attached to the main tube by connecting struts. The wing features aluminum tube
spars The United States Coast Guard (USCG) Women's Reserve, also known as the SPARS (SPARS was the acronym for "Semper Paratus—Always Ready"), was the women's branch of the United States Coast Guard Reserve. It was established by the United States ...
and ribs. All Beavers prior to the RX 550 Plus and the SS had pre-sewn
Dacron Polyethylene terephthalate (or poly(ethylene terephthalate), PET, PETE, or the obsolete PETP or PET-P), is the most common thermoplastic polymer resin of the polyester family and is used in fibres for clothing, containers for liquids and foods ...
envelopes, which enabled builders to complete the kits in as little as 100 hours. The later models use conventional fabric methods and this makes the factory-claimed build times 150–200 hours for the SS and 180–200 hours to the RX 550 Plus. All Beaver wings are swept-back and have elliptical tips. The ''Plus'' wing differs from the earlier Beaver wings in that it replaces the internal drag wires with tubes and uses many more ribs to maintain a better airfoil shape, at the cost of additional weight and complexity. The SS and RX 550 Plus wings have 3/4 span ailerons. All models have conventional three-axis controls. The landing gear is of tricycle configuration. Earlier models did not have a steerable nosewheel, but the SS and RX 550 Plus include this feature. Most models have independent mechanical or hydraulic brakes. The cockpit pod enclosure is made of
fiberglass 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 cloth ...
and incorporates a windshield.


Operational history

The Beaver has proven very popular in service, both with flight schools and private owners, due to its ruggedness and pleasant handling characteristics. ASAP owner Brent Holomis says that "The RX-550 is often used as a trainer because it's so easy to fly." The early single seat RX-28 suffered from a problem of main tube cracking in operational service, due to the close proximity of the muffler heating the tube. This was later resolved by relocating the muffler.


Variants

;Beaver RX-28 :Single-seat, powered by a
Rotax 277 The Rotax 277 is a , single-cylinder, two-stroke aircraft engine, that was 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. Development The ...
, produced by Spectrum Aircraft. ;Beaver RX-35 :Single-seat, powered by a
Rotax 377 The Rotax 377 is a , twin-cylinder, two-stroke aircraft engine, that was 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. Development The Ro ...
, produced by Spectrum Aircraft. ;Beaver RX-550 :Two-seat, 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 ...
, produced by Spectrum Aircraft. ;Beaver RX-550 Plus :Two-seat, 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 ...
or Rotax 582, produced by ASAP. ;Beaver RX-650 :Two-seat, 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 ...
or Rotax 582, produced by Spectrum Aircraft and Beaver RX Enterprises. ; SS-11 Skywatch :Two-seat, 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 ...
or Rotax 582, produced by Freedom Lite and Legend Lite. ;Beaver SS :Single-seat, 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 ...
,
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 ...
or
Zanzottera MZ 201 The Zanzottera MZ 201 and MZ 202 are a family of twin-cylinder, in-line two-stroke, dual ignition aircraft engines designed for ultralight aircraft and motor gliders.Cliche, Andre: ''Ultralight Aircraft Shopper's Guide'' 8th Edition, page G ...
, produced by ASAP.Bayerl, Robby; Martin Berkemeier; et al: ''World Directory of Leisure Aviation 2011–12'', page 89. WDLA UK, Lancaster UK, 2011. ISSN 1368-485X


Aircraft on display

Spectrum Beaver RX 550 C-IGOW is on display in the storage wing of the
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 ...
. In 1986 this aircraft was flown from Halifax to land at
Expo '86 The 1986 World Exposition on Transportation and Communication, or simply Expo 86, was a World's Fair held in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada from May 2 until October 13, 1986. The fair, the theme of which was "Transportation and Communicatio ...
in
Vancouver Vancouver ( ) is a major city in western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the List of cities in British Columbia, most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the ...
by Carl Hiebert, a Canadian
paraplegic Paraplegia, or paraparesis, is an impairment in motor or sensory function of the lower extremities. The word comes from Ionic Greek () "half-stricken". It is usually caused by spinal cord injury or a congenital condition that affects the neural ...
pilot, to raise awareness of disability issues. The story of the journey was published as a book by Hiebert under the title ''Gift of Wings''.


Specifications (Beaver SS)


See also


References


External links

* {{Uncertified aircraft developed in Canada 1980s Canadian ultralight aircraft Homebuilt aircraft Single-engined pusher aircraft