Spectrum Beaver
Encyclopedia
The Spectrum Beaver is a family of single and two-place, pusher configuration
Pusher configuration
In a craft with a pusher configuration the propeller are mounted behind their respective engine. According to Bill Gunston, a "pusher propeller" is one mounted behind engine so that drive shaft is in compression...
, high-wing ultralight aircraft that were first introduced by Spectrum Aircraft
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 the 21st century....
of Surrey, British Columbia
Surrey, British Columbia
Surrey is a city in the province of British Columbia, Canada. It is a member municipality of Metro Vancouver, the governing body of the Greater Vancouver Regional District...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
in 1983.
The 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 VehiclesUltralight aircraft (United States)
Ultralight aircraft in the United States are much smaller and lighter than ultralight aircraft in all other countries.In the USA ultralights are classified as vehicles and not aircraft and are thus not required to be registered or for the pilot to have a pilot licence or certificate.- US definition...
category, including the maximum 254 lb (115 kg) empty weight. The model designation indicated that it was Rotax-28 hp as it was powered by the 28 hp Rotax 277
Rotax 277
|-Specifications :-See also:...
single cylinder, two stroke powerplant. With this engine the RX-28 had an empty weight of 232 lb (105 kg).
The availability of the 35 hp Rotax 377
Rotax 377
|-See also:...
engine lead to a higher powered version of the RX-28, which was designated as 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
Rotax 503
|-Specifications :...
50 hp 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 tail wheel 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
Transport Canada is the department within the government of Canada which is responsible for developing regulations, policies and services of transportation in Canada. It is part of the Transportation, Infrastructure and Communities portfolio...
until the issues could be rectified. Most customer 650s were kept flying by operating them in the Basic Ultralight Aeroplane 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.
In 1995 Aircraft Sales and Parts
Aircraft Sales and Parts
Aircraft Sales and Parts is a Canadian kit aircraft and parts manufacturer, based in Vernon, British Columbia.ASAP produces a line of single and two place ultralight kit aircraft, powered parachutes and parts though the parent company and also through its divisions Summit Powered Parachutes, Steel...
(ASAP) of Vernon, British Columbia
Vernon, British Columbia
Vernon is a city in the south-central region of British Columbia, Canada. Named after Forbes George Vernon, a former MLA of British Columbia who helped found the famed Coldstream Ranch, the City of Vernon was incorporated on December 30, 1892. The City of Vernon has a population of 35,944 , while...
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
Polyethylene terephthalate , commonly abbreviated PET, PETE, or the obsolete PETP or PET-P, is a thermoplastic polymer resin of the polyester family and is used in synthetic fibers; beverage, food and other liquid containers; thermoforming applications; and engineering resins often in combination...
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, homebuilt aircraft 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.-Overview:...
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 reintroduced the Beaver RX 650, first displaying it at Sun 'n Fun
Sun 'n Fun
Sun 'n Fun is a "Fly-in" and airshow held annually at Lakeland Linder Regional Airport in Lakeland, Florida, usually during the second or third week of April....
that year. The improved RX 650 incorporated 186 changes over the previous RX 650 design and the company renamed it the 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, Ontario
New Hamburg is a community of approximately 8,739 in Wilmot Township, a rural township of the Regional Municipality of Waterloo, Ontario...
. This new company also closed its doors in the early 2000s.
In 2000 the current manufacturer of RX 550 Plus kits, ASAP, reintroduced a single seat version of the Beaver, designated as the Beaver SS (Single Seat). This is similar to the original RX-28, but powered by a 40 hp Rotax 447
Rotax 447
|-Specifications :...
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 340 lb (154 kg), 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 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 strutStrut
A strut is a structural component designed to resist longitudinal compression. Struts provide outwards-facing support in their lengthwise direction, which can be used to keep two other components separate, performing the opposite function of a tie...
s. The wing features aluminum tube spars and ribs. All Beavers prior to the RX 550 Plus and the SS had pre-sewn Dacron 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
Swept wing
A swept wing is a wing planform favored for high subsonic jet speeds first investigated by Germany during the Second World War. Since the introduction of the MiG-15 and North American F-86 which demonstrated a decisive superiority over the slower first generation of straight-wing jet fighters...
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
Tricycle gear
Tricycle gear describes an aircraft undercarriage, or landing gear, arranged in a tricycle fashion. The tricycle arrangement has one wheel in the front, called the nose wheel, and two or more main wheels slightly aft of the center of gravity...
configuration. Earlier models did not have a steerable nose wheel, 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
Glass fiber is a material consisting of numerous extremely fine fibers of glass.Glassmakers throughout history have experimented with glass fibers, but mass manufacture of glass fiber was only made possible with the invention of finer machine tooling...
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 28 hp Rotax 277Rotax 277|-Specifications :-See also:...
, produced by Spectrum Aircraft.
Beaver RX-35
- Single seat, powered by a 35 hp Rotax 377Rotax 377|-See also:...
, produced by Spectrum Aircraft.
Beaver RX-550
- Two seat, powered by a 50 hp Rotax 503Rotax 503|-Specifications :...
, produced by Spectrum Aircraft.
Beaver RX-550 Plus
- Two seat, powered by a 50 hp Rotax 503Rotax 503|-Specifications :...
or 64 hp Rotax 582Rotax 582|-Specifications :-External links:*...
, produced by ASAP.
Beaver RX-650
- Two seat, powered by a 50 hp Rotax 503Rotax 503|-Specifications :...
or 64 hp Rotax 582Rotax 582|-Specifications :-External links:*...
, produced by Spectrum Aircraft and Beaver RX Enterprises.
SS-11 Skywatch
- Two seat, powered by a 50 hp Rotax 503Rotax 503|-Specifications :...
or 64 hp Rotax 582Rotax 582|-Specifications :-External links:*...
, produced by Freedom Lite and Legend Lite.
Beaver SS
- Single seat, powered by a 40 hp Rotax 447Rotax 447|-Specifications :...
, 50 hp Rotax 503Rotax 503|-Specifications :...
or 45 hp Zanzottera MZ 201Zanzottera MZ 201|-See also:-External links:***...
, produced by ASAP.
Aircraft on display
Spectrum Beaver RX 550 C-IGOW is on display in the storage wing of the Canada Aviation and Space Museum. In 1986 this aircraft was flown 5000 mi (8,047 km) from Halifax to land at Expo '86 in VancouverVancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
by Carl Hiebert, a Canadian paraplegic 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.