Brumby Aircraft is set to tackle the growing STOL aircraft market with a new experimental category taildragger.
The Brumby 620 Outback kit aircraft is designed to take on established bush aircraft and will be based loosely on the Brumby 610, but feature a 180-hp Titan or Rotax 915 140-hp engine, Alaskan tundra tyres and a larger fuselage and wing.
"The 620 is designed to be a little more simpler to build and have much more performance than the standard Brumby LSA," Brumby CEO Paul Goard told Australian Flying today.
"This aircraft will be in the experimental category and made similar to the Carbon Cub and the Just Aircraft range of STOL performance aircraft, only with the added strengths that we build in to the Brumby: all chrome molly space frame fuselage and metal skins with large Perspex doors in the steel frames."
The 620 wing has a 1500 mm chord and is slightly thicker than the 610 to give better lift, and will have a slightly increased fuel capacity, a larger tail and rudder and equipped with an Alaskan spring tailwheel.
Engine cowls on the 620 are said to be similar to the RV series aircraft and the cockpit has a width of 1180 mm and a height of 1270 mm from the floor to the ceiling. The length of cabin from the instrument panel is 1520 mm.
The main undercarriage leg is spring steel and the seats are adjustable and tilt forward for access to the large baggage area. The aircraft is fitted nose gear mounts and can be converted tricycle undercarriage with no structural modifications.
Brumby has estimated the Outback will cruise at 130 knots for a stall of only 35 knots. The max take-off weight has yet to be determined, but it is expected to be over 600 kg, meaning the aircraft will need to be VH-registered as an amateur-built experimental (AB-E) aircraft.
Construction of the prototype, which will be fitted with a Lycoming 160-hp engine, is underway at the Brumby factory in Cowra, NSW.