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Buzzman Buccaneer SX

The Buzzman Buccaneer SX

The modern ultra-light movement that began during the late 1970s was a direct consequence of the product liability costs affecting the general aviation industry at that time. The escalating cost of small private aircraft made them unaffordable to many who wished to take up recreational flying. With the growth of the ultra-light aircraft movement, a cheaper alternative became available. Today, ultra-light pilots may well be the fastest growing group of aviators in Canada.

The Buccaneer was one of the first ultra-light amphibians made available to the recreational flying community. An amphibian aircraft is capable of taking off and landing on either land or water. On the Buccaneer, a small retractable landing gear is mounted in the hull for land operations; this gear is retracted when the aircraft is operated from water and a pair of wing-mounted floats gives the aircraft stability.

Museum Example

The Museum’s aircraft is powered by a Rotax 503 engine mounted in a pusher configuration, and its instrument panel includes a full range of ultra-light flight and engine instruments. Estimated building time from pre-manufactured kit components was about 130 hours. The major construction materials are aluminum tube, Dacron fabric and fiberglass composite material. It was constructed in 1992 by Buzzman Enterprises Incorporated of Holland Landing, Ontario and was flown in the Ottawa area by its owner, Mr.Arleigh Vincent.

By the mid-1990s, hundreds of Buccaneer SXs (single seat version) and Buccaneer IIs (two-place version) were flying in North America. Although the original model is no longer manufactured, derivatives of the design are presently being manufactured by Aero Adventures Incorporated in the United States.

Specifications

Wing Span:
9 m (29 ft 8 in)
Length:
6.1 m (20 ft 2 in)
Height:
1.8 m (6 ft)
Weight, Empty:
153 kg (338 lb)
Weight, Gross:
284 kg (625 lb)
Cruising Speed:
105 km/h (65 mph)
Max Speed:
130 km/h (80 mph)
Rate of Climb:
335 m (1,100 ft) /min
Service Ceiling:
4,270 m (14,000 ft)
Range:
290 km (180 mi)
Power Plant:
one Rotax 503, 46 hp, inline two-stroke piston engine