Two new kitplanes at opposite ends of the weight spectrum will be introduced by Canada's Murphy Aircraft at next month's Sun 'n' Fun show in Lakeland, Florida.
The SR3500 is an increased gross-weight version of the Super Rebel bushplane, redesigned for a more powerful Romanian radial engine. The JDM-8, meanwhile, is a single-seat ultralight.
Murphy plans to fly the prototype SR3500 on 1 April. The all-metal, high-wing aircraft has a 1,590kg (3,500lb) gross weight, 230kg more than the SR2500Super Rebel. The airframe has been strengthened for a 270kW (360hp) Aerostar M-14P radial in place of a 185kW Textron Lycoming O-540.
Excluding engine, the SR3500 kit costs $27,000 - $2,000 more than the SR2500.
Murphy does not expect to fly the prototype JDM-8 before Sun 'n' Fun. The company has been struggling to meet the 115kg empty weight limit for USultralight approval.
With the USA working on sport- aircraft rules that will create a new category of heavier two-seat aircraft, Sun 'n' Fun will be used to gauge interest in an ultralight like the JDM-8, a metal-and-fabric single-seater with low, folding wing.
Source: Flight International
