Mark Hannant
A rugged-featured red Rebel has been turning heads at the static display. The twin-seat high-wing aircraft painted in a distinctive deep red even caught the eye of a senior member of the UAE Air Force visiting the show looking for a light aircraft to buy.
The Rebel 0-320 is a kit-plane produced by Canadian manufacturer Murphy Aircraft. More than 650 have been built in the past decade. The gritty looks reflect the remote Canadian terrain it is designed to withstand. It is capable of taking off in less than 100m on rough ground and can be fitted with fixed tailwheel, floats or ski undercarriage. Powered by a single Lycoming 320 piston engine it can hit a top speed of 243km/h (151 mph) and cruise at 193km/h (120mph). It has a range of 1,281 km (796 miles).Former Belgian Air Force F-16 and Mirage pilot Robert Crets has brought the aircraft to the show. He now runs Limair Industry from Lommel in north east Belgium, which distributes Rebels and Murphy Maverick and Renegade aircraft as well as the Australian Jabiru and its 'kid brother' the Maverick in the UK as well as France, Belgium and the Netherlands.
For Limair this is the first Show as an exhibitor, though Crets has been a regular visitor. He¹s delighted with the level of interest in the Rebel. "It's a great looking aircraft and people want to know about it. It¹s the kind of aircraft that appeals to a very diverse audience."
As well as manufacturing and certifying aircraft across north west Europe, Limair also manufactures composites for racing cars and has worked with BMW on composite bodies." General aviation is hugely popular and in economic terms accounts for a large percentage of the whole aviation industry. It's a growth industry in Europe and I see lots of opportunities for expansion. "He is set to have the Rebel Elite certified in the UK this winter and subsequently the Super Rebel.
Source: Flight Daily News