My Supercat Project

I purchased a fuselage with wings, tail feathers, engine and most of the other components and parts required to complete the project on August 15, 2005. It needs all the major components finished and assembled. Its going to be a long project and hopefully I'll complete it and get my private certificate at about the same time.

My project has a fiberglass main gear "leaf" spring to dampen the landings, drum brakes and a fiberglass bucket seat with padded vinyl cover. I'm installing a well rounded instrument panel with Airspeed, VSI, Altimeter, Tach/Hobbs combo, dual CHT, dual EGT, Voltmeter and a capacitance Fuel gauge. I will be installing a battery and hopefully an electric starter before I get it finished. I plan on flying it with an open cockpit and adding a rear window and doors in the future unless I have time to add them before I get my license. I am going to paint it purple over white with a black accent stripe down the side. Here's priliminary schetch of the paint scheme.

This is my proposed paint scheme. Unfortunately this N number
has been taken so I will have to find another one.
Click image for a larger view.

The engine is a Rotax 447, "B" gearbox with a 2.57 reduction, single carb, single CDI ignition system spinning a 60", 17 degree pitch, 3-blade Ultra Prop propeller. Initial engine runups were not so good. The engine was very hard to start. I figured out the plugs get oil soaked after every shutdown and if I pull and clean them the engine starts up right away. I have since reinstalled the engine in a vertical configuration. The temps on static runs are good and it seems to be a very strong 447 engine. I believe it will work well on this airplane.

Supercat Specifications
(Based on published information that I have found.)

Airframe
Empty Weight: 300#
Wingspan: 27' 8"
Wing Area: 112 sq ft
Height: 6' 0"
Length: 15' 3"
Fuel Capacity: 8 US gal
Seats: 1

Powerplant
Engine: Rotax 477
Output: 40 HP
Drive Type: 2.58 gear
Propeller: 60 x 38 wood

Performance
Stall: 32 mph
Cruise: 55-60 mph
Top Speed: 75 mph
Vne: 100 mph
Gross Weight: 650#
Design Load Factors: +5.5Gs, –4.5Gs
Climb Rate: 1000 fpm
Wing Loading: 5.6# @ Gross
Takeoff Roll: 75 ft

Construction: spruce, plywood, fiberglass, foam, fabric

Portability: Trailer

Setup Time: 1 person, 20 min, wings remove with 4 bolts in the main spar & 2 bolts in the rear spar, L & R aileron linkages disconnect in cockpit

Note: Information that I have found to date (01-2006) indicate the original engine installation was a Rotax 337. Current modifications allow Rotax 447 or Rotax 503 engines for improved performance and reliability. My research has found that cruise speed is typically increased by 5-10 mph, top speed is increased by approximately 5 mph with these engine modifications.

Here are the 3-view drawings I found in my paperwork.

Manuals, Catalogs and Data Sheets

Rotax (for 503 but works for 447 also):
Data Sheet (PDF 377kb)
Installation Manual (PDF 3.8Mb)
Maintenance Manual (PDF 2.9Mb)
Operator's Manual (PDF 2.1Mb)
Parts Catalog (PDF 13.2Mb)

Fight Related Info:
SuperCat Procedures (Word Doc 48kb)
Flight Test Procedures (PDF 798kb)
Altitude Density Chart (GIF 36kb)
 

Spec Sheets
Bobcat/Supercat Specs (JPG 129kb)
CG Location (JPG 96kb)
ELSA W&B CG Calculator in MS Excel (XLS 19kb)
NOTE: This form is provided for informational purposes only. Use of this W&B Calculator is at your own risk. I cannot be held responsible for the accuracy of its calculations, the information you use in it or the results provided by this form. YOU MUST CHECK AND VERIFY THE ACCURACY OF ALL FORMULAS AND DATA BEFORE YOU USE THIS FORM! A full understanding of weight and balance is required. If you do not understand how to calculate weight and balance seek the help of a professional.

This is the most current picture of my airplane.
Click on the image for a larger view.

Updated: 11/02/2008