Found FBA-2

FBA-2
Found Aircraft FBA-2C1 BushHawk
Role	Cabin monoplane
National origin	Canada
Manufacturer	Found Aircraft
Designer	S.R. Found
First flight	11 August 1960
Status	Production completed
Number built	68
Developed from	Found FBA-1
Variants	Found Centennial

TheFound FBA-2is a 1960sCanadianfour/five-seat cabinmonoplanethat was produced byFound Aircraft.

Design and development

TheFound FBA-2is an all-metal development of the company's first design, theFound FBA-1.The prototype first flew on 11 August 1960. It is a high-wing monoplane with a fixed tricycle undercarriage. The production version was to be theFound FBA-2Bbut the aircraft was produced with a conventional tail-wheel landing gear as theFound FBA-2C.The first production FBA-2C first flew on 9 May 1962. It is powered by an Avco Lycoming O-540-A1D engine and had a slightly longer cabin and enlarged cabin doors than the prototype. Originally, float or ski landing gear was available through third parties, and later became a factory option. Production ended in 1965 to concentrate on building the newer and largerCentennial 100.Thirty-four had been built.

Bush Hawk-XP

In 1996 the design was acquired by Found Aircraft Development who developed an improved model the FBA-2C2 Bush Hawk-XP. This model was certified byTransport Canadain March, 1999 and by theFederal Aviation Administrationin March, 2000. This version was manufactured between 2000-2007, after which it was replaced by a new version of the same basic airframe designated the Expedition E350 and the Expedition E350XC.

Expedition E350

Expedition E350

The E350 is an evolutionary development of the basic FBA-2 aimed at the personal use market. The Expedition E350 wasFAAtype certifiedin December 2008. The aircraft can be equipped with four or five seats and has a full fuel payload in excess of 900 pounds. It has a range of 700 nmi (1,296 km) at a cruise speed of 156 kn (289 km/h) and is powered by aLycoming IO-580powerplant producing 315 hp (235 kW). The E350 has been designed with rugged landing gear for operating from unprepared surfaces and has STOL performance.

Pacific Aerospaceacquired the E-350 program in early 2016 from Found Aircraft. In September 2016, the E-350 Expedition tooling was shipped to itsHamilton, New Zealandplant. Pacific Aerospace planned to relaunch production of the five-seat type in the first half of 2017, but this date was not achieved. It is also planned to produce the E-350 in its joint venture plant inChinawithBeijing General Aviation Company.The joint venture will be known asBeijing Pan-Pacific Aerospace Technology.

Variants

FBA-2

Prototype, one built.

FBA-2C

Initial production variant, 26 built.

FBA-2C1 Bush Hawk 300

Improved variant with a 300hp Lycoming IO-540L, one built.

FBA-2C1 Bush Hawk XP

Production variant of the Bush Hawk 300, 31 built.

FBA-2C2 Bush Hawk 300XP

Minor changes, 6 built.

FBA-2C3 Expedition E350

Tricycle landing gear first flown in 2006, 3 built.

FBA-2C4 Expedition E350XC

Tail-wheel, one built.

FBA-2D

Proposed variant powered by a 290hp Lycoming engine, not built.

Specifications (FBA-2C)

Data fromJane's All The World's Aircraft 1965-66

General characteristics

• Crew:1
• Capacity:4 passengers
• Length:26 ft 5 in (8.05 m)
• Wingspan:36 ft 0 in (10.97 m)
• Height:8 ft 4 in (2.54 m)
• Wing area:180 sq ft (17 m²)
• Empty weight:1,550 lb (703 kg)
• Max takeoff weight:2,950 lb (1,338 kg)
• Fuel capacity:56 imp gal (67 US gal; 250 L)
• Powerplant:1 ×Avco Lycoming O-540-A1Dair-cooledflat-sixengine, 250 hp (190 kW)
• Propellers:2-bladed Hartzell constant-speed, 7 ft 4 in (2.24 m) diameter

Performance

• Maximum speed:147 mph (237 km/h, 128 kn) at sea level
• Cruise speed:129 mph (208 km/h, 112 kn) at 5,000 ft (1,500 m) (econ cruise, 60% power)
• Stall speed:48 mph (77 km/h, 42 kn) (power off, 35 degree flaps)
• Range:610 mi (980 km, 530 nmi)
• Service ceiling:16,000 ft (4,900 m)
• Rate of climb:1,100 ft/min (5.6 m/s)

References

Bibliography

• TheIllustrated Encyclopedia of Aircraft(Part Work 1982-1985).London: Orbis Publishing.
• Taylor, John W. R.(1965).Jane's All The World's Aircraft 1965-66.London: Samson Low, Marston.