Lockwood Aviation Super Drifter

Produced by the Maxair Aircraft Corporation at the height of the ultralight boom, the original single-seat Drifter featured a 28-hp Rotax 277 engine. Its cable-braced wing and aluminum fuselage tube resulted in a rigid design that was soon expanded to include a two-seat trainer version and a short-wing, overpowered single-seat hot rod that was well outside ultralight limits. Some Drifters were equipped with monohull or dual floats.

Maxair declared bankruptcy in 1991, and the Drifter project was picked up by Phil Lockwood, who had worked for Maxair.

His company, Lockwood Aircraft, now kits the Super Drifter, an LSA, two-seat version powered by an 81-hp, four-stroke Rotax 912UL engine. With its standard 10-gallon tank, the Super Drifter claims a range of about 200 nautical miles at a cruise speed of about 60 knots - perfect for low-altitude, warm-weather exploring or short trips.

The two-seat Drifter and the similarly configured Air Cam has conventional controls and handling, and power is more than adequate. It’s worth noting that the rather short main landing gear legs and a long fuselage result in a nearly level three-point attitude on the ground. First-time front-seat pilots would benefit from climbing aboard, sitting awhile, and noting the angle between the Drifter’s small nose cone and the horizon. That’s the ideal landing attitude, and there is little ahead for a pitch reference.

Engine: Rotax 912, 80 hp
HP range: 50-80
Length: 22 ft
Wing span: 30 ft
Wing area: 160 sq.ft
Empty weight: 495 lb
Gross weight: 1100 lb
Fuel capacity: 10 USG
Cruise: 70 mph
Stall: 34 mph
Range: 230 sm
Rate of climb: 1000 fpm
Takeoff dist: 200 ft
Landing dist: 300 ft
Landing gear: tailwheel