Seabird Aviation offered the Seeker SB7L two-seat monoplane (first flown October 1989), featuring a pod-and-boom fuselage with heavily glazed cabin, braced high-mounted wings with two hardpoints for attaching 264 lb (120 kg) of stores, and a piston engine with pusher propeller.
The Seeker 2 is an Australian built FAR 23 Type Certified observation aircraft, designed for forestry and crop surveys, fish spotting, wildlife tracking, border surveillance, traffic patrols, transmission power and pipeline inspection operations.
The occupants are in a tubular steel safety cell. Fire hazards are minimized with no fuel lines in cockpit area.
The SB7L-360 Seeker 2 offers helicopter visibility and slow speed handling, but with the cost efficiencies, ease of operation and lower maintenance requirements of conventional fixed wing aircraft.
Certification Basis FAR 23 up to and including Amdt 34 Noise Certification ICAO Annex 16, Volume 1, Chapter 10. FAR Part 36 Appendix G Fatigue Analysis FAR 23 Amendment 38
Seeker equipment includes: 28V Electrical system, 70A alternator Cantilever spring steel main landing gear Cleveland wheels and brakes, 8.00 x 6.00 low pressure tyres Oleo strut tail landing gear, Scott 8″ steerable tail wheel Dual primary flight controls, dual differential toe-brakes Floor and/or nose camera/sensor aperture installation, a range of high definition and FLIR cameras available (optional) Wing hard point installation (optional) Double longitudinally hinged windows and doors Baggage/cargo area with tie down points 4-point inertia-reel seatbelts Wing tip Nav/Strobe lights Ground power receptacle Windscreen demister Vacuum system (optional) Heated pitot tube (optional)
Seabird Aviation America, Inc., headquartered in New Mexico, manufactures, sells and supports the SB7L-360 Seeker Aircraft for the Western Hemisphere.
SB7L-360 seeker 2 Engine: Lycoming 0-360-B2C Fuel: minimum 80/87 Avgas, Mogas, or Autogas Prop: 2 bladed wood / composite. Wing Span 11.07 m 36 ft 4 in Overall Length 7.00 m 23 ft 0 in Height of Vertical Stabilizer 2.03 m 6 ft 7 in Wheelbase 2.04 m 6 ft 8 in Cabin Width 1.12 m 3 ft 8 in Doors – Long Axis 1.07 m 3 ft 6 in Empty weight 610kg 1342 lb Maximum T/O weight 925 kg 2040 lb Min Patrol Speed (CAS) 121 km/h 65 kts Cruise 75% Power (CAS) 208 km/h 112 kts Never Exceed (CAS) 239 km/h 129 kts Stall (40deg Flap)(IAS) 89 km/h 48 kts Fuel Capacity Usable 180 litres 47.5 US gal Endurance (inc. reserve) Min. Patrol Speed 65 kts 7 h 15 min Cruise (65% Power) 4 h 30 min Range Patrol Speed (65 kts) 880 km 476 nm Cruise (65% Power) 869 km 470 nm Fuel Flow Patrol Speed (65 kts) 22 l/h 5.80 US gal/h Cruise (65% Power) 34 l/h 9.00 US gal/h Take-off/Landing run at AUW T-O run 264 m 870 ft Landing run 198 m 654 ft Stressing Limit Load Factor +3.8 -1.52
Queensland, Australia. Seabird Aviation offered the Seeker SB7L two-seat monoplane (first flown October 1989), featuring a pod-and-boom fuselage with heavily glazed cabin, braced high-mounted wings with two hardpoints for attaching 264 lb (120 kg) of stores, and a piston engine with pusher propeller. Uses include agriculture, surveillance, patrol, photographic, search and rescue, training, media.
The Scrappy is a single-place sport biplane constructed of steel tubing, wood and fabric. A 200-hp Lycoming engine provides the power.
Gross Wt. 1428 lb Empty Wt. 981 lb Fuel capacity, 28 USG Wingspan 20 ft 8 in Length 16 ft 8 in Top speed 188 mph Cruise 151 mph Stall 55 mph Climb rate 3700 fpm Takeoff run 950 ft Landing roll 1250 ft Range 500 sm
The Asuka, which first flew in October 1985, is a derivative of the Kawasaki C-1 tactical transport. The original P&W JT8D engines have been replaced by four Ishikawajima-Harima Heavy Industries FJR710/600S high bypass ratio turbofans.
The engines are mounted above and ahead of the wing leading edges. The exhaust airflow is directed across the wing extrados and attaches to the trailing edge flaps in whathas been termed “Upper Surface Blowing”. The resulting depression caused by the Coanda effect produces the desired lift force.
The STOL conversion takeoff run to 15m on the first flight was 509m, including a 394m ground run. Takeoff speed was 72 kts. The landing run from 15 m was 439 m, including 320 m on the ground.
STA claims the plane is only experimental and that there are no immediate development prospects.