Seabird Aviation SB7 Seeker

SB7L-360 Seeker 2

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.

Seabird Aviation SB7 Seeker Article

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

Seabird Aviation

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.

Scrappy UAC-200

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

Science & Technology Agency Asuka

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.