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Tuesday, July 8, 2014

Spectrum Beaver SS Ultralight, Big Tancook Island, NS




The first morning in our rental cottage
on Big Tancook Island, our breakfast was
interrupted by strange sounds.




When we went to the deck to check it out,
we saw a Spectrum Beaver SS ultralight
aircraft taxiing out on the southeast cove.



The pilot (neighbour Neil's son) spent some time
getting the feel of the plane before
going out further into the bay,
turning...



heading back towards the cove and shallower waters
while picking up speed.


He gained enough speed that he was able to lift off,



higher,



then higher, before descending


and heading back to the dock for a consultation 
with watching family.



He sat and floated while talking things over,


then he tried the water again.
When that didn't work, he returned a second time.




The family helped hook the plane to
the bucket of a second-hand
island vehicle which


they leveraged to remove the ultralight from the water.

We talked to Neil's son later in the day.
He had scared himself slightly 
with going airborne, his family as well.
He had plans to remove the pontoons
(which he had bought separately
and attached to the ultralight), to move 
them back further on the plane... 
or perhaps even to sell it.

After watching and worrying from the dock,
selling was an idea his father liked very much.

*The home-built Spectrum Beaver SS
(single seat) is similar to the RX-28,
but powered by a 40hp (30KW) Rotax 447
engine and a wing derived from RX550 Plus
design, with additional ribs.

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