We ordered a Bushcat

I'm really bummed about this. I took a demo ride at the Mt. Vernon LSA show last fall, and came away very impressed with the airplane. I hope AeroSport continues on with their other ventures.
 
I spent the last week of April at 10C with Jeremy and Daniella. They’re bummed, too. Bushcat has been part of their identity for so long. They’re not getting any good answers from Bushcat SA (rainbow skyreach). However, they have landed on their feet with several ventures fruiting all at one time. They may be the hardest working couple in general aviaton. I’m not a liberty to say, but they’re all aviation related.

I’m not videographers, but here’s a short vid on bringing the Swamp Cat home

 
That's good to hear. I enjoyed chatting with them at Oshkosh, and Mt. Vernon, and glad to hear they are doing OK. Are you familiar with the Flylight Skyranger Nynja? I know it is related to the Bushcat, but I am curious if you had looked at it prior to deciding on the Bushcat, and what your reasons were.
 
Looks like this post is from somebody at the company ..

Rainbow Skyreach announcement - AvCom

www.avcom.co.za www.avcom.co.za

Bottom line is sales have fallen consistently over the years.

The reasons for this can be attributed to many things but a big part of this is due to the change in LSA regs in the USA making our aircraft less attractive, as bigger, heavier and more complex aircraft will be operated by sport pilots license holders. A clapped out old C150 costs a fraction of a new BushCat but without taking STOL performance into consideration, will do a similar job.

A few years ago we were caught with our pants down when we realised there were some conformance issues with regards to flight performance. These "issues" did not jeopardise the safety of the aircraft but simply put, the BushCat did not legally fit within ASTM LSA regs so while other manufacturers were looking at new designs that would capitalise on the new MOSAIC program, we went public on our findings and spent several million on re-designing our empennage, flight testing and then retrofitting these design changes to the existing fleet of about 100 affected aircraft all around the world. (All of this during the early Covid years adding extra challenges, delays and cost to the project).

Looking back now perhaps we could have done things differently but we felt we were doing the right thing at the time. The net result is that we had no reserves to put into R&D of a new design .... and no good deed goes unpunished as they say.

The existing fleet is 300+ strong worldwide. So while there is no plan to supply new aircraft going forward, we are gearing the company to supply current owners of BushCat and Cheetah aircraft with spare parts as needed so that they will receive full support going forward.
 
Flymy47 said:
That's good to hear. I enjoyed chatting with them at Oshkosh, and Mt. Vernon, and glad to hear they are doing OK. Are you familiar with the Flylight Skyranger Nynja? I know it is related to the Bushcat, but I am curious if you had looked at it prior to deciding on the Bushcat, and what your reasons were.
Click to expand...
Never heard of it, but looks comparable. I was most attracted by the quick delivery time, but then covid & supply issue.
 
Warmi said:
Looks like this post is from somebody at the company ..

Rainbow Skyreach announcement - AvCom

www.avcom.co.za www.avcom.co.za

Bottom line is sales have fallen consistently over the years.

The reasons for this can be attributed to many things but a big part of this is due to the change in LSA regs in the USA making our aircraft less attractive, as bigger, heavier and more complex aircraft will be operated by sport pilots license holders. A clapped out old C150 costs a fraction of a new BushCat but without taking STOL performance into consideration, will do a similar job.

A few years ago we were caught with our pants down when we realised there were some conformance issues with regards to flight performance. These "issues" did not jeopardise the safety of the aircraft but simply put, the BushCat did not legally fit within ASTM LSA regs so while other manufacturers were looking at new designs that would capitalise on the new MOSAIC program, we went public on our findings and spent several million on re-designing our empennage, flight testing and then retrofitting these design changes to the existing fleet of about 100 affected aircraft all around the world. (All of this during the early Covid years adding extra challenges, delays and cost to the project).

Looking back now perhaps we could have done things differently but we felt we were doing the right thing at the time. The net result is that we had no reserves to put into R&D of a new design .... and no good deed goes unpunished as they say.

The existing fleet is 300+ strong worldwide. So while there is no plan to supply new aircraft going forward, we are gearing the company to supply current owners of BushCat and Cheetah aircraft with spare parts as needed so that they will receive full support going forward.
Click to expand...
Oh, you meant the proposed Mosaic regs. Maybe, maybe not. We won’t know until 2025. There is still a lot of flux in the rule-making. I think it’s mostly eyewash from RSR. After all, the competition is hot for any used plane right now. Sport Pilots would have to compete with established Pilots for any ragged out C-150.

The truth is, in the US most sport pilots are “step down” pilots, closer to 65 than 35 yoa. https://pilotinstitute.com/pilot-age-statistics/ Myself, included. We’re a more affluent demographic and were attracted to sport piloting because of the newer equipment, great avionics packages, the superior Rotax 912ULS…oh….and the Fly with your Driver’s License as Medical requirement. (Sport Pilot didn’t really work out the way it was imagined). So, I imagine, that flying a ragged out 172 with just one passenger anyway, isn’t nearly as appealing to that demographic. I stepped over from an Aeronca Champ for those reasons and because I could finally afford to buy a new plane. (Passing money on to the next generation isn’t in my plan).

The real fly in the Metamucil from South Africa was the shipping of RTF (ready to fly) aircraft. G-meters in the containers frequently maxed out at over 30+ Gs in shipping to the US. Almost every plane that arrived suffered substantial damage, including broken engine mounts with the Rotax coming completely off the plane. Wings, shipped detached, were often deformed or destroyed. Almost every plane required substantial rework, which was nearly as time consuming as a build from scratch (it takes 2 weeks just to strip the skins and then reapply them). This situation also engendered understandable concerns from buyers who paid for a new aircraft having to decide to accept a damaged and repaired “new” airplane, or get a refund and eat the year or so they waited. Jeremy started importing RTF again to try and close the production gap, but it all collapsed before he could get that moving.

Also, the quality of the builds from SA were (are) …less than ideal. The word “Shabby” comes to mind. Closing the door on my Jeremy built BushCat is like closing the door on a Mercedes. With the SA planes, you could pass a stack of bills around between the door and the frame without resistance.

This all left Jeremy to build from scratch using kits, and frankly, he couldn’t keep up during the pandemic & supply chain issues (my build went from “about a year” to taking delivery at 2.5 years, for instance. When the “just in time” supply chain broke down, Jeremy was stuck with 3 planes on skates waiting for months for tires from Asia, for instance).

Unfortunately, Jeremy was creating Mazaratti builds at Camry prices. I’ve threatened to put a sticker on my BushCat, “Handcrafted by Jeremy.”

The margins on BushCat were not such that he could hire and train help. And he couldn’t keep the ones he did hire, as wages went up after the pandemic.

After the last price increase on kits from SA, I don’t think Aerosport sold a single plane at KOSH this last Summer. OTOH, Eastern European planes, like the Aeroprak (sp), despite the wars nearby, was able to hold the price on both delivery and price.
 
Last edited:
They mention the cost of a C-150 being much less then a Bushcat. Prices I'm seeing now for a C-150 is a lot higher then before 1970's 150's with 200 hours left on the engine 60-73k. If the FAA ever does get MOSIC done I hope the costs will come down on the lighter LSA's as more affluent pilots who can't pass a medical move to more expensive aircraft that previously didn't meet LSA standards. Those used ones can be bought at a reasonable price for people like myself who are not wealthy but average middle class American who can't dispose of $150k cash whenever we want.
 
Last edited:
kell490 said:
They mention the cost of a C-150 being much less then a Bushcat. Prices I'm seeing now for a C-150 is a lot higher then before 1970's 150's with 200 hours left on the engine 60-73k. If the FAA ever does get MOSIC done I hope the costs will come down on the lighter LSA's as more affluent pilots who can't pass a medical move to more expensive aircraft that previously didn't meet LSA standards. Those used ones can be bought at a reasonable price for people like myself who are not wealthy but average middle class American who can't dispose of $150k cash whenever we want.
Click to expand...
Well, that’s already happening. OTOH, you’ve apparently yet to endure the economic surprises of annualing a 35-45 yr old plane, especially those in used for training. New ADs popping up all the time. ADs that were poorly performed, papered over, or ignored. Engines that suck a valve.

A surprising number of older planes are sitting in the hangers of middle-class wage earners who struggle for years to get the plane right. Eventually, they move to a tie down in the sun to save cash. And then it’s downhill from there. They’re all over Trade-a-Plane etc.

And most new LSA purchasers I know are not wealthy. They’ve just reached the point in life where they can afford to do one nice thing for themselves on the way out the door. Kids are raised. Mortgage is paid down. Older car is paid off.

Most of us have had a long succession of crappy rentals, crappy little hanger queens, months spent re-covering rag wings, and have worked our way up to buying a new LSA.
 
rhkennerly said:
Well, that’s already happening. OTOH, you’ve apparently yet to endure the economic surprises of annualing a 35-45 yr old plane, especially those in used for training. New ADs popping up all the time. ADs that were poorly performed, papered over, or ignored. Engines that suck a valve.

A surprising number of older planes are sitting in the hangers of middle-class wage earners who struggle for years to get the plane right. Eventually, they move to a tie down in the sun to save cash. And then it’s downhill from there. They’re all over Trade-a-Plane etc.

And most new LSA purchasers I know are not wealthy. They’ve just reached the point in life where they can afford to do one nice thing for themselves on the way out the door. Kids are raised. Mortgage is paid down. Older car is paid off.

Most of us have had a long succession of crappy rentals, crappy little hanger queens, months spent re-covering rag wings, and have worked our way up to buying a new LSA.
Click to expand...
Middle class has a wide range of wealth someone making $120k a year has a mortgage not going to convince a wife to go along with spending $125-130k cash on an airplane. Maybe 35-60k = to a decent new car at most whatever class that puts me in where I'm at. I fully understand what annual costs are on a certified airplane if MOSIC does go through there will be some who will unload 1320 gross LSA for faster and more expensive airplanes.
 
rhkennerly said:
I spent the last week of April at 10C with Jeremy and Daniella. They’re bummed, too. Bushcat has been part of their identity for so long. They’re not getting any good answers from Bushcat SA (rainbow skyreach). However, they have landed on their feet with several ventures fruiting all at one time. They may be the hardest working couple in general aviaton. I’m not a liberty to say, but they’re all aviation related.

I’m not videographers, but here’s a short vid on bringing the Swamp Cat home

Click to expand...
Every time I fuel up at 10c there's a Bushcat, or a sling, or something rotax powered taxiing out of a hangar. Good to read what they're doing with Leading edge/ Advanced Power. Are they going to move everything to C59? Would have loved to see an operation like there's over at C81.
 
www.twz.com

Ukraine Appears To Be Using Light Planes Converted Into Reusable Bomber Drones

The nearly intact Skyranger plane crashed with a bomb attached to its underside and clear indications that it was remotely piloted.
www.twz.com www.twz.com

I hope somebody isn't waiting on a kit that is now a smoking hole amidst some Russian equipment. My other thought is, if I buy a Skyranger kit, can I park it in warbird parking at AirVenture?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top