The Buccaneer (also known in some of its many incarnations as the Mallard) is a one- or two-seat

ultralight Ultralight aviation (called microlight aviation in some countries) is the flying of lightweight, 1- or 2-seat fixed-wing aircraft. Some countries differentiate between weight-shift control and conventional three-axis control aircraft with aile ...

high-wing

amphibious Amphibious means able to use either land or water. In particular it may refer to: Animals * Amphibian, a vertebrate animal of the class Amphibia (many of which live on land and breed in water) * Amphibious caterpillar * Amphibious fish, a fish ...

flying boat A flying boat is a type of fixed-winged seaplane with a hull, allowing it to land on water. It differs from a floatplane in that a flying boat's fuselage is purpose-designed for floatation and contains a hull, while floatplanes rely on fuselag ...

pusher configuration In an aircraft with a pusher configuration (as opposed to a tractor configuration), the propeller(s) are mounted behind their respective engine(s). Since a pusher propeller is mounted behind the engine, the drive shaft is in compression in n ...

marketed as a

kit aircraft Homebuilt aircraft, also known as amateur-built aircraft or kit planes, are constructed by persons for whom this is not a professional activity. These aircraft may be constructed from "scratch", from plans, or from assembly kits.Armstrong, Kenn ...

. The aircraft was manufactured by a number of U.S. firms in slightly different forms, including

Arnet Pereyra Inc Aero Adventure LLC (formerly Aero Adventure Aviation and before that Arnet Pereyra Inc.) is an American aircraft manufacturer based in DeLand, Florida. In 1996, the firm acquired the assets and production rights of Keuthan Aircraft. List of ...

,Downey, Julia: ''1999 Kit Aircraft Directory'', Kitplanes, Volume 15, Number 12, December 1998, page 37. Primedia Publications. ISSN 0891-1851 HighCraft AeroMarine, Advanced Aviation and Keuthan Aircraft.

Development

The original single-seat model Buccaneer XA was introduced in 1984 and qualified for the US FAR 103 Ultralight Vehicle category. The aircraft was commercial success and sold well until being replaced by the Buccaneer SX in 1988. The SX remained available on the market until general production ended in 1998, although in 2001 the model was still available as a special order from

Aero Adventure Aviation Aero Adventure LLC (formerly Aero Adventure Aviation and before that Arnet Pereyra Inc.) is an American aircraft manufacturer based in DeLand, Florida. In 1996, the firm acquired the assets and production rights of Keuthan Aircraft. List of ...

. The SX was replaced by the improved derivative Aero Adventure Aventura UL and HP single seaters. The Buccaneer II was a two-seat side-by-side configuration model introduced in 1988 and intended as an ultralight trainer. This model was replaced by the Aero Adventure Aventura II, which is an improved model developed from the Buccaneer II.

Design

The original XA model is constructed from bolted together anodized

aluminum Aluminium (aluminum in American and Canadian English) is a chemical element with the symbol Al and atomic number 13. Aluminium has a density lower than those of other common metals, at approximately one third that of steel. It ha ...

tubing, with a

fiberglass Fiberglass ( American English) or fibreglass (Commonwealth English) is a common type of fiber-reinforced plastic using glass fiber. The fibers may be randomly arranged, flattened into a sheet called a chopped strand mat, or woven into glass cl ...

hull. The wire-braced wing is supported by a

king post A king post (or king-post or kingpost) is a central vertical post used in architectural or bridge designs, working in tension to support a beam below from a truss apex above (whereas a crown post, though visually similar, supports items above f ...

and is of aluminum structure, covered with pre-sewn

Dacron Polyethylene terephthalate (or poly(ethylene terephthalate), PET, PETE, or the obsolete PETP or PET-P), is the most common thermoplastic polymer resin of the polyester family and is used in fibres for clothing, containers for liquids and fo ...

covers. The wing features 2/3 span

ailerons An aileron (French for "little wing" or "fin") is a hinged flight control surface usually forming part of the trailing edge of each wing of a fixed-wing aircraft. Ailerons are used in pairs to control the aircraft in roll (or movement around ...

and no flaps. The tail wheel is retractable via a cable control, while the main landing gear is removed by the pilot in flight and stowed in the cockpit for landing on water after a land take-off. The model SX was introduced to provide incremental design improvements over the XA. Primarily the SX eliminated the cable-bracing and replaced it with V-

strut A strut is a structural component commonly found in engineering, aeronautics, architecture and anatomy. Struts generally work by resisting longitudinal compression, but they may also serve in tension. Human anatomy Part of the functionality o ...

s featuring

jury struts In aeronautics, bracing comprises additional structural members which stiffen the functional airframe to give it rigidity and strength under load. Bracing may be applied both internally and externally, and may take the form of strut, which act in ...

. The wings feature full-span ailerons. The fuselage was completely redesigned and features a new hull shape that can better handle higher wave conditions. The landing gear can be pivoted up for water landings, rather than removed. The Buccaneer II is similar to the SX, but with a wider hull to accommodate two seats, in side-by-side configuration. The ailerons are 2/3 span. The landing gear is repositioned by a lever control and moves the tailwheel in concert with the main wheels. The main gear includes mechanical brakes.

Operational use

The original model XA remains popular on the used aircraft market and aircraft for sale command high prices. Long operational use and the rigours of land and water operation have resulted in weak points in the design being identified as many older aircraft have suffered from bent wing trailing edges,

wing root The wing root is the part of the wing on a fixed-wing aircraft or winged-spaceship that is closest to the fuselage The fuselage (; from the French ''fuselé'' "spindle-shaped") is an aircraft's main body section. It holds crew, passengers, o ...

tube brackets, flying wire shackles and tail boom tubes. Cracked aft vertical stabilizer tubes and main bulkheads are also common. All of these deficiencies can be repaired in used aircraft.

Variants

;Buccaneer XA :Single seat, wired-braced Part 103 ultralight flying boat. Engines available were the

Rotax 277 The Rotax 277 is a , single-cylinder, two-stroke aircraft engine, that was built by BRP-Rotax GmbH & Co. KG of Austria for use in ultralight aircraft Ultralight aviation (called microlight aviation in some countries) is the flying of lightwe ...

and the Rotax 377. ;Buccaneer SX :Single seat, strut-braced flying boat. Engines available were the

Rotax 447 The Rotax 447 is a , inline 2-cylinder, two-stroke aircraft engine, built by BRP-Rotax GmbH & Co. KG of Austria for use in ultralight aircraft.Raisner, William: ''LEAF catlog'', pages 6-105. Leading Edge Airfoils, 1995. Design and development ...

and the

Rotax 503 The Rotax 503 is a , inline 2-cylinder, two-stroke aircraft engine, built by BRP-Rotax GmbH & Co. KG of Austria for use in ultralight aircraft.Raisner, William: ''LEAF catlog'', pages 6-105. Leading Edge Airfoils, 1995. As of 2011 the Rot ...

. ;Buccaneer II :Two seat, strut-braced flying boat. Engines available were the

Rotax 582 The Rotax 582 is a two-stroke, two-cylinder, rotary intake valve, oil-in-fuel or oil injection pump, liquid-cooled, gear reduction-drive aircraft engine manufactured by BRP-Rotax GmbH & Co. KG. It is for use in non-certified aircraft operating ...

and the

Rotax 912 The Rotax 912 is a horizontally-opposed four-cylinder, naturally aspirated, four-stroke aircraft engine with a reduction gearbox. It features liquid-cooled cylinder heads and air-cooled cylinders. Originally equipped with carburetors, la ...

. ;Mallard M2-A :Extensively modified Buccaneer, with the wing lowered. Was sold as a modification package and as a complete kit.Purdy, Don: ''AeroCrafter - Homebuilt Aircraft Sourcebook'', page 92. BAI Communications, 15 July 1998.

Specifications (Buccaneer XA)

References

External links

{{Advanced Aviation aircraft

Buccaneer Buccaneers were a kind of privateers or free sailors particular to the Caribbean Sea during the 17th and 18th centuries. First established on northern Hispaniola as early as 1625, their heyday was from the Restoration in 1660 until about 168 ...

1980s United States ultralight aircraft Amphibious aircraft Single-engined pusher aircraft High-wing aircraft Homebuilt aircraft Flying boats