Expedition Aircraft Launched at Oshkosh

Found Aircraft Canada launched its new 4–5-seat Expedition E350 (tricycle) and E350 XC tailwheel) models at Oshkosh this year. The 315 hp Lycoming IO-580-powered Expedition is a development of the Found Bush Hawk XP utility aircraft, which in turn is a direct development of the Found FBA 2C1 built by the original Found Brothers company in the 1960s. Although Found Brothers built only 27 of these aircraft before going into receivership in 1966, the aircraft gained a reputation in the Canadian North and Alaska as extremely rugged bush planes, well-suited to back country operations. About seven of the original aircraft are still flying.

Found, which was resurrected under new ownership in 1996, plans to develop its aircraft’s full potential under its original Type Certificate. The aircraft has been extensively re-engineered and updated while retaining the original design philosophy of producing a rugged utility aircraft. The first Bush Hawks rolled off the production line in 2001 and 44 were produced up until the end of 2006. Virtually all of these are now operating in Canada and Alaska, their biggest customer being the US Fish and Wildlife Service in Alaska which now operates seven Bush Hawks on wheels, skis and floats, depending on the season.

Traditionally, bush planes are tail-wheel aircraft; nosewheels are seen as a weakness for bush operations. Apart from being less vulnerable on rough airstrips, taildraggers can be easily fitted with skis, tundra tyres or floats—common requirements in the Canadian north. However, many of today’s pilots are not comfortable flying taildragger aircraft and some operators may never require skis. As a result, the company decided to produce a bush-capable nose gear version. Although this involved some major re-design, it provided the opportunity for the company to embody improvements and design advances into a new generic model.

Late in 2006, Found Aircraft Canada set up a new division—Expedition Aircraft—to produce its Expedition models, and ceased production of the Bush Hawk in order to concentrate on the new E350 and E350XC prototypes through the evaluation and testing phases, while working towards a launch date at Oshkosh.

The new Expedition models use a tubular steel fuselage like the Bush Hawk. The one-piece un-strutted wing features a NACA 23016 aerofoil section—the same as that used in the DC4, DC-6 and P-38 Lightning—which allows good cruise speeds, high load carrying capacity and responsive slow speed handling.

The E350 and E350XC—which still retain good STOL characteristics—have a cruise speed of 160 KTAS at 75% power at 8,000ft and, with a fuel capacity of 100 US gallons in their wing tanks, have a range of nearly 800 nm. At a gross weight of 3,800 lbs, the aircraft have a useful load of approximately 1,500 lbs. Both models will be able to be fitted with Tundra tyres.

Test flying of the Expedition prototypes for Transport Canada certification should be completed by the end of 2007 and FAA certification is expected in early 2008, with production commencing soon afterwards.

The Bush Hawks operated by the US Fish and Wildlife Service in Alaska replaced a number of their C185s and C206s, and Expedition Aircraft’s South Pacific agency, Seabird Aeromarine Ltd., expects to see significant interest throughout Australasia and the South Pacific for the new aircraft—with their better performance, significantly larger cabins and latest technology components (including glass cockpit, autopilot and IFR options)—to replace older, smaller aircraft in the region such as the Cessna 180, 185 and 206.