Fisher FP-505 Skeeter

The Fisher FP-505 Skeeter is a Canadian single-seat, conventional landing gear, single-engined parasol-wing monoplane kit aircraft designed for construction by amateur builders. Fisher Flying Products was originally based in Edgeley, North Dakota, USA but the company is now located in Woodbridge, Ontario, Canada.[1][2][3][4][5][6]

FP-505 Skeeter
Role Kit aircraft
National origin Canada
Manufacturer Fisher Flying Products
First flight 1984
Introduction 1984
Number built 45 (2011)[1]

Development

The FP-505 was designed by Fisher Aircraft in the United States in 1984 and was intended to comply with the US FAR 103 Ultralight Vehicles category, with the category's maximum 254 lb (115 kg) empty weight. The 505's standard empty weight is 245 lb (111 kg) when equipped with a two-stroke 28 hp (21 kW) Rotax 277 engine. The design goal was to provide a nostalgic 1930s-style parasol similar in configuration to the Pietenpol Air Camper or Heath Parasol that would be easy to fly, with a high wing and an open cockpit.[3][5][6]

The construction of the FP-505 is of wood, with the fuselage built from wood strips arranged in a geodesic form, resulting in a very strong and light aircraft with redundant load paths. The wings, tail and fuselage are covered with doped aircraft fabric. The wings are strut-braced with both jury struts and cabane struts. The aircraft has no flaps. The conventional-configuration landing gear is bungee suspended. The company claims it takes an amateur builder 500 hours to build the FP-505.[3][5][6]

Early versions of the FP-505 were equipped with the 28 hp (21 kW) Rotax 277, and the aircraft reportedly flies well on that minimum power. Since the Rotax 277 is no longer in production, the 25 hp (19 kW) Hirth F-33 is specified along with the 40 hp (30 kW) Rotax 447 and 50 hp (37 kW) Rotax 503 engines.[3][5][6]

By late 2011 over 45 FP-505s were flying.[1]


Specifications (FP-505)

Data from Company website, AeroCrafter, Kitplanes and Cliche[2][3][4][5][6]

General characteristics

  • Crew: one
  • Capacity: no passengers
  • Length: 16 ft 6 in (5.03 m)
  • Wingspan: 28 ft 0 in (8.54 m)
  • Height: 5 ft 9 in (1.77 m)
  • Wing area: 112 sq ft (10.42 sq m)
  • Empty weight: 250 lbs (113 kg)
  • Useful load: 250 lb (113 kg)
  • Max. takeoff weight: 500 lbs (226 kg)
  • Powerplant: 1 × Rotax 503 Twin cylinder, two-stroke piston engine, 50 hp (37 kW)

Performance

See also

Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era

References
  1. Vandermeullen, Richard: 2011 Kit Aircraft Buyer's Guide, Kitplanes, Volume 28, Number 12, December 2011, page 54. Belvoir Publications. ISSN 0891-1851
  2. Downey, Julia: Kit Aircraft Directory 2005, Kitplanes, Volume 21, Number 12, December 2004, page 58. Belvoir Publications. ISSN 0891-1851
  3. Purdy, Don: AeroCrafter - Homebuilt Aircraft Sourcebook, page 162. BAI Communications. ISBN 0-9636409-4-1
  4. Kitplanes Staff: 1999 Kit Aircraft Directory, Kitplanes, Volume 15, Number 12, December 1998, page 48. Primedia Publications. IPM 0462012
  5. Cliche, Andre: Ultralight Aircraft Shopper's Guide 8th Edition, page B-24 Cybair Limited Publishing, 2001. ISBN 0-9680628-1-4
  6. Fisher Flying Products (n.d.). "FP-505". Retrieved 2009-10-20.
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