Drifter Experimental Amateurbuilt Aircraft, Lockwood Aviation.

Experimental Aircraft News Magazine - 
When I first met Phil Lockwood, he was selling Drifters. That was more than 20 years ago. In that time the venerable Drifter ultralight went through several owners and many changes. A Drifter model even hailed from Australia for a time. But in a combined deal including the Air Cam — which Phil designed — all design rights, inventory, tooling, documentation returned home…to Lockwood enterprises 

A 7,000 square-foot addition enlarges Lockwood’s facility to house the new activity. On a tour of this facility after the Sebring Expo I saw the stockpile of components that demanded a new building. Initially Phil expected only to supply Drifter parts to service about 1,000 aircraft flying around the globe. 

The Drifter series of aircraft was produced by Maxair Aircraft Corporation during the ultralight boom of the 80's, the original single-seat Drifter was powered by a 28-hp Rotax 277 single cylinder engine. The original Drifter featured a cable-braced wing and featured a large aluminum fuselage tube as a fuselage. Several other versions of the Drifter include include a two-seat trainer version and a short-wing, highly modified single-seat "Red Rocket" powered by a Rotax liquid cooled 65 HP engine. 

The Drifter series of aircraft make great float planes and can be equipped with a dual float system, a dual float amphib system, or a single mono float in both standard float and amphib float.

In the early 1990's Maxair declared bankruptcy, and the company was picked up by Phil Lockwood, who had previously worked for Maxair. Phil was involed in a National Geographic project in the Ndoki rain forest in Africa.
 
Lockwood Aircraft, now offers a kit version called the Super Drifter, a two-seat experimental aircraft powered by the Rotax four-stroke Rotax 912UL series engines. The Drifter kit comes with a standard 10-gallon tank, giving it a range of about 200 miles at a cruise speed of about 65 mph.

Drifter uses standard style aircraft controls in a tandem seating configuration, with dual rudder pedals, center mounted sticks, and a left hand throttle.

Drifter Experimental Amateurbuilt Aircraft Video

If you run a flight school and need a dependable ultralight to work hard for you until the January 31, 2010 deadline, a Super Drifter 912 may be the perfect choice. Or, if you’re merely a pilot who wants to have a little fun flying in a dependable machine for a reasonable price, the Super Drifter 912 deserves another look, especially now that Phil Lockwood is again running the show.Published in Light Sport and Ultralight FlyingEmpty weight 495 pounds

Gross weight 1,000 pounds
Wingspan 30 feet
Wing area 160 square feet
Wing loading 6.25 pounds per square foot
Length 22.5 feet
Height 9.5 feet
Kit type Assembly kit
Build time 50-300 hours
Standard engine Rotax 912
Power 81 hp at 5,500 rpm
Power loading 12.3 pounds per hp
Cruise speed 75 mph
Never exceed speed 85 mph
Rate of climb at gross 1,000 fpm
Takeoff distance at gross 200 feet
Landing distance at gross 200 feet

Standard Features Rotax 912, electric starting, all stainless exhaust, flaps, ASI, altimeter, CHT, oil pressure, oil temp, Hobbs meter, tachometer, dual controls, nose fairing, dual 5-gallon fuel tanks, wide aluminum wheels, aircraft tires, hydraulic brakes, 3-blade Warp Drive propeller.

Options Straight or amphibious floats, ballistic parachute system, other props and prop leading edge treatment.

Construction Aluminum airframe, spring steel landing gear, presewn Dacron® wing coverings, fiberglass nose fairing. Made in the USA.

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