SEABIRD ROUSEABOUT ULTRALIGHT- A piece of Aussie Ultralight History on E-bay

[winsor68]

Just found this on E-bay... price is optimistic. It should be an a museum collection. In fact there is one in the Qld Museum hanging in the entry at Southbank in Brisbane.

 

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Seabird-Rouseabout-aircraft/272057986777?_trksid=p2047675.c100009.m1982&_trkparms=aid%3D222007%26algo%3DSIC.MBE%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D20140117125611%26meid%3D07038d910fec406393921c8aed6b716c%26pid%3D100009%26rk%3D5%26rkt%3D10%26sd%3D272063091469

 

 

 

 

[dazza 38]

$7500 to buy now ? He's dreaming.

 

 

[Oscar]

Sadly, Seabird Aviation itself is also a piece of past Australian aviation history, as it was taken over several years ago by its US partner. The circumstances of that take-over were not ones that made those who worked for many, many years to get its Seeker project to fruition and produce an aircraft of extreme competence for its intended purpose. Don and Peter Adams are no longer with Seabird.

 

Don Adams had his 90th birthday about two weeks ago; a true gentleman and a quiet and unassuming hero of Australian aviation. Both Don and Peter are terrific people and I am sure everybody who knows them would wish they were still involved in the 'industry' - such as is now left of it as properly Australian...

 

 

[flyvulcan]

I am pleased to say that I flew the Rouseabout. In fact, it was the first ultralight that I flew. I did a "check" flight on it for a company that was interested in investing in it at the time. I can recall that there was another experienced ag pilot there to fly it on the day. Since I was the junior guy (300 hours total, having just graduated from RAAF pilot training and with 50 hours C130 under my belt), I flew it second. I watched the ag guy jump into it without a preflight, fire it up, taxi out and takeoff. The PIOs after takeoff were interesting to watch (note to self, don't overcontrol after takeoff). He flung it around for about 10 minutes, and brought it in for a decent landing.

 

I did a thorough preflight inspection which seemed to surprise those in attendance. After starting, I did one run down the runway to check directional control, braking authority and how much stick was needed to lift the nose. I went back and took off. I had a small PIO initially then took my fist off the stick and just used 2 fingers. It went well after that.

 

It performed quite well but I recall a real buzz through the stick at a certain power setting. Other than that, it was nice to fly. I even managed a decent landing.

 

It was a memorable first flight in an ultralight.

 

I appreciated that Don Adams trusted me with his baby.

 

 

[Head in the clouds]

Oscar beat me to it while I was typing ...

 

The aircraft being offered for sale above must be the original prototype of the Rouseabout, because it certainly isn't one of the production models.

 

For those who may not know the history, the Rouseabout was a development of Gordon Bedson's Resurgam. Gordon designed the Resurgam way back in 1948, believe it or not, and in the early 1980s offered plans with a minor components kit. About 40 were completed by late 1983.

 

By that time Gordon was working with Don and Peter Adams of Geonic Aero Industries, Woodridge (Geonic was the Adams' company before Seabird Aviation of Hervey Bay, who went on to develop the Seabird Seeker much later), to develop a much more sophisticated version of the Resurgam which became known as the Rouseabout.

 

The production Rouseabout, however, had an all-composite fuselage, and it was quite advanced composites for the time, making a lot of use of Kevlar. The wing ribs, tail surfaces and D nose were all composite also - it was a nice thing!

 

The one offered for sale above is not a Resurgam, but neither is it much like a Rouseabout. Berger-Burr's states that the prototype Rouseabout had a fuselage with "an aluminium sub-frame and tail-boom, but production aircraft are expected to be of carbon fibre/Kevlar composition with an integral tail boom", so presumably the one that's for sale is the original prototype of the Rouseabout, in which case it dates back to 1984 or earlier, because Gordon was killed on the maiden flight of his two seat Magra in 1984.

 

Below is a scanned picture of the production Rouseabout with Don Adams at the controls - courtesy of Berger-Burr's "Ultralight and Microlight Aircraft of the World" 2nd Edition 1985/6 -

 

 

Interesting bit of history flyvulcan - must be great to look back to those early days and see how far you've evolved, now flying Bizjets to all destinations around the world

 

 

[winsor68]

The one above is either "THE" one from the Qld Museum or there are two early metal prototypes. Anyone in Brisbane know if the Rouseabout is still hanging in the entrance at Southbank?

 

 

[flyvulcan]

The production Rouseabout, however, had an all-composite fuselage, and it was quite advanced composites for the time, making a lot of use of Kevlar. The wing ribs, tail surfaces and D nose were all composite also - it was a nice thing!

I flew the Rouseabout at Hervey Bay airstrip when the Company "Seabird" was already established. The one that I flew was composite so clearly was not the prototype. I can remember admiring the little Koenig engine in it and marvelling that such a small engine could make the aircraft climb and perform so well.

 

The Company that I conducted the check flight on behalf of were in the process of gaining the rights to sell the Gluhareff range of pressure jet engines in Australia (I had 2 x Gluhareff G8-2-130s which I had been converting lpg to noise with out at RAAF Richmond and also Schofields airfield). This company wanted an aircraft to put the jets on and considered the Rouseabout as a potential airframe recipient.

 

I flew with the company executives to Hervey Bay to fly the Rouseabout and report on its suitability to use the jet engines. I didn't know what aircraft I was to fly until I got to Hervey Bay. On the flight back to Sydney, I listened to these company executives being really excited about putting bombs and missiles on the Rouseabout and offering it as a counter-insurgency aircraft! I nearly peed myself inwardly laughing listening to their dreams. The report that I wrote about the Rouseabouts suitability to have a 50 gallon lpg tank installed and to have hard points installed brought them down to earth very quickly! If they had told me what aircraft I was going to fly before we left Sydney, I could have saved them the trip.

 

However, if I'd done that, my first flight in an ultralight would not have been in the Rouseabout.

 

 

[Guest ozzie]

The Resurgam was available in the late seventies from plans. First images below are the prototype. Looking at the top of the wing shows spoilers for roll control. Powered by a Konig two stroke radial.Not sure where the one hanging is i assume it maybe a Roustabout. A Resurgam flown by Ray Broome also represented Australia in the 1982 London to Paris Ultralight Air Race.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[winsor68]

The one hanging is at the Qld Museum at Brisbane's Southbank. They also have an early Flea inside....and a few of Smithy's smaller aircraft.

 

 

[flyerme]

I sent him a realistic offer for my private flying Ultralight museum :)

 

I have at present :

 

a 1982 Invader MK 2 ( not yet flying)

 

A 1984 Modified Chinook ( just finished rebuild and flying)

 

A 1995 Nieuport 11c.1. ( flying)

 

A 1987 LW-1 Lightwing ( flying serial 4. And original pointy cowl box back)

 

Should pick up a Winton jackaroo in next few weeks :)

 

Hope to pick up enough parts to rebuild my fav U/L. The wheeler scout over next couple months

 

All planes will feature in a movie I'm working on :)

 

 

[Guernsey]

Those magnificent men in their flying machines.

 

Alan.

 

 

[flyerme]

S

 

Those magnificent men in their flying machines.Alan.

Close but more like

"That magnificent man in his flying machines". Lol

 

 

[flyvulcan]

Tim,

 

Another historical ultralight that you may consider for your museum is the Stingray by Ray Tolhurst. The Stingray was a Winton Grasshopper lookalike.

 

I visited Ray Tolhursts hangar at Camden, NSW many many years ago and he still had enough components for a new build Stingray. If he still has them, you might be able to put together a flyable example.

 

Cheers,

 

Dave

 

 

[Guest ozzie]

Yeah remember this well. was a really nice version of the grasshopper ready to go into full production with good money to back it then some fool hopped in one and did exactly what he was told not to do and pulled the wings off. Money backer owned all the molds and had Ray destroy them and all parts.And that was that. If Ray has any bits he never did anything with them. Talented man Ray is. He and his team picked up a huge design boo boo with the C/G of the Glassair. Is he still at Camden?

 

 

[harty]

here is a stingray built by I believe jack flood

 

 

cheers

 

harty

 

 

[DGL Fox]

I was at the Qld Museum a couple of weeks ago and this is what is hanging there now..

 

David

 

 

 

[old man emu]

Ray is still going strong at Camden. He's fit and well.

 

OME

 

 

[Guest Howard Hughes]

All planes will feature in a movie I'm working on :)

Mad Max, beyond the hangar?

 

 

[bauple58]

 

I was at the Qld Museum a couple of weeks ago and this is what is hanging there now..David

[ATTACH=full]42012[/ATTACH]

Queensland Museum has a Resurgam II, presently dismantled and stored at the Museum's Hendra storage facility. Unfortunately however, it has no obvious airframe production or AUF registration numbers. I am happy to take another look if someone can tell me where Resugam production numbers are normally found?

 

This machine was formerly owned by Bill Knight. Would anyone happen to have a photograph of this aircraft (before it was purchased by the Museum), or know how I might get in touch with Bill Knight?

 

Thanks

 

Mark

 

 

[Gecko]

Queensland Air Museum has purchased this Production Rouseabout from a Hervey Bay man last week, Currently fitted with a Rotax engine but comes with the original Koenig engine but missing one cylinder unfortunately.