New Radical STOL aircraft to help anti-poaching

[b.hawker]

Our wildlife is under severe pressure and the criminals are being well funded out of the East. These guys are now using highly technical gear - air superiority is the only real way to keep this scourge under control www.irwinair.co.za has just secured the agency on an aircraft which is utterly unique and with local support, the goal is to get these aircraft into the air and protecting our wildlife assets - something needs to be done, SANparks are trying what they can but are not well funded, this is upto the private guys to step up to the platform. The SuperSTOL will be equipped with latest tracking, IR camera's and a specialized AP to assist owners and custodians of our wildlife assets.

Check out the aircraft - it's performance is an eye opener!

[Sideslip]

I usually don't get involved with direct punting of our products on forums Brendan but I have to respond to your commercial post here

WWF (World Wildlife Fund) Netherlands sponsored the purchase of an aerial surveillance vehicle to be used in Natal for anti rhino poaching. To make sure their money was going to be well spent, they put a panel of about 20 + local industry experts together (pilots, trackers, vets etc) around a table with a list of all available aircraft. Both locally built and from across our shores.

They thrashed the list about between them crossing off aircraft one by one as they were found to be lacking in one way or another. After about 3 days, they were left with 1 aircraft on the list

[Sideslip]

Oh and 200 hours down the line she is doing just great and is very much loved by her operators.

[b.hawker]

Hey Steve, you have a wonderful aircraft and the best thing is that it is proudly South African.

The SuperSTOL is a pretty radical aircraft, it boasts jaw dropping performance and can pretty much do what a R44 can (indeed it can also intercept a R44) at a fraction of the acquisition or running costs.

Your aircraft and the SuperSTOL are so different and will attract different markets - there is place for us all under the South African sun - and we can do it as friends united in the love for aviation.

I have a real vested interest in protecting our wildlife (We have over 250 head of game on our property) and this agency was well researched including discussing it with industry experts - all of whom have never seen the performance delivery of the SuperSTOL. I know for certain that the performance of the aircraft is unique and it's a pretty good contender in fulfilling a very broad range of tasks in very tough environs, not only in the protection of our wildlife assets but infrastructure surveillance, tracking and other task specific rolls.

All the best
Brendan

[Air Hog]

Brenden, the performance figures are not that radical if you compare to some other aircraft available local like the Explorer, Savannah, CH701/CH750. Go to Youtube and see the CH701 STOL aircraft perform, look at their off-airfield capabilities (I know, I have one).

Pretty radical price. It looks radical, I like it.

Compared to the performance figures on you site... my normal STOL (All Aluminum CH701) is OK, and at what I paid for it, I am

Maybe I am stirring a beehive here

[ZULU1]

This is also coming soon..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ow6ybXBF9AU

[b.hawker]

Hey AirHog, your choice of STOL aircraft is a great one, I have flown the CH701 and they perform well on take off and landing.

I don't think we will be competing on price, again they are both completely different aircraft, one is great at STOL and the other is great at STOL and cross country etc.

The stats are clearly understated - I like that as it's not often that you get a manufacturer understating their products. Video's, pictures and action paint a thousand words.

Would you put your CH701 down on this http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D7cVkY62eDE

Brenden, the performance figures are not that radical if you compare to some other aircraft available local like the Explorer, Savannah, CH701/CH750. Go to Youtube and see the CH701 STOL aircraft perform, look at their off-airfield capabilities (I know, I have one).

Pretty radical price. It looks radical, I like it.

Compared to the performance figures on you site... my normal STOL (All Aluminum CH701) is OK, and at what I paid for it, I am

Maybe I am stirring a beehive here

[Air Hog]

Hi Brendon
With bigger tyres, yes I will. There is various Youtube clips where CH701's with the same tyres as yours land in extreme conditions.

[Tumbleweed]

Sanparks likes one, anti poaching prefers another, WWW chose that...........

Any of these in the hands of a capable experienced bush pilot will get the same results. Maybe we should have a spot landing a.k.a Alaskan bush pilots style. Raasa says any comp is legal providing pilots fly to their licence and A.T.F. restrictions and no public is attracted/ charge/ flips e.t.c.

Who besides bush pilots on restricted strips need to land and take-off within 200 m in South Africa anyway?

Whatever blows your hair back.

[Blue Max]

SANparks are trying what they can but are not well funded,

There must be a very good reason for that.!!!
As a poepol in aviation my understanding is that 'stol' means you are flying so slow that you are are actually falling.!
No fix wing aircraft can fly as slow as a Gyro or a trike.
How are you going to spot poachers when you fly with a fixed wing aircraft at 100 ft or lower over the
bush.??
Kry n Gyro of n trike.!!

[John.com]

SANparks are trying what they can but are not well funded,

There must be a very good reason for that.!!!
As a poepol in aviation my understanding is that 'stol' means you are flying so slow that you are are actually falling.!
No fix wing aircraft can fly as slow as a Gyro or a trike.
How are you going to spot poachers when you fly with a fixed wing aircraft at 100 ft or lower over the
bush.??
Kry n Gyro of n trike.!!

HaHa! Neeeee Oom Paul! Watch hierdie VSTOL (Very Short Take Off and Landing): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=laFmA9bO ... w&index=62

[Airbender bravo]

Ek verstaan net nie hoekom die b....simse goverment nie help met finansies om vir die mense aeries aan te skaf nie,
Dis tog in sa se belange om die renosters en alle ander diere van ons land te beskerm dis in sa se belang ek meen dis,
Wat al die buite landers lok vir toerisme ens.
Ek meen as hulle 300miljoen kan mors op vark gevreet zuma se pandokkies,kan hulle maklik 50 vliegtuie met n hele span mense inspan vir n baie uiters goeie doel, mar nee hulle sallie want daar is nie genoeg beeee f....ing eee pilots,vets,ens wat ,
aan die wwrk gesteek kan word nie dis sommer stront,san parke en al daai manne moet biekie aan daai deure gan klop !

[zucac]

I fly a Foxbat and a trike for Bateleurs.
Foxbat can fly slower and is quiter

[Dreamer]

Interesting topic, I am involved with counter poaching work (honorary officers) with one of the provincial parks boards. We use trikes quite often but are looking into funding a full time aircraft in the parks. Bush cats, bat hawks, Savannah's are all on our list. As a voluntary self funded group cost is also important to us. So questions such as , do we spend close to a million on one plane or do we spend 450 to 650 and possibly have 2 in the air are important. It seems we are spoiled for choice with so many great and suitable aircraft available. The decision i guess comes down to minor differences and the requirements of the task planned.

[Pepper 5]

A while back I asked on here what A/C to choose for anti poaching, we went with the Bathawk and I must say that we are very pleased. You can not buy anything other than local is what we decided on as you will need to get spares from time to time. Remember you cant fly when you want to but when you have to so the aerie works a bit harder than normal.

We have had good success and are very pleased so far. The poachers "mostly bushmeat poachers" don't want to come out and play anymore so our main role these days is to look after cattle.

Also be careful of IR cameras or FLIR. Our environment is so "hot" that its of not much use anyway.

What is very necessary is good communication with the ground. If you need help with this please contact me as we are busy getting it rite after a lot of failures.

Hope this helps.