Tag: Micro Aviation SA

Bat Hawk South Africa

The new South African Bat Hawk has been designed and developed by Micro Aviation South Africa primarily for surveillance and is the most affordable light sport aircraft on the market.
The Original BantamThe Micro Aviation B22 Bantam is a New Zealand “microlight aircraft” designed and produced by Max Clear in New Zealand.

The aircraft is supplied as a complete ready-to-fly-aircraft. The aircraft complies with the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale microlight rules as well as the United Kingdom BCAR Section ‘S’ regulations. It features a strut-braced high-wing, a two-seats-in-side-by-side configuration enclosed cockpit, fixed tricycle landing gear and a single engine in tractor configuration.

As a conventional 3-axis microlight, the Bantam does not rely on pilot weight shift to affect control. Twin seats are positioned side by side for full dual control and both crew members are well protected from the weather by an aerodynamic fibreglass pod and large wrap-around windshield.

Performance of the Bantam in its multiple options has been widely acclaimed as nothing short of sensational.

In the hands of a learner it remains perfectly balanced for fingertip control and hands off flight, but pushed to the maximum by an experienced pilot the maneuverability is breath-taking.
 Bat Hawk LSA – Big BrotherSeveral major design changes were incorporated into the Bat Hawk, which included a larger six-cylinder Jabiru engine with more substantial cheekplates and engine mountings and increased all up weight to 540 kg, stronger main gear, larger ‘bush’ tyres, improved brakes, increased fuel tank capacity to 80 / 100 liters, zip open / close luggage area, MGL EMS, stronger wing spars and wing struts, re-designed more streamlined nose pod and a much larger windscreen for improved visibility. Perhaps the most obvious visual change is the fact that the new larger windscreen is now positioned forwards of the front no.1 downtube, thereby creating a much roomier cockpit.

There is a big demand for this LSA aircraft in the surveillance and conservation industries and Micro Aviation believes that contrarily to what is published, the Bat Hawk is the only true ‘bush-plane’ on the market. “Other manufacturers advertise ‘bush planes’, but they all have propellers that are far too close to the ground, which are damaged by grass, sticks, stones and sand. On the other hand the Bat Hawk has its engine and propeller installed high up out of the ‘damage area’ and also very importantly,” out of the pilot’s line of sight”. All of the other supposed ‘bush planes’ have high instrument panels which severely limit and restrict outward visibility. The Bat Hawk’s cockpit is very similar to that of a helicopter with excellent forward visibility as well as to both sides. All parts and materials have been sourced in South Africa, fabricated and approved.
Test FlightsDuring flight tests conducted over the weekend of 1 December 2012, test pilot CC Pocock managed to pull 4 Gs during VNE tests, with maximum pull-up and climb testing. He entertained everyone with a magnificent display of loops, barrel rolls and stall turns in the Bat Hawk. All this was recorded on the G-meter, which was installed, as well as on the MGL S/D card. Wing loading tests up to 3000 kg on the Bat Hawk wing have been conducted and she carried it with ease.

The Bat Hawk is a delight to fly and like its ‘baby brother the Bantam’, needing zero rudder input while flying. There are no ‘excess yaw’ tendencies at all. She takes off in 50 metres and climbs out at 1200 feet/min with a 100kg pilot and full tanks at Nelspruit altitude at 3000 feet above mean sea level.

I had the opportunity to fly with Andrew to a nearby farm so that I could conduct the aerial photography from a Kitfox and I was convinced that the Bat Hawk presented similar flight characteristics to the Bantam, but with a more ‘solid feel’ due to the increased power to weight ratio and strengthened structure. Andrew says the Bat Hawk provides a much more solid feel with its thicker cheek plates, whilst the cruise speed has increased to 75 knots from the Bantam’s cruise speed of 65 knots using the same engine. Stall speed remains 35 knots, although with a single pilot and half tanks this comes down to 32 knots.

Multiple Roles

The Bat Hawk airframe is strong and durable, allowing it to be used in many roles. With the second seat available to take significant loads a number of Bat Hawks have been adapted for use in a variety of applications such as:
Game reserve aerial surveillance, where the type is particularly well adapted due to its very slow forward cruising speed, relative silence and stealth characteristicsFence checking and stock mustering on farmsAerial topdressing and sprayingAerial photography and surveyingReconnaissance and surveillanceRegular ranger patrols.Carcass location.Water-point monitoringMonitoring of rare speciesGathering of Scientific data for research purposes. Radio telemetry and chemical immobilization of animals.Anti-poaching and follow-up patrols.Patrolling rivers and gathering valuable data on crocodiles for the Kruger Park Scientific services.Monitoring and mapping burning programs in the Parks , including aerial burning of fire breaks with the Raindance Aerial Incendiary machine.Patrolling the Kruger/Mozambique/ Zimbabwe borders.Vegetation mapping and erosion monitoring.


Side by side seating, dual controls, comprehensive instrumentation and flying characteristics totally free of vices, make the Bat Hawk an ideal flight training aircraft. Due to the conventional 3-axis aircraft controls, the Bat Hawk is ideally suited for initial flight training towards a National Pilot’s Licence (LSA).

Bat Hawk-the most affordable light sport aircraft on the market

By Photos by Willie Bodenstein

The Bat Hawk, a conventional 3-axis light sport aircraft LSA, the most affordable light sport aircraft on the market, is supplied as a complete ready to fly aircraft. The aircraft complies with the ASTM2245 Build Standard rules and regulations as well as South African Civil Aviation Type Approval.

Designed and developed by Micro Aviation South Africa primarily for surveillance and conservation features for African conditions is a strut-braced high-wing, two-seats-in-side-by-side configuration open cockpit, fixed tricycle landing gear and a single engine aircraft in tractor configuration.


As a conventional 3-axis light sport aircraft LSA, the Bat Hawk does not rely on pilot weight shift to affect control. Twin seats are positioned side by side for full dual control and both crew members are well protected from the weather by an aerodynamic fibreglass pod and large wrap-around windshield.

Performance of the Bat Hawk in its multiple options has been widely acclaimed as nothing short of sensational. In the hands of a learner it remains perfectly balanced for fingertip control and hands off flight, but pushed to the maximum by an experienced pilot the manoeuvrability is breath-taking.

Several important designs are incorporated into the Bat Hawk, which include a 100 hp 4-cylinder Rotax® engine with substantial cheek plates and engine mountings and an all up weight of 540 kg, strong main gear, large ‘bush’ tyres, hydraulic disk brakes, large fuel tank capacity (80 litters), zip open / close luggage area, MGL Engine Monitoring System, strong wing spars and wing struts, streamlined nose pod and a large windscreen for improved visibility.

There is a big demand for this LSA aircraft in the surveillance and conservation industries and with the Bat Hawk’s propeller up and out of the way it reduces the risk of damage by grass, sticks, stones and sand making it a true “Bush Plane”.
 

The Bat Hawk’s cockpit is very similar to that of a helicopter with excellent forward visibility as well as to both sides. All parts and materials are sourced in South Africa, fabricated and approved.


The Bat Hawk air-frame is strong and durable, allowing it to be used in many roles. With the second seat available to take significant loads, a number of Bat Hawks have been adapted for use in a variety of applications such as game reserve aerial surveillance, where the type is particularly well adapted due to its very slow forward cruising speed, relative silence and stealth characteristics.


Other uses are: Fence checking and stock mustering on farms, aerial topdressing and spraying, aerial photography and surveying, reconnaissance and surveillance, regular ranger patrols, carcass location, water-point monitoring, monitoring of rare species, gathering of Scientific data for research purposes, radio telemetry and chemical immobilization of animals, anti-poaching and follow-up patrols, patrolling rivers and gathering valuable data on crocodiles for the Kruger Park Scientific services, monitoring and mapping burning programs in the Parks, including aerial burning of fire breaks with the Raindance Aerial Incendiary machine, patrolling the Kruger/Mozambique/ Zimbabwe borders and vegetation mapping and erosion monitoring.


Side by side seating, dual controls, comprehensive instrumentation and flying characteristics totally free of vices, make the Bat Hawk an ideal flight training aircraft. Due to the conventional 3-axis aircraft controls, the Bat Hawk is ideally suited for initial flight training towards a National Pilot’s Licence (LSA).

From left to right: Bat Hawk’s Terry and Andrew Pappas and Aero Club Chairman Paul Lastruci.

At the 2018 Aero Club of South Africa’s Awards Dinner Bat Hawk South Africa was presented with the PGS Trophy a fitting tribute to a company whose product and reputation has made it a household name in aviation circles not only in South Africa but also in continental Africa.

Micro Aviation Bat Hawk – Wildlife conservations first choice

Photos by Willie Bodenstein

Mpumalanga based Micro Aviation has been building light sport aircraft since 2013 and the companies’ Bantam and Bat Hawk LSAs have sold in large numbers not only locally, but also throughout the continent.

There is barely an African country where Bat Hawks are not being used in the nature conservation and ant poaching roles. The Bat Hawk’s cockpit is very similar to that of a helicopter and it provides excellent forward visibility on either side of the cockpit.

Micro Aviation’s Terry Pappas has confirmed that they are currently developing a wider body amphibian version to enable parks with extreme wet seasons to be able to access all areas throughout the year that can also be utilised for fisheries management in such areas. The amphibian version, they feel, will also find a market in the USA and Canada.

Bat Hawk are built from scratch in Nelspruit at the company’s factory that has a capacity to build five units a month, with an order usually taking about eight weeks to complete. All the components used to build the Bat Hawk, besides its 100 hp four-cylinder Rotax engine and its propeller, are sourced locally.

Designed for African conditions, the Bat Hawk’s engine is mounted in a tractor position above and ahead of the crew with the propeller positioned up and away to reduce the risk of damage to the aircraft by grass, sticks, stones and sand. The Bat Hawk features a strut-braced high-wing, a two-seat in side-by-side configuration open cockpit and fixed-tricycle landing gear. The high-wing has two tubes forming the spars, one at the leading edge and one at the rear edge of the wing. The full span flaperons attached to the rear spar are of similar construction and covering.

All these parts are manufactured from corrosion-resistant aluminium alloy and stainless-steel wires, while the air-frame and wings are covered with tensional Dacron sailcloth. Equipped with substantially tough landing gear for rugged terrain, the aircraft is also ultraviolet light proof and can handle winds of up to 30 knots in flight and a cross wind component of 16 knots.

As a conventional thee-axis light sport aircraft, the Bat Hawk does not rely on pilot weight shift to affect control. Twin seats are positioned side by side for full dual control and both crew members are well protected from the weather by an aerodynamic fibreglass pod and large wrap-around windshield.

Supplied as a complete ready-to-fly aircraft, the Bat Hawk complies with the ASTM2245 Build Standard rules and regulations, as well as has a South African Civil Aviation Type Acceptance Certificate.

Micro Aviation SA developing wide-body and amphibious Bat Hawk versions

8TH AUGUST 2019 BY: TRACY HANCOCK – CREAMER MEDIA CONTRIBUTING EDITOR

Micro Aviation SA developing wide-body and amphibious Bat Hawk versions

Nelspruit-based aircraft manufacturer Micro Aviation SA is developing a wide-body and amphibious version of its Bat Hawk surveillance and conservation aircraft.

The company has been building the light sport aircraft since 2013, owing to the lack of a low-cost observation platform on the market. The company has a conservation background and assembled the Bantam series of planes for ten years.

To date, the company has built more than 200 bantams and 172 Bat Hawks, and is building the eighth and ninth Bat Hawk of the year.

Micro Aviation SA MD Terry Pappas admits that business is a lot quieter than normal, with the company only producing one unit a month.

“We manufacture the Bat Hawk from scratch in Nelspruit and can build five units a month, with an order usually taking about eight weeks to complete.”

All the components used to build the Bat Hawk, besides its 100 hp four-cylinder Rotax engine and its propeller, are sourced locally.

Designed for African conditions, the Bat Hawk’s propeller is positioned up and away to reduce the risk of damage to the aircraft by grass, sticks, stones and sand. Equipped with substantially tough landing gear for rugged terrain, the aircraft is also ultraviolet light proof and can handle winds up to 30 knots in flight and a cross wind component of 16 knots.

The Bat Hawk features a strut-braced high-wing, a two-seats-in-side-by-side configuration open cockpit and fixed-tricycle landing gear, with the  propeller and the engine mounted in a tractor position above and ahead of the crew.

The high-wing has two tubes forming the spars, one at the leading edge and one at the rear edge of the wing. All these parts are manufactured from corrosion-resistant aluminium alloy and stainless steel wires, while the air-frame and wings are covered with tensional Dacron sailcloth, explains Pappas.

The full span flaperons attached to the rear spar are of similar construction and covering.

“As a conventional thee-axis light sport aircraft, the Bat Hawk does not rely on pilot weight shift to affect control. Twin seats are positioned side by side for full dual control and both crew members are well protected from the weather by an aerodynamic fibreglass pod and large wrap-around windshield,” explains Pappas.

He says, as the Bat Hawk’s cockpit is very similar to that of a helicopter, it provides excellent forward visibility on either side of the cockpit.

The Bat Hawk is used by surveillance and conservation industries across Africa –  Kenya, Tanzania, Malawi, Zambia, Mozambique, Botswana, South Africa and “very soon” Zimbabwe and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

However, because of its significant and well-organised conservation efforts, as well as foresight, Botswana presents the greatest demand for the Bat Hawk.

Supplied as a complete ready-to-fly aircraft, the Bat Hawk complies with the ASTM2245 Build Standard rules and regulations, as well as has a South African Civil Aviation Type Acceptance Certificate. 

An eye in the sky will assist rangers

Written by Lowvelder

With excellent visibility from the cockpit, a fitted GPS, radio and transponder (with which it can be tracked from nearby airports), it is ideal for use in surveys of rare animals and of course counter-poaching action.

LETABA – He has done it on foot, but now, with an aerial perspective, section ranger Andrew Desmet can serve his beloved Kruger National Park (KNP) even better.

Desmet is one of three ranger pilots in the park with a newly upgraded Bat Hawk light sport aircraft, designed and built by Micro Aviation SA in Mbombela, at his disposal.
This ranger of the Letaba section in the KNP is no stranger to the challenges of game ranging and anti-poaching operations. In 2013 he miraculously recovered after having been shot four times with a high-calibre assault rifle during such an operation.

The Bat Hawk is sponsored by the Conservation Services National Project of the SANParks Honorary Rangers, which also recently paid for an engine upgrade at a cost of R175 000.
This project is chaired by John Turner, and the craft is now fitted with an improved and more reliable Rotax engine. This engine is water-cooled and extremely suitable for circumstances in the KNP.

During a demonstration of the aircraft in the Kruger, Desmet explained the benefits of having the services of such an ultralight craft. It is comparatively cheap to buy and maintain, but can still reach an airspeed of 75 knots (about 140 kilometres per hour).

It is valuable as a surveillance tool for normal reconnaissance in his section, but with a range of four and a half hours, he can also reach any point within the park with still some fuel left. The craft flies on standard fuel and consumes about 12 litres per hour.

With excellent visibility from the cockpit, a fitted GPS, radio and transponder (with which it can be tracked from nearby airports), it is ideal for use in surveys of rare animals and of course counter-poaching action. It can fly at only 200 feet above the ground and at a speed as low as about 54 knots (100 kilometres per hour).

Desmet explained that the craft is an indispensable complementary device to all other means of anti-poaching and the park would hopefully eventually have one per region.
Apart from being able to quickly respond to tracking situations, it is very effective in suppression work to enable teams on foot to catch up with suspects.

Desmet and the Bat Hawk have already been involved in a few success stories and he hopes to be of more service in future. “I love the park,” he said. “Flying the Bat Hawk gives me a unique and better perspective of my job.

“I had done it on foot many times, but seeing the terrain from the air now puts everything in place.”