Maxair Aircraft
Corporation filed a voluntary bankruptcy petition on August
1991, and since that time various companies have produced "Maxair"
Drifters or variations of the original Maxair design.
Austflight ULA Pty Ltd (Austflight)
was incorporated in 1983 and commenced trading at Ballina
in New South Wales, Australia. The principal business was
the importation and sale of the Maxair Drifter kit which
over time Austflight extensively modified and improved. In
1986 Austflight moved to Boonah, Queensland and designed and
built a new "Australian Drifter" aircraft which was intended
for type certification. In 1987 this aircraft was certified
by the Civil Aviation Safety Authority, Australia (CASA).
This incredibly robust aircraft became the benchmark and
mainstay of ultralight flying, training, and aerial
mustering in Australia, proving itself over many thousands
of hours of use in the toughest of conditions. Further
modification and improvements such as strut bracing the
wings was completed for CAO 101.55 class certification in
December 1993. This aircraft is known as the (Strut Braced)
SB 582 Drifter.
Austflight manufactured
and sold approximately 500 Drifter aircraft since its
inception in 1983.
In late 1995 a joint
venture agreement was entered into with Shanghai Aircraft
Manufacturing Factory for the manufacture of all Australian
Drifter aircraft in China. This factory also manufactures
Boeing 737 tail assemblies and other commercial aircraft.
The joint venture was known as the Shanghai Fenton Light
Aircraft Company (SFLAC), and Austflight was a 50%
shareholder. SFLAC was approved by CASA to manufacture
Drifter aircraft to the Australian type-certification
standards.
Unfortunately Austflight
suffered financial stress due to the costs associated with
certification and the joint venture agreement.
In May 2002 Austflight
sold the last of its assets and transferred the Drifter Type
Certificate to Noosa Air Pty Ltd. Noosa Air also acquired
all the intellectual property rights and ownership of the
Drifter aircraft.
In 2003 CASA upgraded the
type certification standard of the SB 582 Drifter to the
Primary Category.
Drifter Aircraft Pty Ltd
was incorporated in 2006 to manufacture and market the
Drifter, and on the 1st of June 2006 was issued with a
production certificate by CASA.
The companies associated
with the Drifter in Australia are 100% owned and controlled
by one family. This family has a 30 year history of
aviation operations and is committed to the long term future
of the Drifter.
The Drifter Factory has
been established at Dalby, Queensland and will produce and
sell all certified Drifter aircraft and parts.
The above courtesy of
www.drifteraircraft.com
