The Blue Yonder Twin Engine EZ Flyer is a Canadian designed and built, pusher configuration twin-engined, tandem two-seat, open cockpit aircraft provided as a completed aircraft or in kit form by Blue Yonder Aviation.[1] [2]
The aircraft can be constructed in Canada as a basic ultra-light, or amateur-built aircraft.
The Twin Engine EZ Flyer was designed by Wayne Winters of Indus, Alberta and based on the earlier EZ Flyer. Taking inspiration from the twin-engined Ultraflight Lazair and the Leza-Lockwood Air Cam the aircraft was especially designed for the air-to-ground photography role and also for use over hostile terrain where twin engine safety was desirable.
Winters altered the original EZ Flyer design by creating a new centre wing section to mount two powerplants instead of one, increasing the wingspan to 35.5feet and the wing area to 235square feet. The fuselage was also stretched 20NaN0 to 230NaN0 total, to give a more unimpeded view from the front seat. The aircraft retained the Junker's ailerons of the original Merlin wing along with the Clark "Y" airfoil and construction featuring a leading edge "D" cell and foam ribs. Like the original EZ Flyer, the twin engine version has an open lattice, "N" girder fuselage constructed from 4130 steel tube along with an enlarged vertical tail to improve handling in engine-out situations. The prototype has two seats in tandem and is powered by two Rotax 503 two stroke engines of 500NaN0.[3]
The prototype of the new design flew in 1999. In the basic ultralight version gross weight is limited to the category maximum of 12000NaN0. The amateur-built version has a gross weight of 14000NaN0.
The Twin Engine EZ Flyer can be equipped with a variety of powerplants, all mounted side-by-side in pusher configuration:[4]
Despite being widely demonstrated and reviewed, the prototype remains the sole registered example.[5]