The R-120 is a development of the Bushcaddy R-80 and is supplied as a kit for amateur construction.
The aircraft was designed to comply with the Canadian and United States amateur-built aircraft rules. It features a strut-braced high-wing, a two-seats-in-side-by-side configuration enclosed cockpit, fixed tricycle landing gear or conventional landing gear and a single engine in tractor configuration. The R-120 is structurally strengthened over the R-80 to allow a higher gross weight and accept larger engines.
The aircraft is made from 6061-T6 aluminum sheet over a cage of welded aluminum square 6061-T6 aluminum tube. The tail boom is conventional semi-monocoque construction. The non-tapered planform wings have 6061-T6 ribs and spars and employ a NACA 4413 (mod) airfoil. The airfoil modification removes the undercamber on the bottom of the wing, which makes construction easier, without giving up low speed performance. The aircraft's structure uses 2024-T3 aluminium for critical parts where extra strength is required, such as the spar, float and strut attachments as well as other critical components like the rudder horns. The R-120's structure is covered with 6061-T6 sheet of varying thicknesses. The wings are supported by conventional "V" struts. 6061-T6 is predominantly used for its lower cost and also its better corrosion resistance, since many R-120s are flown on floats. Its 321NaN1 span wing has an area of 168square feet. Flaps are optional.[4]
Standard engines used on the R-120 include the 800NaN0 Rotax 912UL, the 1000NaN0 Rotax 912ULS, the turbocharged 1150NaN0 Rotax 914, the 1000NaN0 Continental O-200, the 1080NaN0 Lycoming O-235, the 1200NaN0 Jabiru 3300 and other four-stroke powerplants. The aircraft can also be mounted on floats and skis. Controls include a central "Y" control stick.
Construction time for the R-120 from the factory kit is 1,000 hours.