Coolum manufacturing boss has eyes on the skies with an innovative bush plane he built from scratch

A Coolum manufacturer has fulfilled a childhood dream of building his own ‘old style’ bush plane, which he plans to fly across the country with his family. SEE THE PICTURES

A Coolum manufacturer is on cloud nine after successfully building a light aircraft he soon hopes to fly across Australia with his family.

As the founder of Zone RV, Cure Marine, and Cure Composites, David Biggar has had a knack for building things from a young age, stemming from his father’s work as a light vehicle manufacturer and aviation hobbyist.

From building race cars with his dad as a child to establishing three manufacturing businesses in Coolum by age 30 in 2014, Mr Biggar said his new super cub bush plane is the creation he’s proud of the most.

“I build things to go on water and rugged areas but for me the pinnacle is building something from scratch that’s going to fly – it’s a great project,” Mr Biggar says.

David Biggar owner/builder of super cub plane. Picture: Patrick Woods.

“I was looking to get a bush plane and the piper super cub is renowned as the best bush plane in the world, but the original heritage of the plane is a 1950s designed tail dragger made from chromoly metal and then wrapped in fabric, so it’s pretty well the oldest style of technology of building aircraft.

“I wanted to build that old-style of aircraft but in the latest technology of materials and with my businesses I’ve got the equipment and designers to be able to make that happen.”

Without any aircraft building training, Mr Biggar and a few of his Cure Composites staff have spent the last two and a half years constructing the bush plane during weeknights.

The plane is made almost entirely from carbon fibre and is fitted with a 180 horsepower lycoming engine he purchased from Suncoast Aero Engines in Caloundra.

Mr Biggar’s super cub plane is made almost entirely from carbon fibre. Picture: Patrick Woods.

Drawing from his catamaran boat, fibreglass, and caravan manufacturing background, Mr Biggar said his custom built super cub is comparable to current high end models on the market and he already has ambitions to make a better one.

“It’s on par, hence why I want to build another one,” Biggar says.

“This plane was probably on the over engineered side and through learning in this first build we can redesign and re-engineer one that’s lighter again – and lighter definitely is better.

“We’re in the test flight phase and I’ve got three test pilots who are ex-military jet fighters who have just clocked up over 10 hours (in the plane) and it’s all going really well.”

Mr Biggar’s said he’s still got a few tweaks to make to the plane before it’s fully ready but expects the project to be completed by the end of January.

He said he hopes to take his family and friends flying across Australia and the Gulf of Carpentaria by winter.