Canada's Found Aircraft has delivered its first Bush Hawk light utility aircraft as new management and investment puts the company on a firmer footing.

The first two production Bush Hawk 300s, both equipped with floats, have been handed over to Zachar Bay Lodge, a fishing camp in Alaska, and Alpine Aviation, a charter operator in Canada's Yukon Territory.

The Bush Hawk is an improved version of the FBA-2C, 27 of which were built by Found in the 1960s. The new aircraft incorporates a number of upgrades, including a 225kW (300hp) Textron Lycoming IO-540 engine.

The bigger engine was introduced after the original 195kW Bush Hawk 260 failed to secure customers. Found is now adding high-lift Fowler flaps to produce the Bush Hawk XP. Canadian certification is scheduled for September.

A new management team has taken over at Found, bringing with it new investment. The Parry Sound, Ontario-based company is gearing up for production of one aircraft a month, with plans to increase this to four a month "within a couple of years".

Source: Flight International