The Anglin J6 Karatoo
is an ultralight and light-sport aircraft that was designed by Jesse Anglin. The Karatoo J6 is a high wing, 2 seat, tail dragger. Construction is a steel tube truss type fuselage, with fabric covering. Wings are normally wood construction or aluminum wing. The aircraft can also be mounted on floats for amphibious operations.
The Australian Karatoo is a derivative of the popular J6A Karatoo designed by Jesse Anglin. The J6A in it’s original format was a very light weight aircraft with a maximum take-off weight of 900 pounds. In this format, it didn’t need a lot of power, a Rotax 503 two stroke would do, and it was more of a fun machine than a work-horse. Into this scene came Max Peters from Australia. Max already had a lot of credentials in developing Subaru engines for aviation use, particularly gyrocopters. Max was looking for an aircraft he could use back in Australia, a big country famed for its rough dirt strips and long distances between fuel stops. The J6A Karatoo fitted the bill (almost). The undercarriage of the J6A was a little on the weak side and in its original form, no suspension. It was “cozy”. The 503 / 582 powerplants weren’t suited to hard work out in the paddocks.
So Jesse and Max got together and started beefing up the aircraft. It grew as well. Bigger engines came along, and that all important maximum take-off weight got a boost, all the way up to 1200 pounds. Fuel tanks got bigger to give more range. Flaps appeared as an option. So for all intents and purposes, it was no longer a J6A Karatoo and the Australian Karatoo was born. It was still a J6 but was now known as a J6B and has now reached the designation of J6C, with a still wider fuselage and revised rear fuselage structure. The fuselage structure is very strong and should last “decades”.
The fuselage structure is a fully welded steel tubular frame, covered with fabric. 4130 “N” steel tubing with the most common sizes being 3/4″ x.035 wall thickness, 5/8′ x .035, and 1/2″ x .035. Welding can be Oxy, MIG or TIG. Kits ordered from the factory are fully TIG’ed.
The wings design has changed from the original solid spruce spar to an “I” beam spar constructed from 2 spruce cap strips and a plywood web. The rear spar is still a solid spruce spar. The original ribs on a J6A Karatoo were built up from spruce strips, a very tedious form of construction. The ribs currently are routed from 1/4″ marine plywood, much simpler and easier to construct than the original design. A full D cell leading edge is used to enhance strength in the design. Flaps may be incorporated if you need to enhance the aircrafts already impressive take off and landing performance. The wing is still covered with fabric. A wing fold system can be incorporated.
Engines now include the ever popular Rotax 912 and 912S 100 hp. Jabirus and Subaru’s have been used, as well as the popular O200.
In places like Canada the aircraft has been adapt ed successfully for floats.
The Karatoo can accept engines in the range of 50 to 100 hp (37 to 75 kW), depending on the model. Engines used include the 50 hp (37 kW) Rotax 503 and the 64 hp (48 kW) Rotax 582 two-strokes as well as the 80 hp (60 kW) Rotax 912UL, the 100 hp (75 kW) Rotax 912ULS, 85 hp (63 kW) Jabiru 2200, 71 to 100 hp (53 to 75 kW) Subaru EA engine, 90 hp (67 kW) Continental C-90 and the 100 hp (75 kW) Continental O-200A four-stroke powerplants.
In 1988 the J6 design was adapted to the Canadian ultralight rules as the Norman Aviation J6 Karatoo and, in 1990, as the Buzzman L’il Buzzard.
-J6A KaratooInitial model with a gross weight of 900 lb (410 kg), commonly powered by a 50 hp (37 kW) Rotax 503. The earliest versions had a solid spruce main spar and later a spruce I beam spar.
-J6B Australian Karatoo Improved model developed by Anglin in conjunction with Max Peters. The J6B has a gross weight of 1,200 lb (540 kg), strengthened landing gear, optional flaps and initially used a 71 to 100 hp (53 to 75 kW) Subaru EA engine automotive conversion powerplant.
-J6C Australian KaratooModel with a gross weight of 1,200 lb (540 kg), a longer and wider fuselage, with a revised rear fuselage structure.
Specifications Serenity J6B Australian Karatoo
- Crew: one
- Capacity: one passenger
- Length: 20 ft 0 in (6.10 m) including propeller and spinner
- Wingspan: 32 ft 6 in (9.91 m)
- Height: 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m)
- Wing area: 146 sq ft (13.6 m2)
- Empty weight: 580 lb (263 kg)
- Gross weight: 1,200 lb (544 kg)
- Fuel capacity: 52 litres (11 imp gal; 14 US gal)
- Powerplant: 1 × Continental C-90 four cylinder, air-cooled, four stroke aircraft engine, 90 hp (67 kW)
- Propellers: 2-bladed wooden
- Maximum speed: 110 kn (130 mph, 200 km/h
- Cruise speed: 80 kn (92 mph, 150 km/h)
- Stall speed: 40 kn (46 mph, 74 km/h) flaps down
- Never exceed speed: 120 kn (140 mph, 220 km/h)
- Rate of climb: 500 ft/min (2.5 m/s)
- Wing loading: 8.2 lb/sq ft (40 kg/m2)