The Drifter was first marketed by Maxair in the 1980s as both a single seat and two seats-in-tandem kitplane. The original single seater was light enough when fitted with the 28 hp (21 kW) Rotax 277 engine to qualify for the US FAR 103 Ultralight Vehicles category, with an empty weight of 240 lb (109 kg). After Maxair went out of business, the design was picked up in 1997 by Lockwood Aircraft who produced kits for a number of single and two-seat versions, mostly differing by installed engine. The Lockwood versions are all wire-braced using a kingpost to support the ground wires. Over 1000 wire-braced Drifters have been completed and flown. Lockwood estimates that a builder will take 300 hours to complete a Super Drifter from the currently supplied kit. For more information on Australian developments, design, variants, etc., click here. Specs for Super Drifter.
