SkyReach Aircraft
South African light sport aircraft manufacturer
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Rainbow SkyReach (Pty) Ltd is a South African aircraft manufacturer based at the Springs Airfield in Dal Fouche, Springs, Gauteng. It was formerly known as Rainbow Aircraft (Pty) Ltd. The company specialises in the design and manufacture of fixed-wing Light-sport aircraft.[1][2][3][4][5][6][7]
| |
| Type | Private company |
|---|---|
| Industry | Aerospace |
| Founder | Mike Blyth |
| Headquarters | Dal Fouche, Springs, Gauteng , |
| Key people | Former Chief Engineer & Designer: Vladimir Chechin |
| Products | Light-sport aircraft Ultralight aircraft |
| Website | www |
The company was founded by Mike Blyth in South Africa as Rainbow Aircraft (Pty) Ltd. Vladimir Chechin came as a visitor to the country from Russia in 1994 and decided to immigrate, finding work at Blyth's company. In 2002 Chechin purchased the company from Blyth.[2]
The company's name was changed to Rainbow SkyReach (Pty) Ltd in the 2010s and the Rainbow Cheetah was developed into the SkyReach BushCat.[8][9]
In May 2024, the company announced that it would stop manufacturing new aircraft. However, it would continue on as a maintenance organisation to service the existing fleet, both locally as well as supplying parts internationally. In November of the same year, it was announced[10] that the company would cease trading, and the company Inteliectual Property and manufacturing rights had been bought by Bushcat Aircraft Australia.
Aircraft
| Model name | First flight | Number built | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rainbow Aerotrike Cobra | 70 (2005) | Ultralight trike | |
| Rainbow Aerotrike Safari | 45 (2000) | Ultralight trike | |
| Rainbow Aerotrike Scout | 45 (2000) | Ultralight trike | |
| Rainbow Aerotrike Spirit | Ultralight trike | ||
| Rainbow Cheetah | Fixed-wing Light-sport aircraft | ||
| Rainbow Cheetah XLS | 2012 | Fixed-wing light-sport aircraft | |
| SkyReach BushCat | 2014 | Fixed-wing light-sport aircraft | |