Lake Renegade

Renegade, Seafury, Seawolf
Seawolf operated by NOAA
Role	Utility amphibian Type of aircraft
National origin	United States
Manufacturer	Lake Aircraft
First flight	1982
Developed from	Lake Buccaneer

The Lake LA-250 Renegade is a six-seat amphibious utility aircraft produced in the United States by Lake Aircraft since 1982.^[1]

The Renegade is a lengthened and more powerful version of the Lake Buccaneer. They share the Buccaneer's type certificate, and Buccaneer production was terminated.^[2] In turn, it gave rise to a number of variants, including the militarised LA-250 Seawolf, the turbocharged LA-270 Turbo Renegade, and the LA-270 Seafury optimised for marine environments.^[1][2] Like the Buccaneer, it is a conventional mid-wing design with retractable tricycle undercarriage and a single engine mounted in pusher configuration in a pod on a pylon above the fuselage.^[3]

The Seawolf version was designed for light maritime patrol duties and features a hardpoint under each wing to carry external stores, including bombs, rocket pods, gun pods, or rescue equipment.^[3] Provision for a radar unit was made on the forward end of the engine pod.^[3][4] The Seafury includes improved anti-corrosion measures and a hardened interior to improve its serviceability in saltwater environments, as well as a storage compartment carrying survival gear.^[5]

On August 31, 1988, Peter Foster and Robert Mann departed Sanford Seacoast Regional Airport in a Lake Turbo Renegade, flying to a maximum altitude of 24,600 feet and then leveling off at 24,500 feet. This flight set new world records for altitude and sustained flight at altitude for single-engine amphibians, FAI class C-3C-08.^[6][7]

A year later on November 2, 1989, two more flights departed from Bauneg Beg Lake in Sanford, Maine, setting four more world records for single-engine seaplanes. In the first flight of the day, Robert Mann flew a Lake Turbo Renegade N270TL with co-pilot Gordon Collins to an altitude of 25,500 feet. They were able to sustain this altitude, setting two records for FAI class C-2C-08.^[8][9] Later in the day, Robert Mann flew N250L solo from Bauneg Beg Lake to an initial altitude of 27,300 feet, and then leveling off at a sustained altitude of 27,100 feet for two more world records in FAI class C-2B-08.^[10][11]

• LA-250 Renegade — Buccaneer with 38-inch (97-cm) fuselage stretch, six seats, and Lycoming IO-540-C4B5 engine
  • LA-250 Seawolf — militarised Renegade with hardpoints and provision for radar
• LA-270 Turbo Renegade — Renegade with Lycoming TIO-540-AA1AD engine uprated to 270 hp (200 kW)
  • LA-270 Seafury — Renegade for saltwater conditions

Data from Jane's All the World's Aircraft 1984–85, 431 and The Incomplete Guide to Airfoil Usage^[12]

General characteristics

• Crew: one pilot
• Capacity: five passengers
• Length: 28 ft 4 in (8.64 m)
• Wingspan: 38 ft 0 in (11.58 m)
• Height: 10 ft 0 in (3.05 m)
• Wing area: 170 sq ft (15.8 m²)
• Airfoil: NACA 4418 (root), NACA 4412 (tip)
• Empty weight: 1,850 lb (839 kg)
• Gross weight: 3,050 lb (1,383 kg)
• Powerplant: 1 × Lycoming IO-540-C4B5 , 250 hp (186 kW)

Performance

• Maximum speed: 160 mph (258 km/h, 140 kn)
• Range: 1,036 mi (1,668 km, 900 nmi)
• Service ceiling: 14,700 ft (4,480 m)
• Rate of climb: 900 ft/min (4.6 m/s)

• Jane's All the World's Aircraft 1984–85. London: Jane's Publishing. 1984. ISBN 9780710608017.
• Simpson, R. W. (1995). Airlife's General Aviation. Shrewsbury: Airlife Publishing.
• Taylor, Michael J. H. (1989). Jane's Encyclopedia of Aviation. London: Studio Editions.

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Lake Renegade.

Official website