BushCaddy Family (R-80 / L-160 / L-162 Max / L-164)

The BushCaddy is a family of Canadian strut-braced high-wing metal kit aircraft produced from 1994 through roughly 2020. The design began as the CADI (Club Aeronautique Delisle Incorporated) aircraft from a flight school in Lac Saint-Jean, Quebec, founded by Jean Eude Potvin. In 1998 Sean Gilmore and Marlene Gill purchased CADI and renamed the company Canadian Light Aircraft Sales and Service (CLASS), marketing the line as "BushCaddy" — a pun on CADI meaning "one who carries." Around 2010 CLASS was sold to Australian Tony Watkin, who rebranded the firm BushCaddy International Inc. and moved operations from Lachute, Quebec to the Cornwall Regional Airport in Summerstown, Ontario in 2012. By August 2020 the company website had gone dark, and BushCaddy is now considered orphaned.

The aircraft are riveted aluminum two- to four-seat high-wing taildraggers (tricycle gear optional), designed from the outset as low-and-slow bush utility machines. Pre-drilled, jig-aligned kits and a simple strut-braced airframe kept build hours low — factory figures of 1,000–1,200 hours for a standard kit and roughly 300 hours for quick-build. Production totals were modest: about 80 R-80s and a dozen each of the L-160 and L-162 Max had been completed by the end of 2011, with perhaps 120–150 total airframes flying worldwide. Owners tend to be Canadian and northern-US bush pilots who value short-field capability, tailwheel-friendly geometry, and the ability to mount floats or skis without factory paperwork.

Subaru EA81/EG33 auto conversions have been flown in a handful of R-80 and L-160 airframes but were never factory-supported.

Published book numbers for the BushCaddy line are factory-optimistic but not wildly so. Real-world L-162 Max owners with a stock O-320 report 105–110 kt true at 75% and 8.0–8.5 gph, a little slower than book but close. The type's real strength is the low end: a Vs0 in the low 30s KIAS, combined with a generous wing and slotted flaps on the L-series, gives honest 300–400 ft ground rolls at light weights. Density altitude bites the 80–100 hp Rotax variants hard — R-80s at 7,000 ft DA and 1,320 lb gross become marginal performers — but the 160 hp Lycoming L-series remains comfortable up to 10,000 ft MSL in the Rockies.

Handling is conventional, stable, and forgiving; the taildragger conversion is well-behaved thanks to a wide gear stance and moderate CG range. Cross-country cruise suffers because the airframe is draggy (boxy fuselage, strut bracing, fat tires) — the 160 hp L-162 Max is only about 10 knots faster than a 100 hp Rotax R-80, so adding horsepower mainly buys climb and payload, not speed. See maintenance-ecosystem for Rotax vs Lycoming operating-cost tradeoffs relevant to the engine choice.

L-162 Max (representative 4-seat flagship, 1,400 lb useful load):

• Full fuel (48 gal = 288 lb) + 2 adults (380 lb): 732 lb remaining for baggage, roughly 625 nm range at 111 kt. Practical 2-person cross-country mission with room for camping gear.
• Full fuel + 4 adults (760 lb): 352 lb remaining — out of the baggage compartment but tight; CG likely aft.
• Half fuel (24 gal = 144 lb) + 4 adults + 200 lb baggage: 896 lb used, 504 lb reserve against useful load. Range drops to ~300 nm — typical for a full-cabin backcountry load.
• Bush mission (2 adults + 500 lb cargo + half fuel): well within useful load, short-field performance excellent.

L-164 (4-seat, fuel-injected, 60 gal):

• Full fuel (60 gal = 360 lb) + 2 adults + 200 lb baggage: 940 lb used vs 1,150 lb useful — 210 lb reserve; range 750 miles (650 nm).
• Full fuel + 4 adults: 1,120 lb used, only 30 lb reserve. Four adults require reduced fuel in practice.

R-80 (2-seat Rotax, 610 lb useful load):

• Full fuel (24 gal = 144 lb) + 2 adults (380 lb): 86 lb reserve — tight, barely enough for day-VFR gear. This is the R-80's fundamental limitation and the reason most serious bush buyers go to an L-series.

For comparison with similar-mission kit bush aircraft see bearhawk-family and murphy-rebel-moose. For MOSAIC eligibility analysis — the L-162 Max at 2,650 lb gross does not qualify for sport-pilot operation under MOSAIC, though the R-80 at 1,320 lb gross and 30-knot stall does fit within MOSAIC's expanded LSA envelope — see mosaic. The BushCaddy family is most competitive with the Murphy Rebel/Elite/Moose line, which shares the all-metal Canadian bush-kit philosophy but has a larger installed base and better parts support.

Backcountry/Bush (8): This is the design mission. Short-field numbers are legitimately STOL-class, tundra tires fit without mods, the high wing clears brush, and the all-metal structure tolerates rough strips better than fabric Cubs. Only loses points to purpose-built backcountry machines (Kitfox, Just SuperSTOL, Bearhawk Patrol) because the L-162/L-164 lacks the deep-stall angle of leading-edge-slat STOL designs. Strong candidate for backcountry-bush missions, especially on floats or skis.

Local Fun Flying (7): Cheap to own for a four-seat taildragger, honest STOL, easy to fly, good visibility. Loses points because it is not aerobatic and not especially fast or pretty.

Cargo Hauling (6): The L-162 Max and L-164 have 1,150–1,400 lb useful loads and a generous cabin; with seats removed the back of a Max becomes a useful freight box. The L-series out-hauls a Cessna 172 at similar horsepower.

Cross-Country (5): Workable but slow. A 111-knot cruise with a 625 nm range gets you places, but the boxy airframe is draggy and the experimental category makes IFR rare. Adequate for VFR regional trips.

Surveying (6): Good low-and-slow platform, great visibility from the high wing, can operate off unimproved strips — decent for pipeline/wildlife work if mission parameters tolerate VFR.

Flight Training (3): Not a trainer. Experimental category prohibits commercial rental and instruction for hire, parts support is poor, and the taildragger configuration is inappropriate for primary students. Could serve as an owner's tailwheel transition trainer.

Business Travel (2): Too slow, no IFR, no parts support.

Aerobatics (1): Utility category only, never approved for aerobatics.

Because BushCaddys are experimental amateur-built, panels are entirely owner-choice. Typical installations fall into three tiers:

• Budget VFR ($3–6k): Dynon D10A or single Garmin G5, handheld GPS, basic com radio, uncertified ELT. Common on R-80s and older L-160s.
• Mid-tier EFIS ($10–15k): Garmin G3X Touch 7" or Dynon SkyView HDX 7", GTR 200 com, GTX 345 transponder with ADS-B in/out, two-axis autopilot. Typical on 2010s-era L-162 Max builds.
• Glass IFR-capable ($20–30k): Dual G3X with GTN 650Xi navigator, GFC 500 autopilot, ADS-B weather — rare because few owners pursue experimental IFR in a draggy 110-knot bush plane.

See avionics-pricing for current experimental panel pricing.

STCs do not apply to experimental amateur-built aircraft; modifications are at the builder/owner's discretion subject to the original DAR operating limitations. Common owner mods:

• Engine upgrade — L-160 to L-162 Max owners frequently upgrade from O-320 (160 hp) to O-360 (180 hp) or IO-360 (200 hp) for climb; cost $18–35k used engine plus install.
• Alaska Bushwheel 26"/29" tundra tires — $2,500–4,500 a set, no structural changes required.
• Wipline 2100 or Baumann amphibious floats — $35–55k installed, requires builder-authorized data for float installation on the L-series; popular in Quebec and Ontario.
• Vortex generators — common owner-install for a 2–3 knot stall reduction.
• Extended range tanks — owner-fabricated wingtip tanks adding 10–15 gal have been flown on L-164s.
• Door mods — large bush doors and removable co-pilot doors for aerial photography and skydive ops.

This is the BushCaddy's biggest weakness. With the factory shuttered since 2020, there is no source of new airframe parts, no customer-service line, and no authoritative drawings beyond what individual builders possess. Owners rely on:

• A small BushCaddy owners' group on Facebook and a legacy Yahoo-era email list
• Generic Lycoming and Rotax support for the powerplants (parts availability: excellent for engines, poor for airframe)
• Fabricating sheetmetal parts from original drawings (many builders have PDF sets)
• Cross-sourcing AN hardware, brake parts, and controls from aircraft-spruce-type suppliers

A&P familiarity is rare outside Quebec and Ontario, so annual condition inspections are typically owner-assisted under an A&P's signature. Annual cost estimate $3,500–5,500 for a Rotax R-80 and $4,000–6,500 for a Lycoming L-series, dominated by engine reserves rather than airframe work. Expensive items: Lycoming cylinders ($1,200 each), Rotax 912 rubber replacement at 5-year intervals ($2,500), tailwheel assembly rebuild ($800–1,500). See maintenance-ecosystem for the broader experimental support picture.

Used BushCaddy pricing is thin — perhaps 5–10 North American sales per year — and values are dominated by build quality, engine time, and avionics more than model or year. Approximate ranges as of 2026:

• R-80 / LSA (Rotax 912): $28,000–55,000. Lower end: tired 912UL with round gauges; upper end: 912ULS with Dynon and floats.
• L-160 (O-320): $40,000–75,000. TBO engine and basic panel = $45k; mid-time O-320 with G3X = $65k.
• L-162 Max (O-320/O-360): $50,000–95,000. The most desirable variant; 4-seat utility drives demand.
• L-164 (IO-360): $55,000–90,000. Fuel injection and 60-gallon fuel are premium features.

Float-equipped examples command a $20–30k premium. Engine time is the largest single value driver: a run-out Lycoming knocks $20k off, a freshly overhauled one adds $15k. See valuation-methodology for engine and avionics valuation formulas. The orphaned-manufacturer status is a persistent drag of roughly 15–20% versus a comparable Bearhawk or Murphy Rebel — buyers know parts come from the owner's garage.

Experimental amateur-built aircraft are not subject to FAA Airworthiness Directives, but BushCaddy owners and the builder community have documented several recurring issues:

• Trim cable and elevator pulley wear — R-80 and L-160 builds show elevator pulley bracket cracking at high cycles; inspect at each condition inspection.
• Wing-strut attach fitting corrosion — early CLASS-era kits used a steel attach fitting that pitted under the fairing; owner SB from BushCaddy International in 2014 recommended removal and inspection every 5 years.
• Rotax 912 gearbox slipper clutch — standard 912 gearbox maintenance (see maintenance-ecosystem); not BushCaddy-specific but affects all R-80/LSA owners.
• Fuel system — original CLASS plans used a single fuel selector with no return line; Jabiru 3300 conversions added a return line to prevent vapor lock. Verify on pre-buy.
• Rudder trim tab cracking — reported on several L-162 Max airframes operated on floats; reinforcement doubler is an owner-published fix.
• Workmanship variance — with no factory support since 2020, build quality varies wildly. A poorly built BushCaddy can be dangerous; insist on a thorough condition-inspection and A&P pre-buy.

BushCaddy insurance follows standard experimental taildragger underwriting (see insurance-underwriting). Typical hull premiums for a $60k L-162 Max in private non-commercial use:

• Liability only ($1M smooth): $650–900/year
• Hull + liability, 250+ hr tailwheel pilot: $1,800–2,400/year (3.0–4.0% of hull value)
• Low-time tailwheel pilot (<100 hrs TW): often declined; if written, $3,000+ with a 10-hour dual requirement
• Float operations: add 40–60%

Only a handful of carriers (Avemco, Falcon, BWI for the experimental market) will quote; AIG and USAIG rarely touch orphaned experimental designs. Underwriters will ask for the original build log and condition-inspection history.