Murphy Rebel / Moose Family

Murphy Aircraft Manufacturing Ltd. is a Canadian kitplane builder based in Chilliwack, British Columbia, founded in 1985 by Darryl Murphy, a mechanical engineering technologist who got his start designing a rigid-wing hang glider in 1978. The company has shipped on the order of 2,000–3,000 kits over nearly four decades, with roughly half of those aircraft now flying. Murphy's reputation is built on rugged, aluminum sheet-and-tube bush aircraft that scale from the light two-place Renegade biplane up to the six-place, radial-powered Moose.

The Rebel (first flown in 1989) is the volume seller, with roughly 850 kits shipped. It established Murphy's formula: high-wing, strut-braced, conventional-gear taildragger with big flaps, generous useful load, short-field manners, and a cabin wide enough for real humans in bush boots. The Super Rebel / SR2500 scaled the design up for O-540 power and four adults, and the Moose took it further with a Russian Vedeneyev M14P radial and genuine six-seat capability. The Radical, first flown in 2016, is Murphy's modern all-metal four-place STOL flagship.

Operators are primarily owner-builders who want a bush airplane with more payload than a piper-pa18-super-cub and more parts-store economy than a cessna-180-skywagon, accepting experimental-category limits in exchange. In 2022 Murphy Aircraft was acquired by Beijing-based Duofu International Holding Group; the kit line continues with Jensen Li as managing director.

The Rebel family uses a welded steel cabin cage with riveted aluminum skin, while the Radical moves to all-metal monocoque construction.

The Rebel with an O-320 cruises honestly around 100 KTAS on 7–8 gph, takes off in under 200 ft with two people aboard, and lands as short as it takes off. It is NOT a fast airplane — 160 HP is adequate rather than abundant — but its STOL numbers with two or three aboard beat most certified four-seaters and the short-field takeoff run can be inside 175 ft at light weights.

The Super Rebel / SR2500 with 250 HP O-540 trades a little of the Rebel's STOL magic for genuine four-place cross-country capability at 130+ KTAS, with extended fuel options pushing range past 800 nm. It is often compared to a bearhawk-family Bearhawk 4-place, and the two occupy similar niches.

The Moose with the M14P radial is a personality airplane. The 9-cylinder supercharged radial produces 360 HP (and a glorious sound), hauls 1,500+ lb useful load, climbs 1,500 fpm, and lifts off in ~600 ft. It cruises around 120 KTAS on 17 gph of 100LL. Density altitude barely slows the supercharged radial down, which is why Moose operators in Alaska, western Canada, and Africa tolerate the maintenance quirks of a Russian engine.

The Renegade biplane is a different animal — a Rotax-powered sport/tourer, ~85 KTAS cruise, tandem open cockpit, weekend fun machine rather than a utility tool.

Rebel (O-320, 1,650 lb MTOW, 750 lb useful):

• Full fuel (35 gal, 210 lb) + 2 pax (360 lb) + 180 lb baggage = 750 lb useful, 580 nm range.
• 2 pax + 25 gal fuel + 240 lb cargo = 320 nm range.
• The Rebel is genuinely a two-person bush airplane; the 2+2 rear seat is child-sized.

Super Rebel / SR2500 (O-540, 3,000 lb MTOW, 1,350 lb useful):

• Full fuel (80 gal, 480 lb) + 4 adults (720 lb) + 150 lb bags = 1,350 lb useful, 800+ nm range.
• This is a real four-place airplane that carries four adults, full fuel, and bags simultaneously.

Moose (M14P, 3,500 lb MTOW, 1,550–1,850 lb useful):

• Full fuel (100 gal, 600 lb) + 4 adults + 400 lb cargo = 1,720 lb useful, 650 nm range.
• 6 adults + reduced fuel (60 gal) + 200 lb cargo = 350 nm range.
• Removing rear jump seats opens up 1,200+ lb of usable cargo volume with flat floor — this is where the Moose competes with much more expensive utility aircraft.

The Moose's full-fuel-plus-full-seats capability is the rare-air feature that justifies the radial's maintenance burden for many owners.

Backcountry / Bush (9/10): This is the franchise. Huge flaps, light wing loading, robust gear, tundra-tire compatibility, float options from Murphy directly, and useful loads from 750 lb (Rebel) to 1,850 lb (Moose). See backcountry-bush. Only real STOL specialists like the piper-pa18-super-cub or dedicated purpose-builds match them at the extreme short-field end, and none match the Moose for six-place hauling into short strips.

Cargo Hauling (8/10): Moose and Super Rebel shine here. Moose can lift ~1,500 lb of cargo with rear seats removed; big cargo doors and flat floor accommodate awkward loads. The Rebel is more modest but still hauls 750 lb useful.

Local Fun Flying (7/10): Rebel and Renegade both excel for weekend flying — cheap fuel burn, honest handling, and (in the Renegade's case) open-cockpit biplane character.

Cross-Country (6/10): Super Rebel and Moose are credible cross-country platforms with 800+ nm range and reasonable cruise speeds. The Rebel is slower and shorter-legged but comfortable enough for regional trips.

Surveying (6/10): Slow flight, good visibility, and big useful load make the family decent for aerial observation work in a sport/experimental role.

Business Travel (4/10): Experimental category restrictions (no commercial pax, insurance premiums), speed limits, and taildragger operations cap the business utility, though the Moose's cabin and range make it workable for owner-operators.

Flight Training (3/10): Experimental-category aircraft may only be used for transition training to the specific type under LODA; not a general trainer. See flight-training for primary training options.

Aerobatics (2/10): Renegade biplane is stressed for mild aerobatics, but this family is not intended for acro use.

As experimental amateur-built aircraft, Murphys benefit enormously from non-certified avionics pricing — see avionics-pricing. Typical panels span three tiers:

• Bush basic ($3K–$8K): Garmin aera portable, dual analog gauges, uAvionix tailBeacon, handheld radio backup. Common in day-VFR Rebels.
• Experimental EFIS ($10K–$25K): Dynon SkyView HDX or Garmin G3X Touch, GTR-200B comm, GTN 650Xi or GPS 175, ADS-B Out. Most new Rebels, Super Rebels, and Radicals ship with this tier.
• Full glass + autopilot ($30K–$60K): Dual G3X Touch, GTN 750Xi, GFC 500 autopilot. Common in IFR-capable Super Rebels and Moose used for cross-country.

The experimental category allows the same hardware at roughly 40–60% of certified panel cost versus an equivalent cessna-180-skywagon avionics upgrade.

STCs do not apply in experimental category, but Murphy and the owner community offer several factory and aftermarket upgrades:

• Floats: Murphy sells factory straight and amphibious float kits for the Rebel and Moose. Float installation adds 150–200 lb empty weight and reduces cruise ~10 knots.
• Tundra tires: Alaskan Bushwheels 29" or 31" common on Rebel and Moose.
• Vortex generators: Stall-reducing VG kits available from Murphy and aftermarket.
• Wing extensions / slotted flaps: Some builders extend the Rebel wing for additional STOL performance.
• Turbine Moose: PT6A-20 (550 SHP) turbine conversion has been done on a handful of Moose airframes; dramatic performance improvement at very high cost.
• IO-720 Moose: Some builders opt for the 400 HP Lycoming IO-720 flat-eight in place of the M14P to avoid radial maintenance.
• Long-range tanks: Super Rebel wet-wing can be optioned to ~120 gal for 1,000+ nm range.

See maintenance-ecosystem for the experimental aircraft maintenance ecosystem. Murphy-specific:

• Parts: Murphy Aircraft still sells all Rebel, Super Rebel, and Moose parts directly from Chilliwack. Lead times are typically 2–6 weeks for non-stock items.
• A&P familiarity: Any experimental-friendly A&P can inspect and maintain a Rebel or Super Rebel — the Lycoming engine and conventional airframe are straightforward. The Moose's M14P is a different matter and requires a shop with radial experience; owners often become their own mechanics under the repairman certificate.
• Annual condition inspection: $600–$1,500 for a Rebel, $1,500–$3,500 for a Moose.
• Expensive items: M14P cylinder replacement ($3K–$5K each), M14P overhaul ($30K–$45K), Hartzell constant-speed prop overhaul ($4K–$7K), float refurbishment ($8K–$15K).
• Annual operating cost: A Rebel flown 100 hr/yr typically runs $6K–$10K all-in; a Moose runs $15K–$25K driven by fuel burn and radial engine reserves.

See valuation-methodology for general experimental aircraft valuation framework. Murphy-specific notes:

• Rebel flying condition: $60K (rough, O-235, day VFR) to $110K (excellent, O-320, glass panel, floats or tundra tires).
• Elite / Super Rebel flying: $110K–$180K.
• Moose flying: $150K (airframe + tired M14P) to $350K (low-time M14P, full glass, floats). Turbine Moose examples have sold above $500K.
• Radical flying: Limited market data; new-builds valued around $200K–$275K.
• Renegade flying: $25K–$55K.
• Builder quality premium: Well-documented builds with recognized builders (Folkerts on Super Rebel is the canonical example) command 20–30% premiums.
• Engine reserve: M14P hours-remaining dominates Moose valuation; a 0-SMOH M14P is worth ~$35K and a runout M14P essentially zero credit.
• Avionics premium: A $25K Dynon/Garmin panel adds about $15K–$20K to resale.
• Completed vs kit: Partial builds and abandoned projects trade at heavy discounts — a $35K Rebel kit that was half-built often resells for $10K–$15K to a new builder.

Experimental aircraft are not subject to ADs, but the community tracks recurring issues:

• Rebel wing strut attach fittings: Early kits had documented cracking; Murphy issued a service bulletin with reinforced fittings.
• Elevator trim cable routing: Chafing reported on early Rebels.
• M14P radial maintenance: The Russian radial requires an experienced overhauler (only a handful in North America), uses 100LL with mineral-oil break-in, and parts come from limited suppliers. Overhaul intervals are 750–1,000 hours on the engine versus 2,000 for Lycoming flat-fours, and overhaul cost can exceed $35K. A prop strike or case crack can ground a Moose for months.
• Pre-buy red flags: Builder quality varies enormously — always demand a builder log, check rivet quality, inspect control cable routing, and hire an inspector with kit-build experience. A bad Rebel build is worth scrap; a good one is worth a premium.
• Corrosion: Aluminum tube-and-sheet construction is susceptible to intergranular corrosion at the cabin cage / skin interface, especially on float-operated examples.

See insurance-underwriting for the general experimental bush category. Murphy-specific points:

• Hull insurance for a $100K Rebel typically runs $1,800–$3,000/yr for an experienced tailwheel pilot; liability-only is $500–$800.
• Moose insurance is substantially harder — the combination of experimental category, six-seat capacity, M14P radial, and bush operations narrows the market to 2–3 specialty underwriters. Hull premiums of 3–5% of insured value are common, plus mandatory dual-given and model-specific transition training.
• Float operations add 25–40% to hull premiums and often require seaplane rating plus 25+ hours in make/model on floats.
• Taildragger experience (100+ hours minimum, often 250+) is effectively mandatory for any Murphy.
• The 2022 Chinese ownership change has had no material effect on insurance availability.