▶ America's Premier Bush Plane Builder

BUSHMASTER 280
SIX PLACE

One aircraft. Built one way. Six seats, Lycoming IO-540 power with an available twin-turbo upgrade, and a build-assist program modeled on the finest custom shops in the industry. You don't buy a Bushmaster off a line — you build it with us at T31, and it leaves the hangar exactly the way you spec'd it.

Seats

350

Max HP (Twin Turbo)

2900

Max Gross lbs

Builds / Year

▶ The Aircraft

One Model. No Compromises.

★ Flagship Build · 6 Slots Per Year

Bushmaster 280 — 35" Alaskan Bushwheels, tailwheel, ready for the backcountry

BUSHMASTER 280

Six Place · Build Assist Exclusive · T31 McKinney, TX

260–350 HP LYCOMING IO-540

$339,000 Complete Build-Assist Base · New IO-540 Included

EngineLycoming IO-540 · 260 hp

Engine OptionTwin-Turbo TIO-540 · 350 hp

Seats6 (2+2+2)

Gross Weight2,900 lbs

Empty Weight1,550 lbs

Useful Load1,350 lbs

Takeoff / Landing275 ft / 300 ft

Climb Rate1,900+ fpm

Cruise125 mph · 145 mph turbo @ altitude

Fuel60 gal std · 88 gal extended

GearTailwheel · up to 35" Bushwheels

Seaplane PkgYes — dual gull-wing doors & floats

Build PathBuild Assist at T31 — Exclusively

6 Seat IO-540 Twin Turbo Option Float Ready Build Assist Only

Aircraft	Seats	Engine	Program	Typical As-Flown
Bushmaster 280	6	Lycoming IO-540 / Twin-Turbo TIO-540 · 260–350 hp	Build Assist — complete w/ new engine	From $339,000
Bearhawk Model 5	6	Lycoming IO-540 · 300 hp	Kit ($70k QB) + you finish it	~$250,000–300,000 as-flown
Carbon Cub FX-3	2	CC363i · 186 hp	Builder assist	$337,000 base · $380–450,000 typical
Legend Super Cub HP	2	Lycoming IO-360 · 180 hp	Factory built	$359,894 (recent delivery)
Patriot Super Patriot Mk II	2	Modified IO-320 · 197 hp	Premium build assist	$380,000

Competitor figures from published configurators, dealer listings, and press — July 2026. Six seats and 540 power, for two-seat money.

▶ Custom Order

Configure Your Build

Bushmaster 280 — Builder Configurator

Base $339,000 · Every Option Priced

Model

Bushmaster 280 — Six PlaceThe only one we build

Powerplant — New Lycoming

IO-540 · 260 hpIncluded

IO-540 angle-valve · 300 hp+ $14,500

Twin-Turbo TIO-540 · 350 hp+ $48,500

Propeller

Hartzell aluminum 2-bladeIncluded

Hartzell Trailblazer composite+ $8,500

Hartzell 3-blade composite+ $16,500

Gear Configuration

Tailwheel + Baby BushwheelIncluded

TricycleIncluded

Tires — Alaskan Bushwheels

29" AirstreakIncluded

31" Alaskan Bushwheel+ $2,400

35" Alaskan Bushwheel+ $3,900

Avionics

Dynon SkyView HDX — VFRIncluded

Dual Dynon HDX — IFR + autopilot+ $24,500

Dual Garmin G3X + GTN 650Xi + AP+ $38,500

Door Configuration

Standard doorsIncluded

Seaplane door+ $4,500

Dual gull-wing seaplane+ $8,500

Fuel System

Standard — 60 galIncluded

Extended — 88 gal+ $5,500

Float Package

None — wheels onlyIncluded

Straight floats+ $52,000

Amphibious floats+ $98,000

Finish & Interior

Single-color finishIncluded

Custom multi-tone paint+ $9,500

Custom paint + leather interior+ $18,000

Build Path

Build Assist at T31 McKinney$105,000 program — included in base

Your Configuration

Configured Price

$339,000

Est. Lead Time

12–18 MO

Option pricing reflects current supplier list prices — Lycoming Thunderbolt, Hartzell, Dynon, Garmin, Alaskan Bushwheels, float manufacturers — plus installation during your build. Your configured price is locked at contract.

▶ How It Works

The Build Assist Program — The Only Way We Build

Configure & Reserve

Spec your 280 with our configurator and reserve one of six annual build slots with your deposit.

BBI Builds Frame

Nick Smith Jr. and team weld and fabricate your chromoly steel fuselage in Ontario, Canada.

Build at T31

Frame ships to McKinney, TX. You build alongside our master builders in a dedicated bay — one aircraft, one owner, full attention.

DAR Signoff

Our on-site DAR and A&P team handles airworthiness certification. You fly home.

What's In The $339,000 — And What Others Charge

Your Base Price, Itemized	Amount
BBI Aviation chromoly airframe kit	$95,000
New Lycoming IO-540 · 260 hp (Thunderbolt, FI + ignition)	$98,000
Build Assist Program at T31 (covering, single-color paint, interior, panel install, DAR, first flight)	$105,000
Standard equipment (Hartzell 2-blade, tailwheel, 29″ Airstreaks, 60 gal, Dynon HDX VFR)	$41,000
Bushmaster 280 — complete, flying, signed off	$339,000

Program	Assist Fee	What It Covers
Bushmaster 280 Build Assist	$105,000	Covering + paint, interior, avionics install, final assembly, DAR cert, first flight & prop balance — bundled in the $339,000 base
Bearhawk Model 5 build assist	$100,000	VFR avionics install, interior, one-color paint, first flight — kit, engine & avionics hardware excluded (2027 program)
CubCrafters Carbon Cub FX-3	~$125,000 implied	FX-3 base $337k vs EX-3 kit parts ~$210k — assist & finish is the difference
Patriot Aircraft	Bundled	No published breakdown — $350–380k turnkey premium build

Build-assist market pricing: Bearhawk 2027 program sheet, CubCrafters configurators, Patriot published pricing — July 2026.

▶ Why Bushmaster

Built Different

Frames by BBI Aviation — Ontario, Canada — 60+ years experience

IO-540 Power — Twin Turbo Option

New Lycoming IO-540 fuel injection, up to a 350hp twin-turbocharged TIO-540. Sea-level power at altitude, massive climb margins on tundra tires.

Purpose-Built Airframe

Extended fuselage and lengthened wings deliver exceptional pitch stability, massive flaps, and a six-place cabin that swallows people and gear alike.

A True Custom Shop

Six aircraft a year. No production line, no inventory. Like the finest build-assist houses in the industry, every 280 is spec'd, built, and finished for one owner.

Expert Frame Builder

BBI Aviation has over 60 years of combined fabrication experience and 150+ kit planes delivered to builders across North America.

Central US Location

T31 McKinney, TX. Easy to fly in for build sessions from anywhere in the continental US.

You Know Your Aircraft

Build assist means you understand every bolt and weld. Field repairs become intuitive. You're never helpless.

▶ Reserve Your Build Slot

Start Your Order

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