Scrappy is Mike Patey’s custom bush plane, designed around a striking idea: combine short-takeoff-and-landing capability with the power and thrust of a drag racer. A January 2021 build report described an aircraft that began as a Carbon Cub but was extensively rebuilt around a large racing engine. That account captures the project at that point in its construction; it does not establish Scrappy’s current configuration or whether it is operating today.
What is Scrappy?
Scrappy is a one-off aircraft project by Mike Patey: a small bush plane intended to take off and land in short distances while pursuing drag-racing performance. Danie Conradie described it as “a small bush plane built to be a short take-off and landing drag racer” in a Hackaday report published January 30, 2021. The phrase is the report’s characterization, not a quoted statement from Patey.
The concept joins two different priorities. Bush planes are associated with operation from short or rough airstrips; drag racing emphasizes rapid acceleration and high power. Scrappy’s reported build paired the former role with a race-plane-derived powerplant and extensive custom construction. The report does not provide measured takeoff distances, race times, or other performance results.
How the Carbon Cub became a custom aircraft
The 2021 report says the project began with a Carbon Cub, a modernized kit version of the Piper Super Cub. But it was not simply a stock Carbon Cub with a different engine: according to Conradie, only part of the original fuselage frame remained, and most of the aircraft was custom.
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Installing the reported engine required extensive structural changes to the fuselage. The account therefore presents Scrappy as a major rebuild built around a particular performance idea, rather than a routine engine upgrade.
What made the build unusual?
A large, race-plane-derived engine
Hackaday reported a 780-cubic-inch (13-liter), horizontally opposed eight-cylinder engine taken from one of Patey’s racing planes. Those figures describe the engine in the January 2021 account; they are not independent performance measurements. The report does not establish the aircraft’s current engine or operating condition.
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An airboat-style propeller
The reported propeller was a paddle-like design intended for an airboat, selected for high thrust at low speeds. That choice fits the project’s short-field emphasis, but the cited report supplies no quantified propeller or takeoff performance.
Custom structure and equipment
The report describes carbon-fiber skin, a ballistic recovery parachute that had been test-fired, and seven Garmin multifunction displays. It also says the wings were still missing when the article appeared and were expected to be heavily modified. These are details from the build at that date, not confirmation of the finished aircraft’s present configuration.
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What is known—and not known—about Scrappy today?
The cited account is a snapshot from January 2021, not a current status report. It does not establish whether Scrappy is airworthy, flying, racing, or configured today as described. The engine, equipment, and unfinished-wing details should therefore be understood as reported build information from that point in the project, not as a current aircraft specification.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Can you buy a Scrappy model?
There is a licensed radio-controlled replica: Horizon Hobby lists the E-flite Micro Scrappy 800mm as an officially licensed model of Patey’s custom backcountry bush plane. Its product information lists a weight under 250 g, a brushless motor, and compatibility with 3S or 4S power.
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The model requires additional equipment: a full-range transmitter with at least six channels, a 300mAh 3S or 4S LiPo battery with a JST-RCY connector, and a compatible charger. Check the retailer’s current listing for specifications and stock before buying, since both can change. The listing confirms the product’s existence, but not its availability through Amazon.
Patey’s official store has also listed Scrappy-themed merchandise, including a toy plane or Christmas ornament and apparel. Inventory may change.
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Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
