Misplaced Pages

#207792

23-719: The Slingsby T67 Firefly , originally produced as the Fournier RF-6 , is a two-seat aerobatic training aircraft, built by Slingsby Aviation in Kirkbymoorside , Yorkshire , England . It has been used as a trainer aircraft by several armed forces, as well as civilian operators. In the mid-1990s, the aircraft became controversial in the United States after three fatal accidents during US Air Force training operations. The Firefly has poor spin recovery, and has been involved in at least 36 fatal accidents. The RF-6

46-491: A René Fournier design but structurally reworked by Slingsby into a wholly composite machine. At this time Slingsby Aviation employed around 130 people on its 12,220 square metre (131,000 square feet) site. The company had its own airfield at Kirkbymoorside with a 750-metre reinforced grass runway. Slingsby Aviation’s SAH 2200 hovercraft has operated in such varied regions as the Arctic Circle and Africa. Two are seen in

69-634: A new factory was needed and built in Welburn , just outside Kirkbymoorside. This opened in July 1939, when Slingsby Sailplanes Ltd was founded. The best selling Slingsby glider in the pre-World War II period was the Primary . During the war Slingsby built parts for other company's aircraft as well as their own military glider , the Slingsby Hengist , though the latter did not see action. Towards

92-641: A producer of specialised composite materials and components. The business is now known as Marshall Advanced Composites and produces composite parts for ships, submarines and aircraft. It is a subsidiary of Marshall of Cambridge . The business was founded in Scarborough by Frederick Nicholas Slingsby , an RAF pilot in World War I. In 1920 he bought a partnership in a woodworking and furniture factory in Queen Street, Scarborough. In 1930 Slingsby

115-700: Is used by the Royal Netherlands Air Force during pilot selection which is contracted out to TTC at Seppe Airport . The Firefly was used as a basic military training aircraft in Canada. The Canadian Fireflies entered service in 1992 replacing the CT 134 Musketeer . They were, in turn, replaced in 2006 by the German-made Grob G-120 when the contract ended. The aircraft were owned and operated by Bombardier Aerospace under contract to

138-831: The Cessna T-41 introductory trainer, but also to meet the Enhanced Flight Screening Program (EFSP) requirements. The Commander of the Air Education and Training Command stood down the entire T-3A fleet in July 1997 as a result of uncommanded engine stoppages during flight and ground operations. A major factor driving the decision were the three T-3A Class A mishaps. Three Air Force Academy cadets and three instructors were killed in these T-3A mishaps. The US Air Force has no replacement for this type, as it no longer provides training to non-fliers. The aircraft were eventually declared in excess of need in

161-552: The James Bond film, Die Another Day . On 10 August 2006 the name of the company was changed to Slingsby Advanced Composites . Since then the company was owned by three individuals and was no longer a part of Cobham plc. On 8 January 2010 the UK company Marshall Aerospace bought Slingsby Advanced Composites Ltd which currently trades as Marshall Slingsby Advanced Composites . In 2020, Marshall Slingsby Advanced Composites won

184-746: The Royal Jordanian Air Force (still currently used). The Firefly was used in Britain for basic aerobatic training in the 2000s. In December 2012, the National Flying Laboratory Centre at Cranfield University in the UK acquired a T67M260 to supplement its Scottish Aviation Bulldog aerobatic trainer for MSc student flight experience and training. As of 2019 the Firefly is used in UPRT courses. The Firefly

207-644: The Aerospace Company of the Year in the Corporate Live Wire North England Prestige Awards. Seppe Airport The airport has a single asphalt runway, 06/24 (previously 07/25), with a length of 830 m (2,723 ft) and a significantly displaced threshold (meaning an area at the beginning of the runway that is not to be used for landing) on either side. Originally called Seppe Airfield (after

230-795: The Canadian Forces. The Firefly was used as a basic military trainer in the United Kingdom until spring 2010, when they were replaced by Grob Tutor aircraft. The aircraft are owned and operated under contract by a civilian company on behalf of the military. In the UK, it was under a scheme known as "Contractor Owned Contractor Operated" (CoCo). Data from Brassey's World Aircraft & Systems Directory. General characteristics Performance Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era https://www.ntsb.gov/_layouts/ntsb.aviation/brief.aspx?ev_id=20141024X52246&key=1 Slingsby Aviation Slingsby Aviation

253-530: The company became Slingsby Engineering , part of the public/private holding company British Underwater Engineering (UBE). In July 1982 Slingsby Aviation was set up by, and as part, of Slingsby Engineering. Slingsby Aviation passed from UBE to ML holdings in 1993, then to Cobham plc in December 1995. Slingsby's last aircraft was the T-67 Firefly , a two-seater military training aircraft, originally

SECTION 10

#1732782409208

276-523: The design was soon revised to replace the wooden structure with one of composite material. Slingsby produced several versions developing the airframe and adding progressively larger engines. The Slingsby T67M, aimed at the military (hence "M") training market, was the first to include a constant-speed propeller and inverted fuel and oil systems. Over 250 aircraft have been built, mainly the T67M260 and closely related T-3A variants. The largest Firefly operator

299-494: The early 2000s and disposed of by scrapping in 2006. The Royal Air Force used 22 Slingsby T67M260s as their basic trainer between 1995 and 2010. Over 100,000 flight hours were flown out of RAF Barkston Heath by Army, Royal Navy and Royal Marines students, and at RAF Church Fenton with RAF and foreign students. The Firefly has also been used by the Royal Hong Kong Auxiliary Air Force , and

322-524: The end of the war and afterwards the company produced large numbers of training gliders for the Air Training Corps (ATC). After the war Slingsby continued to make increasingly refined gliders for civilian use in clubs and competitions. Their greatest success was with the Sky at the 1952 World Gliding Championships , which finished in first, third and fourth place. The later Slingsby Skylark series

345-459: The nickname of Bosschenhoofd), the airport started in 1949 as a glider field and has been used by powered aircraft since 1969. In 2002, the grass runway surface was replaced with asphalt. The airfield is not used by aircraft using jet engines. Around 50,000 airplane movements (take-offs or landings) are made at Seppe annually. In February 2014, it was announced that the name of the airport would be changed to Breda International Airport . The airport

368-534: The old name of Slingsby Sailplanes Ltd, and original design declined, though they built versions of other aircraft, both powered and unpowered. Slingsby’s last glider, which was also their last original design, was the GRP Slingsby T.65 Vega. This ceased production in 1982, by which time high performance sailplane design had moved away from the UK. During the upheavals in the British aerospace and marine sector

391-414: Was a British aircraft manufacturer based in Kirkbymoorside , North Yorkshire, England. The company was founded to design and build gliders and sailplanes . From the early 1930s to around 1970 it built over 50% of all British club gliders and had success at national and international level competitions. It then produced some powered aircraft, notably the composite built Firefly trainer , before becoming

414-423: Was designed by René Fournier  [ fr ] , and first flew on 12 March 1974. An all-wooden construction, it featured a high aspect-ratio wing echoing his earlier motorglider designs. Fournier set up his own factory at Nitray, near Tours to manufacture the design, but after only around 40 had been built, the exercise proved financially unviable, and he was forced to close down production. A four-seat version

437-621: Was officially renamed on 1 January 2015. Its ICAO designation remained "Seppe". The airfield is also home to a small flying museum, Vliegend Museum Seppe (The Flying Museum of Seppe), displaying various aircraft, most of which are still airworthy, including two de Havilland Tiger Moths , a Boeing Stearman and a Yakovlev Yak-52 . The airfield additionally houses Aviation Performance Solutions , an aviation training company specializing in Upset Prevention and Recovery Training (UPRT). This Netherlands airport-related article

460-533: Was one of the founders of the Scarborough Gliding Club . After repairing some of the club's gliders, Slingsby's business built its first aircraft, a German designed RRG Falke which flew in 1931. By late 1933 Slingsby was advertising training gliders for sale. In 1934, encouraged by a local landowner, the business moved to Kirkbymoorside, some 30 miles from Scarborough, operating as Slingsby, Russell & Brown Ltd . As demand for gliders built up,

483-659: Was the United States Air Force, where it was given the designation T-3A Firefly . The Firefly was selected in 1992 to replace the T-41 aircraft for the command's Enhanced Flight Screening Program, which would include aerobatic maneuvers. From 1993 to 1995, 113 aircraft were purchased and delivered to Hondo Municipal Airport in Texas, and the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado. The type was meant to not only replace

SECTION 20

#1732782409208

506-539: Was their post war best seller. Slingsby began to move toward glass reinforced plastic (GRP) and metal construction methods, but the company, trading as Slingsby Aircraft Ltd since 1967, went into liquidation in July 1969 following a disastrous fire in the previous November. After this Slingsby became part of the Vickers Group in November 1969, initially as Vickers-Slingsby Sailplanes Ltd , then reverting to

529-766: Was under development by Sportavia-Pützer  [ de ] as the RF-6C, but this demonstrated serious stability problems that eventually led to an almost complete redesign as the Sportavia-Pützer RS 180 Sportsman . In 1981, Fournier sold the development rights of the RF-6B to Slingsby Aviation , which renamed it the T67. The earliest examples, the T67A, were virtually identical to the Fournier-built aircraft, but

#207792