Producing light aircraft: three viability case studies

Abstract

The Light Aeroplane Group of the Royal Aeronautical Society was set up with the aim of encouraging activity in the light aeroplane field in Britain and its hope is that production of light aircraft should be restarted in this country. Clearly there are many problems to be faced in setting about the renaissance of an industry which will range far beyond the scope of those encountered in building a ‘one-off’ aeroplane. In this paper I shall present three case studies of light aircraft produced in the recent generation. I hope that this will give a reasonably complete picture of the implications of starting light aeroplane production and will therefore form a good basis for discussion.In formulating the design competition which has just been announced, we have taken note of the market appraisal which Hugh Field presented at Cranfield in September 1977 in which he pointed out that there is still a lack of a really good training aeroplane in the world market and also of the specification that Alan Bramson has put forward for the so called Multi Role Club Aeroplane which is aimed at just that slot in the market. The results from Alan Bramson's survey of opinion from flying instructors showed the acceptability of a low-wing, tricycle undercarriage monoplane with side-by-side seating.