- Tipsy Nipper
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T.66 Nipper 
Swiss Tipsy Nipper at Wroughton, Wiltshire, in July 1992 Role Single-seat sporting monoplane Designer Ernest Oscar Tips First flight 1957 Primary user private owners Number built 110[1] The Tipsy Nipper T.66 is a light aircraft, developed in 1952 by Ernest Oscar Tips of Avions Fairey at Gosselies in Belgium. It was designed to be easy to fly, cheap to buy and cheap to maintain. It was designed for both factory production and homebuild. "Nipper" was the nickname of Ernest Tip's first grandchild.
The first aircraft flew on 12 December 1957, with test pilot Bernard Neefs. It featured an open cockpit and had a length of 4.56 metres, a span of 6 metres and a range of 400 kilometres extendable with tip tanks to 720 kilometres.
Contents
Design and development
The aircraft has a welded steel tube fuselage and rudder with a wooden and fabric covered wing, tailplane and elevator. It weighs 165 kg without an engine. Early aircraft were equipped with a 40 hp Stamo VW-engine with later types using either 40 hp Pollman-Hepu or 45 hp Stark Stamo engines. Production was between 1959 and 1961 with Avions Fairey delivering 59 complete aircraft and 78 kits. Avions Fairey stopped production to make capacity available for F-104G Starfighter assembly for the Belgian Air Force.
During 1962 the rights and a large assortment of uncompleted parts were sold to Cobelavia SA -Compagnie Belge d'Aviation, and they assembled 18 Nippers. The type was renamed as the Cobelavia D-158 Nipper.
In June 1966 the license was sold to Nipper Aircraft Ltd at Castle Donington and new Mk.III aircraft were built for them by Slingsby Sailplanes at Kirkbymoorside. Production was ended by the fire at Slingsby's in late 1968 and the subsequent bankruptcy. Several partly constructed Nippers were transferred to Castle Donington.[2]
In May 1971 Nipper Aircraft Ltd. stopped work and sold the license to a company called Nipper Kits and Components, a company that helps home builders with parts and plans.
Operational history
In 2000, about 45 Nippers were still active, mostly in the UK.[1] In 2010, 34 Nippers were registered with the British Civil Aviation Authority.[3]
Variants
- Tipsy Nipper T.66 Mk 1
- First production model, powered by a 30 kW (40 hp) Pollman-Hepu engine. Enclosed canopy.[4]
- Tipsy Nipper T.66 Mk 2
- Second production model; as first but powered by a 33.5 kW (45 hp) Stark Stamo engine.
- Nipper Mk III
- Slingsby-built for Nipper Aircraft normally with 1500 cc, 33.5 kW (45 hp) Rollason Ardem Mk X engines,[5] 32 built.[2] Tip tanks optional.[5]
Specification (Mk.2)
Data from Simpson 2001, p. 549
General characteristics
- Crew: 1
- Length: 4.5 m (14 ft 9 in)
- Wingspan: 5.99 m (19 ft 8 in)
- Height: 1.88 m (6 ft 2 in)
- Empty weight: 299 kg (659 lb)
- Powerplant: 1 × Stark Starmo 1400A , 34 kW (45 hp)
Performance
- Maximum speed: 162 km/h (101 mph; 87 kn)
- Cruising speed: 150 km/h (93 mph; 81 kn)
- Range: 320 km (199 mi; 173 nmi)
- Rate of climb: 3.25 m/s (640 ft/min)
References
Notes
- ^ a b Simpson 2001, p. 549
- ^ a b Ellison 1971, pp. 270–1
- ^ CAA list of Nippers
- ^ Sport Avaition. June 1960.
- ^ a b Taylor 1966, p. 165
Biobliography
- Ellison, Norman (1971). British Gliders and Sailplanes. London: A & C Black Ltd. ISBN 0 7136 1189 8 5.
- Simpson, Rod (2001). Airlife's World Aircraft. Shrewsbury: Airlife Publishing Ltd. ISBN 1 84037 115 3.
- Taylor, John W R (1966). Jane's All the World's Aircraft 1966-67. London: Sampson Low, Marston &Co. Ltd.
Further reading
Fairey Aviation Company aircraft Chronological order F.2 • N.4 • N.9 • N.10 • Hamble Baby • Campania • III • Pintail • Flycatcher • Fawn • Fremantle • Ferret • Fox • Kangourou • Firefly • Long-range Monoplane • Firefly II • Fleetwing • Hendon • Gordon • Seal • S.9/30 • TSR.1 • G.4/31 • Swordfish • Fantôme • Battle • Seafox • P.4/34 • Albacore • Fulmar • Barracuda • Firefly (monoplane) • Spearfish • Gyrodyne • Primer • Gannet • Delta 1 • Jet Gyrodyne • Delta 2 • Ultra-light Helicopter • Rotodyne
Avions Fairey aircraft Avions Fairey Junior • Avions Fairey Belfair • Tipsy B • Tipsy Nipper • Tipsy M • Tipsy S.2
Aircraft produced by Slingsby Sailplanes and Slingsby Aviation Manufacturer
designationsBy name Cadet TX.1 · Cadet TX.2 · Cadet TX.3 · Capstan · Dagling · Dart · Eagle · Falcon I · Falcon II · Falcon 4 · Falke · Firefly · Grunau Baby · Grasshopper · Gull 2 · Gull 3 · Hengist · Kestrel · King Kite · Kirby Cadet · Kirby Kite 1 · Kirby Kite 2 · Kirby Tutor · Kirby Gull · Petrel · Phoenix · Prefect · Sedbergh · Skylark 1 · Skylark 2 · Skylark 3 · Skylark 4 · Swallow · Tandem Tutor · Vega · Venture
Lists relating to aviation General Aircraft (manufacturers) · Aircraft engines (manufacturers) · Airlines (defunct) · Airports · Civil authorities · Museums · Registration prefixes · Rotorcraft (manufacturers) · TimelineMilitary Accidents/incidents Records Categories:- Belgian civil utility aircraft 1950–1959
- British civil utility aircraft 1960–1969
- Tipsy aircraft
- Homebuilt aircraft
- Propeller aircraft
- Single-engine aircraft
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