Avions Fairey Belfair

Infobox Aircraft
name=Belfair


caption=
type=Civil utility aircraft
manufacturer=Avions Fairey
designer=Ernest Tips
first flight=11 November 1946
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retired=
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produced=
number built=7
variants with their own articles=The Avions Fairey Belfair, also known as the Tipsy Belfair after its designer, Ernest Tips, was a two-seat light aircraft built in Belgium following World War II.

Design and development

It was based on the Tipsy B built before the war, but featured a fully enclosed cabin. It was a low-wing cantilever monoplane of conventional configuration with exceptionally clean lines. It was fitted with tailwheel undercarriage with spatted mainwheels.

The aircraft boasted splendid performance, twice breaking the world distance record for aircraft in its class (FAI class 1A - under 500 kg). The first of these flights was made by Albert van Cothem on 21 August 1950 and covered 945 km (589 miles). The second, made by P. Anderson on 3 August 1955 nearly trebled this to 2,635 km (1,643 miles). Both records were set in the same aircraft, construction number 533, registration "OO-TIC".

Unfortunately, the Belfair was a victim of the glut of light aircraft on the market following World War II. The aircraft was priced at BEF 200,000, when war-surplus Piper Cubs and similar aircraft were selling for around BEF 30,000. Consequently, although six airframes past the prototype were under construction, only three had been completed when Tips made the decision that the aircraft was simply not commercially viable and sold the remaining airframes "as is". They were purchased by D. Heaton of Speeton, Yorkshire and completed in the UK. One of these aircraft (c/n 535, "G-APIE") was still flying as of 2006, while another (c/n 536, "G-APOD") was under restoration as of 2001.

pecifications

aerospecs
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crew=one pilot
capacity=1 passenger
length m=6.60
length ft=21
length in=8
span m=9.50
span ft=31
span in=2
dia m=
dia ft=
dia in=
height m=1.73
height ft=5
height in=8
wing area sqm=12.0
wing area sqft=129
rot area sqm=
rot area sqft=
aspect ratio=
empty weight kg=245
empty weight lb=540
gross weight kg=500
gross weight lb=1,100

eng1 number=1
eng1 type=Walter Mikron II inverted inline
eng1 kw= 46
eng1 hp= 62
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max speed kmh=175
max speed mph=110
max speed mach=
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cruise speed mph=
range km=750
range miles=470
endurance h=
endurance min=
ceiling m=1,800
ceiling ft=6,000
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Notes

References

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* [http://myweb.tiscali.co.uk/ollieswebspace/Tipsy%20Belfair%20walk%20around.htm Oliver Holmes photography]
* [http://www.tipsy-histories.com/site/belfair.htm The Ultimate Tipsy Site]

ee also

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