Comper Swift

Swift
Comper Swift, G-ACTF.
Role	Single-seat sporting aircraft
Manufacturer	Comper Aircraft Company Ltd
Designer	Nicholas Comper
First flight	1930
Produced	1930-1933
Number built	45

The Comper C.L.A.7 Swift is a British 1930s single-seat sporting aircraft produced by Comper Aircraft Company Ltd of Hooton Park, Cheshire.

Design and development

In March 1929, Flight Lieutenant Nicholas Comper left the Royal Air Force, and formed the Comper Aircraft Company to build an aircraft he had designed, the Comper Swift. He had previously designed and flown three aircraft for the Cranwell Light Aeroplane Club: the C.L.A.2, C.L.A.3 and C.L.A.4. The prototype Swift (registered G-AARX) first flew at Hooton Park in January 1930.^[1] The aircraft was a small single-seat, braced high-wing monoplane constructed of fabric-covered spruce wood frames.^[2] The first Swift was powered by a 40 hp (30 kW) ABC Scorpion piston engine. After successful tests, seven more aircraft were built in 1930, powered by a 50 hp Salmson A.D.9 radial engine. Trials with Pobjoy P radial engine for use in air racing resulted in all the subsequent aircraft being powered by the Pobjoy R. The last three factory-built aircraft (sometimes called the Gipsy Swift) were fitted with de Havilland Gipsy engines - two with 120 hp (89 kW) Gipsy Major III, and one with a 130 hp (97 kW) Gipsy Major. Postwar, surviving Swifts continued to compete successfully in UK air races into the mid 1950s.

Survivors

• G-ABTC Stored, in Cornwall.^[3]
• G-ABUS Stored, believed in France.^[3]
• VH-UVC Stored, in Sydney, Australia.^[3]
• LV-FBA Stored, in Argentina.^[3]
• G-ACGL (major components) Stored, with RAF Museum.^[2]
• G-ACTF Airworthy, displayed at the Shuttleworth Collection, Old Warden, England^[4]
• EC-HAM Airworthy, displayed at Cuatro Vientos, Madrid, Spain. Owned by Fundación Infante de Orleans. Formerly G-ABUU, now painted to represent "EC-AAT" "Ciudad de Manila" as flown by Fernando R. Loring for his March 1933 flight Madrid-Manila.^[3]
• VH-ACG (Gipsy engine) Airworthy^[4][5] This aircraft was shipped to Oshkosh, USA for the EAA Airventure fly-in, and will be shipped back to Australia after the show.
• G-LCGL Airworthy (replica)^[2]

Specifications (C.L.A.7 Swift)

Data from Jackson (1974)^[6]

General characteristics

• Crew: 1
• Length: 17 ft 8½ in (5.4 m)
• Wingspan: 24 ft 0 in (7.32 m)
• Height: 5 ft 3½ in (1.61 m)
• Wing area: 90 ft² (8.36 m²)
• Empty weight: 540 lb (245 kg)
• Max takeoff weight: 985 lb (447 kg)
• Powerplant: 1 × Pobjoy R radial piston, 75 hp (56 kW)

Performance

• Maximum speed: 140 mph (225 km/h)
• Range: 380 miles (611 km)
• Service ceiling: 22,000 ft (6705 m)

See also

Related development

• Comper Mouse
  

Notes

1. ^ Meaden (2003)
2. ^ ^{a b c} Riding (2003)
3. ^ ^{a b c d e} Meaden (Autumn 2004)
4. ^ ^{a b} Meaden (Winter 2004)
5. ^ Australian Civil Aircraft Register
6. ^ Jackson (1974)

References

• Boughton, Terence. 1963. The Story of The British Light Aeroplane. John Murray
• Jackson, A.J. (1974). British Civil Aircraft since 1919 Volume 2. London: Putnam. ISBN 0370100107. 
• Meaden, Jack & Fillmore, Malcolm. (Winter 2003). The Comper Lightplanes. Air-Britain Archive (quarterly). Air-Britain. ISSN 02624923
• Meaden, Jack & Fillmore, Malcolm. (Autumn 2004). The Comper Lightplanes. Air-Britain Archive (quarterly). Air-Britain. ISSN 02624923
• Meaden, Jack & Fillmore, Malcolm. (Winter 2004). The Comper Lightplanes. Air-Britain Archive (quarterly). Air-Britain. ISSN 02624923
• Riding, Richard T. 1987. Ultralights: The Early British Classics. Patrick Stephens ISBN 085059748X
• Riding, Richard T. March 2003. Database: Comper Swift. Aeroplane Monthly. IPC Media
• Smith, Ron. 2005. British Built Aircraft Vol.5: Northern England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland ISBN 075243487X
• The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Aircraft (Part Work 1982-1985). Orbis Publishing. 

External links

• Australian civil aircraft register search
• British Aircraft Directory
• http://www.flickr.com/photos/airventure2009/3758521992/
• Nick Comper official website