At the end of the 1920s, Jef Guldentops, backed by José Orta, designed a light parasol monoplane, the Saint-Hubert G.1 (or G.I). The aircraft was called Orta Saint-Hubert G.1 in the press and in registration documents.
José Orta owned an aviation school in the town of Saint-Hubert, with Bloom as chief pilot. He was the brother of Tony Orta, a famous pilot who held a high position at Sabena.
The Saint-Hubert G.1 was described in Les Ailes 7/11/1929:
http://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/bpt6k6554668p/f3.image
According to the article, there were two main versions, differing by the engine:
- a Walter 65 hp, perhaps the NZ-60 5-cylinder radial (actually 60 hp), carrying two people;
- a Walter 85 hp, certainly the NZ-85 7-cylinder radial, carrying three people.
Jean-Pierre Decock says that the first two aircraft were built by Guldentops in Bruxelles, and that the first flight took place in 1927. The prototype was registered O-BABI in September 1928. Early photographs show a 5-cylinder engine. Its registration became OO-ABI in 1929, and it participated in the 1929 European Challenge together with the second aircraft OO-AKH. At the time, both had a 7-cylinder Walter NZ 85 hp. OO-AKH, piloted by Vuylsteke with Fabry, could not start the race in time. OO-ABI ended in the 31st and last position, piloted by Maus with Lambilly. Those were wounded in a crash on 21 June 1930 on a Saint-Hubert, certainly OO-ABI, that was struck off the register in 1931. (L'Aéronautique 08/1930)
In Autumn 1929, Guldentops left his position at Sabca to start series production of the Saint-Hubert G.1 at the Saint-Hubert aviation school. At the time, a first batch of six aircraft was started (Les Ailes 31/10/1929). These were OO-AKL, -AKO, -AKX, -AKY, -ALK, -ALL, registered between Dec. 1929 and Aug. 1930.
Among these, OO-AKO had a DH Gipsy 85 hp inline engine, and was named Orta Saint-Hubert G.2 in the registration documents. It crashed on 14 May 1935 at Schulen, but was perhaps rebuilt, registration lists saying that it was destroyed on 10 May 1940 at Gossoncourt.
OO-AKX was entered in the 1930 European Challenge with a Walter 110 hp 7-cylinder engine.
OO-ALK was transferred to Luxembourg as LX-ALK in 1935, but was in Belgium again in late 1936.
OO-ALL was used by Albert Maréchal and Géo Clavier to travel from Bruxelles to Tehran. It had a Walter 85 hp 5-cylinder, perhaps the Walter Vega. It crashed in 1933 but reappeared in 1935, and became LX-ALL in Luxembourg in 1938.
In Winter 1931, the two partners broke and Guldentops set up his own workshops in Bruxelles-Evere, where he would build the Saint-Michel aircraft. (Les Ailes 19/03/1931)
Orta continued the production of the Saint-Hubert G.1 on his own for a short time. The aircraft registered after Guldentops left the factory were OO-BSC (for the Belgian Shell Company), OO-AMB, -AMC, -AMS, -AMT, -AMU, -AMV. (Registration OO-AMD is also mentioned in the list by André Dillien, with no date. It was perhaps not taken.) The last one was registered in September 1932.
New engine types were installed on this batch. For example OO-AMT had a Renard 120 hp and a picture of OO-AMS seems to show the same engine. Les Ailes mentions a new model of Saint-Hubert displayed in September 1931 with a Cirrus Hermes 115 hp engine, certainly one of the same batch. (Les Ailes 10/09/1931 and 29/10/1931)
Sources:
- Various issues of Les Ailes, L'Aérophile and L'Aéronautique
- Bulletin AELR no.13 and Brussels Air Museum Magazine no.57
- article by Jean-Pierre Decock:
http://www.fnar.be/avionsjpdecocq/FNARStHubertSG1JPDecock.pdf
- registration lists by André Dillien:
http://www.bamfbamrs.be/Dillien/
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http://www.sainthubert.be/avions%20orta.htm
- various pages from Belgian Wings:
http://www.belgian-wings.be/Webpages/Navigator/Photos/CivilPics/Frontpage%20Civil%20Aviation/1_civil_pics_ooaaa_ooazz%20NEW.htm
- database at
http://www.bahavzw.be/database/
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http://1000aircraftphotos.com/Contributions/Shumaker/12183.htm