Ben-Air Sparrowhawk Light Aircraft Project

[hesham]

Hi,


the Ben-Air Sparrowhawk was a side-by-side two seat high wing lightweight
aircraft project,had been designed by a team of former British Aerospace (BAe)
and Britten-Norman designers,powered by only single 32 hp two cylinder
engine.


http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1982/1982%20-%201380.html

 

[hesham]

From Aeroplane monthly 1982.

 

[Andy Bennett]

From Aeroplane monthly 1982.

Yeah, that was an interesting project. We tried to get investment in the UK but, as is often the case, nobody was really interested. The project was sold off to an American company who wanted it for the plastic composite moulding process which they couldn't get working, even though we'd already done it successfully in the UK.

 

[Andy Bennett]

BTW, there was nothing particularly 'secret' about it... we had it covered by ITV on a midlands business TV show at the time.

 

[Sabrejet]

BTW, there was nothing particularly 'secret' about it... we had it covered by ITV on a midlands business TV show at the time.

Very few projects on here were secret (as a security classification), but "Projects" doesn't really convey the message.

 

[riggerrob]

32 horsepower sounds like too little to fly a 2-seater with meaningful performance.
Wing-span 7 feet longer than a Cherokee would also present problems when trying to rent a hangar.

 

[hesham]

From Aeroplane monthly 1982.

Yeah, that was an interesting project. We tried to get investment in the UK but, as is often the case, nobody was really interested. The project was sold off to an American company who wanted it for the plastic composite moulding process which they couldn't get working, even though we'd already done it successfully in the UK.

Welcome aboard Andy Bennett,and it's nice Info by the way,however in this
section,we can talk about aircraft projects after 1945,and they wouldn't precisely
a Secret Designs in all cases.

 

[Andy Bennett]

32 horsepower sounds like too little to fly a 2-seater with meaningful performance.
Wing-span 7 feet longer than a Cherokee would also present problems when trying to rent a hangar.

Approx. 55kts was estimated based on power and aerodynamic drag, as the article says.

 

[Andy Bennett]

BTW, there was nothing particularly 'secret' about it... we had it covered by ITV on a midlands business TV show at the time.

Very few projects on here were secret (as a security classification), but "Projects" doesn't really convey the message.

Understood

 

[Scott Kenny]

32 horsepower sounds like too little to fly a 2-seater with meaningful performance.
Wing-span 7 feet longer than a Cherokee would also present problems when trying to rent a hangar.

Approx. 55kts was estimated based on power and aerodynamic drag, as the article says.

No offense, but that's basically a flying golf cart. Even a Luscombe Silvaire is faster than that!