By November 1947, a powered version of the T-8 Tutor was undertaken, somewhat against his wishes, by Mr Fred Slingsby, and this, the T29 Motor Tutor, featured a new fuselage with a fixed, divided-axle type undercarriage and tailwheel married to the standard Tutor wings and tail unit. The first prototype G-AKJD was completed at Martin Hearn Ltd, Hooton Park. It first flew, as the T29A with a 25hp Scott Flying Squirrel engine, in December 1947 but this first prototype was underpowered.
The second prototype, the T29B G-AKEY which first flew in June 1948, was being built by Slingsby Sailplanes and had a 40hp Aeronca JAP two-cylinder, horizontally-opposed air-cooled engine; a single 9.5 Imp gallon fuel tank was installed. Completition was delayed to incorporate any modifications indicated by the flight tests.
It was intended that the Motor Tutor should be sold in kit form for assembly by Ultra-Light Aircraft Association groups but when, after protracted deliberations, the ARB at last granted the Motor Tutor a C of A it was not for training and, since this role had been the main reason for developing the type in the first place, further work on the Motor Tutor ceased and an initial order for six was cancelled.
Five or six other conversions are known:
G-AXMB
By C.W.Osborne used a Type 7 Kirby Cadet (single-seat T.31) BGA.805, probable ex-VM590. It was converted at Bedford with two 220cc Villiers motorvyvle engine mounted one on each wing strut and termed a Twin Cadet. It was converted to a Motor Cadet with a converted Triump T-100 in the nose later.
PFA.1312
T.West
PFA.1385 G-AYAN
P.J.Martin and D.R.Wilkinson converted T.31B BGA.1224 (ex-RAFGSA.223) at Twinwood Farm. Powered by a VW 1600cc as ‘Thermal Hopper’ c/n 003, it was first flown in 1971.
PFA.1573 G-AZSD
R.G.Boyton, Epsom, used an un-completed Slingsby-airframe, probably c/n 561, starting in 1972 as constructor’s number RGB.01/72.
PFA.1586
G.Milton
A Motor Cadet was resident at Bickmarsh, UK, built on T.31B RAFGSA.297, BGA.1346.
c/n 537 / ex-RA883, BGA.535
About 1957 R.Swinn converted T.7 Cadet into a Motor Cadet using a JAP J-99 engine at Sutton Park.
All Aero 