G-AECB was a General Aircraft Monospar ST-18 Croydon built at Hanworth in the UK in 1935 and flown out to Australia in July 1936. The 10 passenger seat aircraft, the only one of the type built, was abandoned on the Seringapatam Reef 175 miles north of Australia when it failed to make landfall across the Timor sea due to compass error on its return flight in October 1936.
ST.18 G-AECB had c/n 201
The design of the ST-12 dates back to the mid-1920s with the development of a single-spar wing. In 1931 GAL was formed to develop the patented Monospar Co wing design. The ST-12 was a fixed undercarriage variant of the ST-10, re-engined with two 120 hp Gipsy Majors.
A production run of ten ST 12s (reverting to fixed undercarriage) was undertaken.
Engine: 2 x Gipsy Major, 130 hp
Wingspan: 40 ft 2 in
Length: 26 ft 4 in
AUW: 2875 lb
Max speed: 158 mph
Undercarriage: fixed
Only two ST 10 and two retractable ST 11s were built. ST 11s featured the de Havilland Gipsy Major of 130hp.
The ST.11/33 never carried British registration and was sold in Australia as VH-VAZ.
In 1934 a move to Hanworth was made and the prototype ST 10, G ACTS, was built. The 90hp Pobjoy Niagara powered ST 10 was a much refined version with redesigned forward fuselage.
With H M Schofield at the controls and the designer as passenger, G ACTS won the King’s Cup of July 1934 at 134mph.
Only one other ST 10 and two retractable ST 11s were built.
A version of the ST.4 with retractable undercarriage, the ST 6, attracted little interest, including a single conversion from an ST 4 Mk II.
Only four were built.
Engine: 2 x Pobjoy
Undercarriage: retractable
The Monospar ST.5 c/n 201 was a Spartan Clipper with a Mono-spar wing.
The prototype General Aircraft Monospar ST 4 was G ABUZ.
The ST 4 went into series production by the newly formed General Aircraft Ltd at Croydon. This four seat aircraft was powered by two 85hp Pobjoy radials and introduced the characteristic ‘Monospar’ look. Seven ST 4 Mk Is and 22 improved Mk IIs were built. A version with retractable undercarriage, the ST 6, attracted little interest, including a single conversion from an ST 4 Mk II.
Ten S.T.4 Mk.II were sold abroad. On was sold in Japan to the Asahi Press Association in 1933, and delivered in the winter of 1933/34. Registered J-BBDA, the agent for the sale was the Aviation Department of Nosawa & Co,
A complete aircraft, three-seat enclosed cabin monoplane ST 3 G AARP utilising a single spar wing was built by Gloster at Brockworth for Stieger and made its first flight in 1931. With two Salmson radials developing 100hp between them the ST 3 had unusually high performance for its power and could be dived at 178 mph.
Engines: two 45 hp Salmson radial
Monospar aircraft utilised a single spar wing designed around a duraluminum warren girder, braced with pyramidal tie rods to take the torsional loads. Devised by H Steiger, the principle was first publicly exhibited in an experimental wing (known as the ST 1) shown at the Olympia Aero Show in July 1929. A larger wing (ST 2) was subsequently flown on Fokker EVIIB/3m J7986. Official tests demonstrated the strength of the system.
A four/five seat cabin monoplane with two Lycoming O-320 engines.
The Saturn Aircraft & Engineering Taylor Meteor II was a 1960 continuation of the Monocoupe Meteor (I).
Of metal and fiberglass construction the one was built, N9700C, first flew on 13 September 1960. Selling for $42,000.
Taylor Meteor II
Engines: 2 x Lycoming, 180hp
Wingspan: 36’0″
Length: 28’0″
Max speed: 215 mph
Cruise speed: 199 mph
Stall: 60 mph
Gross wt: 3800 lb
Seats: 5
All Aero 