Era

Tipsy Junior / Fairey Junior

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The Junior was one of a series of light aircraft designed by and named after E.O.Tips of Fairey Aviation’s Belgian subsidiary, Avions Fairey. Of wood and fabric construction, it was a conventional, low-wing monoplane with a tailwheel undercarriage and a single seat, open cockpit, though there was the option of a bubble hood. The constant chord wings were almost square ended and the tailplane, fin and rudder also angular. Both completed aircraft were initially powered by the 36 hp (27 kW) Aeronca JAP J-99 engine, later replaced by the more powerful, 62 hp (46 kW) Walter Mikron 2.

The Junior, registered OO-TIT, flew for the first time on 30 June 1947 from Gosselies in Belgium.
The first Junior was written off after a hard landing in 1948.

The second example (construction number J.111, registration OO-ULA) was bought by Fairey and taken to England in 1953, where it was registered as G-AMVP. In 1957, it was used in a publicity stunt when Fairey test pilot Peter Twiss landed it on the aircraft carrier HMS Ark Royal. For part of its time it had the bubble canopy. Rebuilt after a long time in storage following a forced landing in 1993, it flew again late in 2006. It had a minor landing accident in 2008 but had a permit to fly until May 2009.

The Junior did not sell, and the third airframe was cancelled before completion. It was purchased incomplete by Fairey in 1961 and has been under construction in the hands of a number of owners in the intervening years, but never finished.

Powerplant: 1 × Walter Mikron II, 46 kW (62 hp)
Propeller: 2-bladed fixed pitch
Wingspan: 6.9 m (22 ft 8 in)
Wing area: 10.5 m2 (113 sq ft)
Length: 5.65 m (18 ft 6 in)
Height: 1.48 m (4 ft 10 in)
Empty weight: 220 kg (485 lb)
Gross weight: 350 kg (772 lb)
Maximum speed: 174 km/h (108 mph, 94 kn)
Cruise speed: 158 km/h (98 mph, 85 kn)
Range: 430 km (270 mi, 230 nmi)
Service ceiling: 1,800 m (5,900 ft)
Crew: 1

Tipsy B / B-2 / Trainer

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Tipsy B

The Tipsy B is a small, open cockpit two seater designed by Belgian designer Oscar Tips and first flown in 1937. They were built at the Avions Fairey factory at Gosselies, near Charleroi, and powered by 62hp Walter Mikron engines. Pre-war products at Gosselies included two-seat B or B-2 (open cockpits). The B-2 was revived post-war as Tipsy Trainer.

A further refinement was the Tipsy Trainer, with the instructor’s seat beside the student’s but very slightly staggered behind, so the instructor had a better view of what the student was doing.

1970
Tipsy B

Gallery

Tipsy B
Engine: 62hp Walter Mikron
Wing span: 31 ft 2 in
Length: 21 ft 8 in
Gross weight: 990 lb
Cruising speed: 105mph
Range: 450 miles

Tipsy Nipper / Cobelavia Nipper III / Nipper Kits and Components Nipper / Delhamende Nipper

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Conceived by Ernest Oscar Tips, managing director of Avions Fairey SA, and produced by Tipsy intended primarily for manufacture in kit form. The Nipper flew for the first time on 2 December 1957, powered by a 40 hp Pollmann HEP engine, entering production as the T.66 Mk.1. The first production model flyng on 10 March 1959.

Identical to the Mk.1 apart from its 45 hp Start Stamo 1400A engine, the Mk.2 first flew on 16 February 1959. Nipper production by Avions Fairey commenced almost immediately and the first production T66 Mk.II, flew on 20 October 1959.

Tipsy Nipper Article

Avions Fairey produced the Nipper in both fly-away and kit forms, the latter aimed at the developing amateur constructor market. However, it is not known how many units the company built. Construction numbers which are usually a reliable indication of production figures suggest at least eighty Nippers came off the company’s Gosselies production line before manufacturing rights were transferred to Coblevia in 1961, another Belgium company. Coblevia, after some design changes, produced aircraft marketed as the Coblevia Nipper III.

In June 1966 manufacturing rights to the Nipper were purchased by an English company Nipper Aircraft Ltd and a deal was negotiated with Slingsby to produce the aircraft at its Kirbymoorside glider factory. These aircraft were marketed by Nipper Aircraft in three vanants. The Nipper Mk.III powered by a 1500cc Rollason Ardem (converted VW auto engine), the Mk.IIIA fitted with a 1600cc Rollason Ardem and the Mk.IIIB kitset intended for amateur construction.

Slingsby Tipsy Nipper

Thirty-three Nippers were produced by Slingsby before production ceased toward the end of 1969.
Acro Engines and Aeroframes, the company run by contest pilot Barry Smith, using his own Volkswagen engine conversion, with fuel injection and inverted fuel and oil systems, aerobats a relatively old lightweight design, the Tipsy Nipper.

After liquidation of Nipper Aircraft in May 1971 Nipper Kits and Components Ltd. was formed to support existing aircraft, and continued to market the aircraft in Mk III form as plans and some components. In 1998 the Nipper was still being marketed by Nipper Kits & Components.

Gallery

Nipper Mk.I
Engine: Pollman HEPU, 40 hp
Wing span: 19 ft 8 in
Length: 15 ft 0 in
Height: 6 ft 2 in
Wing area: 80.7 sq.ft

Nipper Mk.II
Engine: Stark Stamo 1400A, 45 hp
Wing span: 19 ft 8 in
Length: 15 ft 0 in
Height: 6 ft 2 in
Wing area: 80.7 sq.ft
Empty weight: 412 lb
Loaded weight: 660 lb
Max speed: 101 mph
Max cruise: 93 mph
Econ cruise: 84 mph
ROC: 630 fpm
Service ceiling: 13,100 ft
Range: 200 mi

Nipper Mk.III
Engine: Stark Stamo 1400A, 45 hp

Nipper Mk.III
Engine: Ardem X, 45 hp
Wingspan: 19 ft 8 in / 6.00 m
Wingspan over tip tanks: 20 ft 6 in / 6.25 m
Length: 15 ft 0 in / 4.56 m
Empty weight: 465 lb / 210 kg
MTOW normal: 750 lb / 340 kg
MTOW aerobatic: 685 lb / 310 kg
Cruise 75% no tanks SL: 81 kt / 93 mph / 150 kph
ROC SL: 650 fpm / 198 m/min
Service ceiling: 12,000 ft / 3660 m
Range internal fuel 30min res: 173 nm / 200 mi / 320 km
Range w/tip tanks: 390 nm / 450 mi / 720 km
Seats: 1

Nipper Mk.IIIA
Engine: Ardem 1600cc, 55 hp

Nipper Mk.IIIB
Empty weight: 211 kg
Wing area: 7.50 sq.m
Fuel capacity: 34 lt
Engine: VW, 60 hp
MAUW: 340 kg
Seats: 1
Max speed: 235 kph
Cruise speed: 150 kph
Minimum speed: 61 kph
Climb rate: 3.3 m/s
Fuel consumption: 12.5 lt/hr
Plan price (1998): £55
Kit price (1998): £4004

Nipper Mk.IV
Engine: Jabiru

Engine: VW
Span: 19ft 8in
Wing area: 80.75 sq.ft
Length: 15 ft
Max wt: 750 lbs
Empty wt: 465 lbs
ROC: 650 fpm
Cruise: 80 kts
Seats: 1

Tipsy BC / Belfast / Belfair

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Pre-war products at Gosselies were single-seat S2 and two-seat B or B-2 (open cockpits) and BC (enclosed cabin). B-2 revived post-war as Tipsy Trainer, and BC as Belfair (from Belgian Fairey).

The Tipsy Belfair was derived from the Tipsy B by adding a raised rear fuselage and an enclosed cockpit, and first flew as such in 1939. Production was prevented by the war, but seven were built in the 1940s, three of which were assembled in Yorkshire.

Yorkshire built Belfair, at Seething December 2005
Tipsy Belfair

Belfair
Engine: 62hp Walter Mikron
Wing span: 31 ft 2 in
Length: 21 ft 8 in
Gross weight: 1200 lb
Cruising speed: 100 mph
Range: 300 miles

Tipsy

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Tipsy Aircraft Company Ltd.

Belgium
Formed in late 1930s together with Tipsy Aircraft Company Ltd in U.K. to build ultralight aircraft designed by E. O.Tips and previously manufactured by Avions Fairey.

Tipsy Aircraft Company Ltd. was formed 1937 at Hanworth Air Park. Middlesex, to license build Anglo-Belgian lightplanes of E. 0. Tips. Continued production postwar but closed down in 1952.

Pre-war products at Gosselies were single-seat S2 and two-seat B or B-2 (open cockpits) and BC (enclosed cabin). B-2 revived post-war as Tipsy Trainer, and BC as Belfair (from Belgian Fairey), together with new design of Junior in 1946 and Nipper in 1957. Production of Nipper taken over by Cobelavia in 1961, and by Nipper Aircraft Ltd in 1966.