The Sindlinger HH-1 Hawker Hurricane is a 5⁄8 scale homebuilt design based on the Hawker Hurricane. Designed by Fred Sindlinger for amateur construction, the prototype was built between 1969 and 1972.

Although based on the Hawker Hurricane the design makes some compromises for the amateur construction and the smaller size. It is an all-wood low-wing cantilever monoplane with a manual retractable main landing gear (the one pictured is electric retractable) and fixed tail wheel. Designed to take a 210 hp (157 kW) Lycoming engine. The cockpit is 4 inches (100 mm) out of scale in height and width and the elevators are 12% overscale. It used wooden stringers and fabric to give the appearance of the real Hurricane.

Although originally designed for the Lycoming O-320 a number of people have successfully fitted auto (car) engines. The picture is of one such conversion in New Zealand which has been successfully flying for 900 hours as of March 2020 using a Mitsubishi 6G74 |Mitsubishi 6G74]] V6 engine driving a Dave Blanton designed kevlar cogged belt Propeller speed reduction unit. The prop is a WarpDrive 3 blade ground adjustable.

The SIPA S.200 Minijet was a light sporting jet aircraft designed and produced by the French aircraft manufacturer Société Industrielle Pour l’Aéronautique (SIPA). It is designed to perform liaison, training, and aerobatic flights. The Minijet was claimed to be the first jet-powered light touring aircraft.

The Minijet is a compact aircraft with an unusual twin boom configuration, a twin-seat cabin, and powered by a single Turbomeca Palas turbojet engine. It was designed during the early 1950s, being exhibited to the public at the 1951 Paris Air Show while the first prototype performed its maiden flight on 14 January 1952. In addition to two prototypes, five Minijets was constructed between 1955 and 1956; further batches were planned but cancelled due to a protracted downturn in the general aviation sector. Two examples of the Minijet, one in France and the other in the United States, are believed to still exist in preservation. A single example has been reengined with a more powerful General Electric T58 and was flightworthy as of 2006.

The Minijet was developed and produced by the Société Industrielle Pour l’Aéronautique (SIPA), which had been founded in 1938 by Emile Dewoitine. During February 1951, work on developing the aircraft commenced under the experienced aeronautical designer Yves Gardan. At the time, it was a novel concept, being the first civilian-orientated jet-powered airplane to enter production.

Keen to promote its ground-breaking aircraft, SIPA unveiled the first Minijet prototype to the general public at the 1951 Paris Air Show. On 14 January 1952, the first of two prototypes conducted its maiden flight. Around this time, its manufacturer issued public claims that the Minijet was the world's first jet-powered light touring aircraft.

A pre-production batch of five Minijets was built between 1955 and 1956; however, plans to construct further batch were postponed and eventually cancelled entirely. This outcome has been attributed to a general recession in the general aviation sector that let to little interest being expressed in the Minijet and fatally hampering sales of the type.

The SIPA S.200 Minijet was designed for the dual role of high-speed, short-range liaison and transitional training. The basic configuration of the Minijet comprised a shoulder-wing and twin booms that supported the vertical stabilisers, along with a tail plane that connected the two booms. This arrangement broadly resembled that of the de Havilland Vampire, a jet-powered fighter aircraft of the 1940s. The Minijet's compact cabin was located in the central fuselage nacelle and accommodated two persons in a side-by-side seating arrangement. The entire canopy hinged forward to assist access to the small cabin; entry was via large gull-wing doors on either side of the fuselage. From the second prototype onwards, the Minijet was fitted with attachment points for auxiliary wingtip fuel tanks which accommodated 15 gallons each; the internal fuel capacity, comprising a pair of small fuel tanks in each wing that feed into a central sump tank, could only hold up to 55 gallons, somewhat limiting the aircraft's range.

Power for the Minijet was provided by a single Turbomeca Palas turbojet engine, capable of generating up to 330 lb of thrust. This was a relatively limited amount of power, resulting in the Minijet possessing a low thrust-to-weight ratio. The engine is positioned almost directly behind the cabin, the rear of which acts as a firewall. Airflow to the engine was supplied via a pair of air intakes, one in each of the wing roots. To prevent the engine making contact with the runway during flaring, a tail skid is present beneath the engine exhaust. The rudders are atypically small, but are seldom used in routine flight. Ground steering is accomplished using differential braking via conventional toe brakes.

The wings of the Minijet are fitted with double-slotted hydraulically-actuated Fowler flaps, which are extended to 12 degrees for takeoff; they are controlled via a unique H-style selector lever on the console. During flight, this same selector lever is used both to raise and extend the flaps, as well as to retract and deploy the landing gear. In line with the intention to sell the Minijet as a military trainer, the cockpit controls are reminiscent of contemporary trainer and fighter aircraft; each pilot is able to operate the control stick right-handed and the throttle left-handed. According to aviation reporter Barry Schiff, the Minijet is relatively easy to manoeuvre in flight, and is fitted with pleasing flight controls. The Minijet was stressed to perform aerobatic manoeuvres, possessing a 9-G limit load factor, but it has not been approved for snap rolls; it can be flown inverted for a maximum of 20 seconds.

Number produced: 7.

With only 16 1⁄2 inches of hip room, the aircraft is considered open due to a large amount of unobstructed view from the large canopy, rear engine, and seating positions ahead of the wing. 3I entered bankruptcy proceedings in 2008, and in 2012 the design was purchased by Magnaghi Aeronautica, of Naples, Italy.

Magnaghi Aeronautica, the new owners of the design in 2012, announced that it will be upgraded with larger wing tanks, improved aerodynamics and stability, strengthened structural elements and a new avionics package. The Sky Arrow will be available as a completed certified aircraft for light sport or as a kit. A four-seat version is also planned. Magnaghi Aeronautica also intendeds to market it for government utility roles, such as border patrol, pollution monitoring and aerial surveillance, with belly- and nose-mounted sensors.

The 3I Sky Arrow 600 Sport and the Magnaghi Aeronautica Sky Arrow LSA are both US Federal Aviation Administration approved special light-sport aircraft. The company also completed FAR 23 type certification for the Sky Arrow TCNS.

There are a number of variants, in both the light sport and G.A. categories, including one with retractable gear. For details, click here. For company website, click here.

Specifications below are for the Sky Arrow 650 variant.(MTOW 650 kg.)

The Sling TSi first flew in 2018, with kits being shipped to builders in fall 2018.

The aircraft was developed in 2018. The Sling TSi is an all-metal, low-wing, fixed tricycle gear homebuilt aircraft. The airplane is equipped with the new Rotax 915iS engine and was the inspiration for the designation of TSi. Parts of the wings and fuselage were reinforced and outfitted with flush riveting for increased strength and reduced drag over the Sling 4.

The first Sling TSi in the USA was shown at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh in 2018.

In a review for KitPlanes, writer Paul Dye said, "...it lives up to its design goals. We flew with four full sized adults from a field with a density altitude of 9,000' and had to throttle back to keep from exceeding redline when we leveled off at 10,000. Later, operating off of a dry lakebed in the high desert, with temperatures of 100 degrees, we never had to worry about engine cooling - and it handled like a fine touring machine."

A company demonstrator Sling TSi flew non-stop from Torrance, California, to Tampa Executive Airport on its way to Lakeland, Florida for Sun 'n Fun 2019 in 13.5 hours. The aircraft carried an additional 30 U.S. gallons (110 L; 25 imp gal) of fuel over the normal 45 U.S. gallons (170 L; 37 imp gal) long-range tanks and benefited from tailwinds en route.

In July 2019 the company did a ceiling expansion test and flew non-stop from Torrance, California to Wittman Regional Airport to attend EAA AirVenture Oshkosh for 9.75 hours. The aircraft reached a final height of 27,000 feet.

During EAA AirVenture Oshkosh in 2019 the development of a new high-wing variant, the Sling HW was announced.

The most anticipated version of the phenomenally successful Sling series is the Sling High Wing. The High Wing – or just Sling HW – was first proposed as a high wing version of the Sling 2 at the same time as founder Mike Blyth started work on the original Sling 2 back in 2005. The final product has come a long way from the early Sling 2s.

The Sling TSi is unique in that it is the only aircraft that comes in almost identical low wing and high wing versions. For this reason the comparison with the low wing Sling TSI is particularly interesting.

The rationale for developing both a low wing and a high wing are many. Mike Blyth provides the following reasons: “The engine–airframe combination of the Sling TSi is so perfect that to fail to exploit it in a high wing model would feel like a crime. Also, there’s a real gap in the market as there is no other aircraft in that space. And you can see really well out of a high wing when flying straight, and it can be a great camera and/ or surveillance platform.”

The Sling HW made its first flight as promised before the end of 2020. That development and construction had continued through the Covid lockdown is testimony to the dedication and commitment the Sling team brought to the project.

A readily noticeable difference between the Low Wing and High is that the high has a vertical fin and rudder a full 20 cm longer than the Low Wing. Given the High Wing ‘nosedraggers’ high stance, this may make getting the tail under a low hangar door opening something to watch.

The Sling HW and TSi are immediately distinguishable by the large NACA duct on the right side of the cowl which feeds air into the engine’s high-volume intercooler. Sling Aircraft has done a great job integrating this duct into the Sling’s distinctive shark nose cowling.

For the full write-up from which these notes were extracted click here.

The Slingsby T67 Firefly, originally produced as the Fournier RF-6, is a two-seat aerobatic training aircraft, built by Slingsby Aviation in Kirkbymoorside, Yorkshire, England. It has been successfully used by the UK armed forces, with the Royal Air Force using 22 Slingsby T67M260s as their basic trainer between 1995 and 2010. Over 100,000 flight hours were flown out of RAF Barkston Heath by Army, Royal Navy and Royal Marines students, who lived on camp at RAF Cranwell), and at RAF Church Fenton with RAF and foreign students were accommodated at RAF Linton-on-Ouse, bussed to and from the airfield daily.

The Slingsby has also been used by the Royal Hong Kong Auxiliary Air Force, the Royal Jordanian Air Force (still currently used), and other military training schools around the world for many years. Also, in December 2012, the National Flying Laboratory Centre at Cranfield University in the UK acquired a T67M260 to supplement its Scottish Aviation Bulldog aerobatic trainer for MSc student flight experience and training.

The Slingsby is a very competent basic trainer and is still operated by many private individuals for standard-level aerobatics training. It was flown by Prince Harry as a basic trainer during his Army Air Corps flying training course, based at RAF Barkston Heath, including his first solo flight in Slingsby T67M260 registration G-BWXG in 2009. Tom Cassells, a British Aerobatic Champion, regularly flies his Slingsby Firefly. However, in the mid-1990s, the aircraft became controversial in the United States after three fatal accidents during US Air Force training operations, although an Air Force investigation eventually attributed the accidents primarily to pilot error.

For details of the development, operational history and twelve variants, click here.

Constructed of welded steel tubing with aluminum skinning, the Sidewinder has all-aluminum wings and is stressed to ±9g ultimate loading to allow aerobatics. Engines can be fitted with power ratings from 90 to 180 hp (67 to 134 kW) (some say 65-125hp), weighing up to 310 lb (141 kg), enclosed in a fibreglass cowling. A sliding canopy covers the cockpit, the landing gear uses some landing gear components from the Wittman Tailwind and conventional controls are fitted but with an all-flying tailplane for pitch control. An unusual under-fuselage spoiler is used for approach control. The original design shared the same windscreen as a Thorp T-18.

The prototype attended the 1969 Experimental Aircraft Association convention at Rockford, Illinois, winning the Outstanding Design Award.

 It was originally developed during the 1950s by French aircraft manufacturer Morane-Saulnier as the MS.880.

On 10 June 1959, the prototype Rallye conducted the type's maiden flight; on 21 November 1961, type certification for the first production versions of the aircraft, designated as the MS.880B and more powerful MS.885, was awarded. Successive models of the Rallye were developed and manufactured; changes typically involved the installation of more powerful engines, structural strengthening, and the expansion of some of the flight control surfaces, culminating in the MS.890 Rallye Commodore series with higher gross weight and seating for four. As part of efforts to access the lucrative North American market, distributor agreements were formed with multiple US-based companies, such as the Waco Aircraft Company and BFA Aviation, to market, sell, and service the Rallye. These efforts, while not being trouble-free, provided valuable sales of the type.

The SOCATA Rallye is a single-engined, low-wing monoplane light aircraft, capable of STOL (short takeoff and landing) performance. While not considered by some to be a highly aesthetic vehicle, the Rallye is considered to be sound and functional aircraft; efforts were made upon later-built aircraft to improve the type's visual appeal and to clean up the exterior. Composed of all metal construction, it is typically outfitted with a fixed tricycle landing gear, complete with an offset free-castering nosewheel and relatively closely spaced main gear; however, an alternative landing gear configuration is used upon the 235 C model, which was provisioned with fixed tailwheel landing gear instead. Unusually, the landing gear of the Rallye is articulated in order to better withstand the sharp forces that are imposed during STOL landings. Flying Magazine noted that the Rallye is "a very nice-landing aircraft".

For more information on the development, design and operational history, as well as the 33 variants with differing engine installations, and built under licence in a number of countries, click here.

With so many variants and models, there are a number of websites with specifications of a number of models. The specifications below are for the 180 GT model.

This aircraft was designed by well-known French designer Yves Gardan during the 1950s. In the latter part of that decade, Sud-Aviation acquired from Gardan a licence to build the design. The prototype first flew in the summer of 1960,[1] and Sud-Aviation (which later became part of SOCATA) manufactured 267 units by the end of 1969, when production was terminated.

The design uses a low-mounted cantilever wing which incorporates four mechanically operated Fowler-type trailing-edge flaps and two Frise-type ailerons. The tricycle undercarriage was partially retractable (a little more than half of each wheel remains exposed in the retracted position). The basic design used a 150 hp (119 kW) Avco Lycoming O-320 flat air-cooled engine driving a fixed-pitch metal propeller, but later models had a 160 hp version of the O-320 and a constant speed propellor. Later still a 180 hp 0-360 engine with a constant speed propeller was available.

160 hp Horizon

180 hp Horizon

The letters TB within the designation stands for Tarbes, the French city where the aircraft is manufactured. The TB series planes have come to be known as the "Caribbean Planes", due to the island naming convention adopted for the various models, though they are not often seen flown in that region.

All aircraft (with the exception of the TB9) have a constant speed propeller. The TB series have become widely used training and touring aircraft and are often used for instrument training. They are defined by their superior (and contemporary) fit and finish and interior size; compared to other four-seat single-engine aircraft, they are relatively roomy at 49 inches (124 cm) at the shoulder, plus or minus. In part, this is due to the fuselage having a pronounced "round out" above the wing. Adding to the actual spaciousness, the side windows extend up well into the roof line, giving the Socata an airy feeling.[2] Due to the larger fuselage, and relatively heavy weights, TB series aircraft have lower performance figures than a similarly sized and powered but narrower aircraft, and the trade-off of speed for comfort is often cited by TB owners.

For details of  the development, design, operational history and 23 variants, click here.

The specifications below are for the TB-10 Tobago.

TB-9 Tampico

TB-10 Tobago

TB-20 Trinidad

TB-21 Trinidad

TB30 Epsilon (Military trainer)

SOCATA TB Cockpit

It was originally collaboratively developed between the American Mooney Airplane Company and French light aircraft manufacturer SOCATA.

The SOCATA TBM is a single-engined turboprop-powered low-wing monoplane, capable of seating a maximum of seven people. It is composed mainly of aluminium and steel construction, but with the tail surfaces built of Nomex honeycomb. The wing features a very effective Fowler flap, comprising 80 per cent of the trailing edge's span, for the purpose of lowering the aircraft's stall speed. The TBM 700 is outfitted with a retractable tricycle landing gear arrangement, newer models feature stronger main landing gear wheels and tougher tyres. The TBM 900 model features automatic torque limiting for “set and forget” power management, which is of particularly use during takeoffs; according to Aviation Week, while this function does reduce the high workload associated with managing the PT6A engine, it is not as capable as a full FADEC arrangement.

For more details on the origins, development, design and 12 variants, click here.

The specifications below are for the TBM 900 model.

The Sonaca 200 is a low-wing cantilever monoplane made from aluminium alloy, it has an enclosed cabin with two side-by-side seats. It is powered by a 115 hp Rotax 914 and has a fixed tricycle landing gear.

In late 2015, the Sonaca group announced the creation of the subsidiary “Sonaca Aircraft” dedicated to the development, certification and market launch of a new training aircraft based on TAF's Sling 2. Later the aircraft was renamed as Sonaca 200. The single-engine two-seater, specifically designed for pilots' training and leisure flights, was certified in June 2018. Sonaca 200 is EASA-certified for a maximum take-off weight of 750 kg and a cruise speed of 115 knots.

In 2018, after obtaining the Type Certification of the S200, Sonaca Aircraft announced the development of a Glass Cockpit variant, named the S201.

The SNS-7 was produced in kit form by Sorrell Aviation of Tenino, Washington and since 2015 by Thunderbird Aviation.

The SNS-7 (Sorrell Negative Stagger, Model 7) was intended to give full unlimited aerobatic performance without sacrificing the comforts of a cabin-style aircraft.

The Sorrell family originated from the state of Oregon, which was the last state to ban homebuilt aircraft. Hobie Sorrell petitioned congress for experimental aircraft regulations, and his son Tim designed the Hiperbipe in a series of family designed homebuilt aircraft. The design is of mixed construction. The fuselage, tail, engine mount, landing gear mounts, interplane struts and flight controls are all built from welded 4130 steel. The wings are made from wood, with wooden stressed skin. The landing gear is sprung steel tube. The engine cowling and wheel pants are fibreglass. The whole airframe is covered in doped aircraft fabric, including the plywood-covered wings. The airfoil is a custom symmetrical design.

The SNS-7 is capable of advanced aerobatics, including vertical eight point rolls and inside and outside vertical eights.

The tooling and manufacturing rights were acquired by Thunderbird Aviation in 2015, who began making parts and basic kits.

The Spartan 7W Executive is a cabin monoplane aircraft that was produced by the Spartan Aircraft Company during the late 1930s and early 1940s.

The 7W features an all-metal fuselage, as well as a retractable undercarriage. The 7W Executive was popular with affluent buyers worldwide.

Designed expressly for the executive market, the Spartan Executive was configured for both performance and comfort. Built during the Great Depression, the 7W was the brainchild of company-founder William G. Skelly of Skelly Oil who desired a fast, comfortable aircraft to support his tastes and those of his rich oil-executive colleagues. Through a series of acquisitions, J. Paul Getty took over ownership of the Spartan Aircraft Company in 1935, and directed its fortunes from that point to 1968.

The interior of the 7W is spacious and features 18 in (46 cm) of slide-back seat room for front-seat passengers, arm rests, ash trays, dome lighting, deep cushions, cabin heaters, ventilators, soundproofing, large windows, and interior access to the 100 lb (45 kg) capacity luggage compartment. The interior can be configured for four or five passengers.

The 10th airframe in the production run was modified into a military demonstrator, the Spartan 7W-F, incorporating two forward-firing .30 calibre machine guns mounted on the port side near the firewall and firing through the propeller arc through a synchronized mechanism. A further modification was to provide a gunner's station at a dorsal hatch on the roof with a windscreen and machine gun fitted. Provision was also made for bomb racks under the wings.

The military experiment was short-lived and the aircraft was reverted to a stock model and sold to aviatrix Arlene Davis who entered the Executive (NC17605) in the 1939 Bendix Air Races. Davis was the first woman to complete the race flying solo, and took the high-performance aircraft to fifth place.

Including the 7X prototypes, 36 7W Executives were built before production was halted in 1940. Following up on a modified Spartan Executive military demonstrator, a two-seat military variant of the 7W Executive, named the Spartan 8W Zeus, was developed. The aircraft featured a greenhouse canopy covering a tandem cockpit and was powered by a more powerful 600 hp (447 kW) Pratt & Whitney Wasp engine. A small production run of four or five examples was made but with no official interest, the project waned.

For details of the notable owners, and the seven variants, click here.

The Sportavia-Pützer RS-180 Sportsman is a four-seat sport aircraft that was produced in Germany in the late 1970s. 

The aircraft is a conventional, low-wing cantilever monoplane with fixed tricycle undercarriage. The pilot and passengers are seated in 2+2 configuration under a large bubble canopy. The structure is of wood, covered in plywood and given an outer skin of fibreglass.

Rhein-Flugzeugbau (RFB) was founded in 1956. In 1976 it acquired the assets of Sportavia-Pützer, which had been formed in 1966 to take over from Alpavia SA the production of several light aircraft types designed by René Fournier . Sportavia-Pützer  produced Fournier aircraft beginning in 1966, and in 1970 Fournier initiated the design of a new four-seat cabin monoplane, the Sportsman. The first prototype Sportsman first flew on 1 March 1973, but the second prototype, which made its maiden flight on 28 April 1976, was a completely redesigned version which was created by Sportavia. This redesigned model was designated the RF-6C Sportsman when it entered production in late 1976, and was renamed RS-180 Sportsman when a new empennage design was added in early 1978, following the fatal crash of the prototype in May 1977. The extensive redesign included reshaping the horizontal tail and relocating it part-way up the fin, changing the wing profile, and removing the turned-down wingtips of the RF-6C. In this form, the RS-180 gained German type certification in 1978.

Basic structure of the Sportsman is wood, with a low-wing cantilever monoplane configuration. The surface is covered with fibreglass. A fixed nosewheel undercarriage with wheel fairings is used. The cabin employs a large bubble canopy.

At the end of 1980, Sportavia-Pützer was integrated into the RFB organisation, the RS-180 being re-designated FRB RS-180 Sportsman. Production was halted in early 1981, after fewer than two dozen units had been completed.

The St-Just Super-Cyclone is a Canadian amateur-built aircraft produced by St-Just Aviation of Boucherville, Quebec. The aircraft is supplied as plans or as a kit for amateur construction.

The Super-Cyclone is a development of the earlier St-Just Cyclone and is based on the Cessna 180 and Cessna 185 airframe design. The kit manufacturer terms it "a replica" of the Cessna designs. Like the 180/185 it features a strut-braced high-wing, a four-seat enclosed cabin accessed via doors, fixed conventional landing gear, skis or floats and a single engine in tractor configuration.

The aircraft is made from sheet 2024-T3 aluminum, with some parts made from 6061-T6 and 7075-T6. Its 38.1 ft (11.6 m) extended-span wing employs a NACA 2412 airfoil, has an area of 191 sq ft (17.7 m2) and mounts large Fowler flaps. The aircraft can be equipped with engines ranging from 200 to 350 hp (149 to 261 kW). The standard engine used is the 300 hp (224 kW) Continental IO-520 four-stroke powerplant. The design includes improvements over the Cessna, including vertically hinged doors and longer span flaps combined with shorter span ailerons, in a similar manner to the Cessna 206.

In March 2017 there were seven Super-Cyclones on the Transport Canada Civil Aircraft Register and one registered with the US Federal Aviation Administration.

The Staudacher S600F is a new design (2003) based on the earlier S300 and S600 aerobatic airplanes. The goal is to create an unlimited capable aerobatic monoplane with enhanced cross country utility.

The S600F has two seats and dual controls. The front cockpit can be equipped as complete as the rear cockpit. The design incorporates a very streamlined composite shell over most of the tubular fuselage. Attached flow should be achieved over a much greater area than earlier planes for greater speed and less yaw in turbulence. Appearance is also much better.

In addition to the traditional baggage area in the turtle deck, the S600F has a second baggage area just aft of the fire wall, between and above the passengers legs. A lot of weight can be carried here as it is very close to the C.G.

All fuel is carried in the wings with a fuselage mounted, gravity fed header tank. There is no fuel selector, just an on-off valve.

A roll bar, just aft of the passenger, will provide increased safety. Tail feathers are, as always, fabric covered and wire braced.

The Stearman-Hammond Y-1 was a 1930s American utility monoplane built by the Stearman-Hammond Aircraft Corporation and evaluated by the United States Navy and the British Royal Air Force.

In the early 1930s Dean Hammond designed the Hammond Model Y, a low-wing monoplane twin-boom pusher monoplane. Hammond cooperated with the aircraft designer Lloyd Stearman to develop the type for production. They formed the Stearman-Hammond Aircraft Corporation in 1936 to build the aircraft as the Stearman-Hammond Y-1. The first aircraft was powered by a 125 hp (93 kW) Menasco C-4 piston engine driving a pusher propeller. The performance was not impressive so it was re-engined with a 150 hp (112 kW) Menasco C-4S and re-named the Y-1S. Although designed to be easy to fly the high price meant only 20 aircraft were produced. The aircraft had no rudder as such, the tailplane fins being adjustable but fixed in flight. Turning was by differential aileron and elevator alone.

In 1934 the Bureau of Air Commerce held a competition for a safe and practical $700 aircraft. In 1936 the winner of the competition was the Stearman-Hammond Y-1, incorporating many of the safety features of the Ercoupe W-1. Two other winners were the Waterman Aeroplane and a roadable autogyro from the Autogiro Company of America, the AC-35. Twenty-five examples were ordered by the bureau at a price of $3,190 each. The first delivery was considered unacceptable in finish, prompting the production of the re-engineered Y-S model.

Two Y-1S, serial numbers 0908 and 0909,were used for radio controlled development trials by the United States Navy as the JH-1. A successful unmanned radio-controlled flight was made with a JH-1 drone on 23 December 1937 at the Coast Guard Air Station, Cape May, N.J. Take-off and landing was controlled via a land based radio set; for flight maneuvers, control was shifted to an airborne TG-2. KLM purchased a Y-1 (PH-APY) for use in training their pilots in tricycle undercarriage. The Royal Air Force also evaluated a former KLM Y-1S in the 1940s.

Variants

Hammond Model Y
Prototype for the 1934 Bureau of Air Commerce safe airplane competition.
Stearman-Hammond Y-1
Prototype aircraft with a 125hp (93kW) Menasco C-4 engine.
Stearman-Hammond Y-1S
Production aircraft with a 150hp (112kW) Menasco C-4S engine.
JH-1
United States Navy designation for two Y-1S used for tests.

The aircraft has a classic structure consisting of a welded tube fuselage and wooden wings, all fabric covered. It is a tandem open-cockpit two-seat biplane and is stressed for normal aerobatics. The cockpits are frequently constructed as a single tandem cabin with an enclosing bubble canopy. Some aerobatic competition aircraft are built as single seaters with the front cockpit closed off.

The original Skybolt had a 180 hp (134 kW) Lycoming HO-360-B1B engine, but powerplants of 150 to 260 hp (112 to 194 kW) can be installed.

The Skybolt has become popular as an amateur-built sporting biplane, with over 400 aircraft having been completed from construction plans sold in over 29 countries. A Skybolt won the Reserve Grand Champion Custom Built for 1979 at the Experimental Aircraft Association airshow in Oshkosh Wisconsin Sixteen examples were registered in the United Kingdom in January 2009.

Details of the six variants can be found here.

Specifications below are for the Skybolt D variant.

The Stephens Akro is a single engine monoplane designed in the United States for aerobatic competitions. It first flew in 1967 and proved very successful, leading to several developments of which one won seven US Championships and one World Championship between 1975 and 1982. The Extra EA-230 and Extra EA-300 were also Akro developments with over two hundred built.

The Akro was designed as a homebuilt aircraft for pilots who competed in aerobatic competitions. It was the first U.S. aircraft design to be guided by the Aresti Catalog of manoeuvres for such events. The structure absorbs high stresses, +12/-11g. The Akro is a cantilever mid wing monoplane with a wooden, two spar mahogany skinned wing built in one piece, its forward spar passing unbroken through the fuselage and the rear spar in two parts. The plain, statically balanced ailerons have steel spars with spruce ribs and trailing edges ; they are fabric covered and carry ground adjustable trim tabs. The tail unit is a fabric covered steel tube structure, wire braced and with swept, straight tapered surfaces. Like the ailerons, all the rear control surfaces are statically balanced. The rudder has a ground adjustable trim tab. The tailplane is mounted at the top of the fuselage, with variable incidence and a flight controllable trim tab in the elevator.

The Akro has a 180 hp (134 kW) Avco Lycoming AIO-360-A1A air-cooled flat-four engine in the nose, driving a two blade metal fixed pitch propeller. Its fuel is stored in a fuselage tank between the single seat cockpit and the engine. The cockpit has a fixed screen and a rearward sliding bubble canopy. In addition, there is a large window in the forward cockpit floor. There is a fixed, conventional undercarriage, with the mainwheels under glass fibre fairings on cantilever sprung steel legs. Hydraulic disc brakes are fitted. The tailwheel is steerable.

Two slightly different models were designed specifically for the first two customers. The Model A design, begun in July 1966 was for Margaret Ritchie, the winner of the 1966 U.S. Women's Aerobatic Championship and first flew on 27 July 1967. The Model B had less tapered wings of greater area (6%) and bigger ailerons, though of unchanged span, slightly heavier (8%) and with windows in the fuselage sides below the wings. The B also carried 16% less fuel but had a lubrication system adapted to prolonged inverted flight. It first flew on 9 July 1969.

.

The Akro and its developments were one of the most successful aerobatic competition aircraft. Amateur builders began from plans of the Model A or B variants. The 180 hp Lycoming remained the most popular engine but Akros with up to 230 hp motors were produced. The Haigh Superstar is one of several Akro developments as are the Extra EA-230 and Extra EA-300 single seat aerobatic machines. Leo Loudenslager's Akro Laser 200 was a particularly successful development with a 200 hp (150 kW) Lycoming IO-360 engine; initially a standard Akro apart from the engine, it later acquired a different wing airfoil, lightened fuselage and revised, lowered canopy with the decking behind it raised. Flying this aircraft he won the U.S. Aerobatics Championship seven times between 1975 and 1982 and won the World Aerobatics Championships in 1980. Several Lasers have been home built by others.

Variants
Stephens Aircraft issued plans for two models:

Model A       (Specifications below)
as described
Model B
Larger area wing and ailerons, reduced tankage, better inverted lubrication system, extra cockpit windows.
In the amateur tradition, builders introduced their own variations such as bigger engines. Stand out variants/developments were:

Haigh Superstar
Akro Laser Z-200
Multiple US and single World Championship winner, adapted, built and flown by Leo Loudenslager between 1975 and 1982.
Extra EA-230
Further adaptation of the Akro Laser by Walter Extra of Extra Flugzeugbau in Germany.
Extra EA-300
Over 200 of the -230 and -300 produced.

The Stinson 108 was a popular general aviation aircraft produced by the Stinson division of the American airplane company Consolidated Vultee, from immediately after World War II to 1950. It was developed from the prewar Model 10A Voyager. Stinson was bought by Piper Aircraft in 1949. All Stinson model 108, 108-1, 108-2, 108-3 and 108-4 aircraft were built by Stinson at Wayne, Michigan. When Stinson sold the type certificate to Piper in 1949, approximately 325 airplanes of the 5,260 model 108s built by Stinson were complete but unsold. These 325 model 108s went to Piper as part of the sale. Piper then sold that inventory as the Piper-Stinson over the next few years.

The fuselage was of fabric-covered steel tube. Aftermarket modifiers have obtained supplemental type certificates (STC) allowing conversion to an aluminum covering. Many different engines have been installed in the 108 by STC such as the Lycoming O-360, Franklin O-350, Continental O-470.

One distinctive feature was the partial leading edge slot installed on the wings and aligned with the ailerons on the trailing edge, ensuring that the portion of the wing containing the aileron remains unstalled at higher angles of attack, thus contributing to docile stall behavior.

Total new production of the Stinson Model 108, by Stinson, was 5,260; this total does not include the two converted prototypes. Stinson delivered approximately 4,935 aircraft and Piper delivered approximately 325 aircraft. Piper later sold the type certificate to Univair Aircraft Corporation. Univair built and certified the model 108-5, but built only one example. Total new model production by Stinson and Univair was 5,261 aircraft.

Variants.

The 108 variants closely resemble each other but can be visually distinguished by their design changes:

Prototype 108
Two prototype model 108s were converted from Stinson model 10A airframes. FAA records show NX31519 was model 108 serial number 1, and NX31532 is model 108 serial number 2. Both registrations later changed to NC. The production model straight 108 would also use serial number 1 and 2, so there was for a short period 2 duplicate serial numbers;
108 Voyager 125
Powered by a 125 hp (93 kW) Lycoming O-235 piston engine.
108 Voyager 150
Powered by a 150 hp (112 kW) Franklin 6A4-150-B31, B3 or B4 piston engine. 742 built in 1946.
108-1
Slightly modified version with external baggage door. 1508 built 1947–1948.
108-2
Powered by 165 hp (123 kW) Franklin 6A4-165-B3 or -B5. 1250 built from May 1948. There was a conversion kit to add the rudder trim to the earlier airplanes advertised.

108-3
The 108-3 introduced a taller vertical fin with a rudder featuring a straight trailing edge. Larger fuel tanks (50 U.S. gallons (190 L; 42 imp gal) versus 40 U.S. gallons (150 L; 33 imp gal)) were also fitted. The -3 has a higher gross weight than its predecessors of 2,400 lb (1,089 kg). 1760 built by Stinson and Piper.
108-4
The 108-4 was a higher powered model 108, sn 108-4693, NX149C, not certified, flown experimentally by Stinson, later by Piper, 1 built.
Flying Station Wagon
The "Flying Station Wagon" version was an option available with the -1, -2 and -3 models, had a utility interior  incorporated wood paneling and a reinforced floor, allowing 600 lb (272 kg) of baggage in the passenger compartment. The aircraft could be fitted with wheel, float or ski landing gear. The single 108-4 built was a Flying Station Wagon.
108-5
A single 108-5 was built by Univair, who purchased the Stinson 108 type certificate from Piper, in 1964. The 108-5 used a 180 hp (134 kW) Franklin 6A-335-B1 engine. Univair offered kits to convert earlier aircraft to this standard. The 108-5 brought total model 108 production to 5,261, of which 5,135 were built by Stinson, 125 by Piper, and 1 by Univair.

The Stinson Junior was a high-winged American monoplane of the late 1920s, built for private owners, and was one of the first such designs to feature a fully enclosed cabin.

Stinson Aircraft had introduced their large high-winged six-seat SM-1 Detroiter in 1927. The SM-1 was sold successfully to airlines and other commercial operators, but it was too large to appeal to private owners.

Stinson therefore redesigned the aircraft with shorter span wings, shorter fuselage and a choice of less powerful engines as the SM-2 Junior. The aircraft was a strut-braced high-wing monoplane with a sturdy outrigger undercarriage which was braced against the wing support struts and the initial 110 h.p. Warner Scarab engine was normally left uncowled. The first SM-2 flew in mid-1928 and deliveries commenced that year. Later versions of the SM-2 had higher-powered engines of between 165 h.p. and 225 h.p.

The design was further developed to produce the more powerful and heavier SM-7 and SM-8 models which were full four-seaters and these were also used by commercial firms. The Junior R of 1932 had a deeper fuselage and a low-set stub wing to mount the undercarriage and wing struts.

The various Stinson Junior models were in production between 1928 and 1933, being bought by both wealthy private flyers and commercial enterprises. A total of 321 Juniors were built, of which 27 survived in 2001 and several of these were airworthy in private hands. In 1977, the Experimental Aircraft Association painted an SM-8A "Spirit of EAA", and flew a cross-country tour as the support plane with a "spirit of St. Louis" replica as part of the 50th anniversary of Lindbergh's Trans-Atlantic crossing.

Variants

SM-2
Warner Scarab 110 h.p.
SM-2AA
Wright J6-5 165 h.p.
SM-2AB
Wright J5 220 h.p.
SM-2AC  (Specifications below)
Wright J6-7 225 h.p.
SM-2ACS
floatplane version of the SM-2AC
SM-7A
Wright J6-9 300 h.p.
SM-7B
Wasp Junior 300 h.p.
SM-8A
Lycoming R-680 215 h.p.
SM-8B
Wright J6-7 225 h.p.
SM-8D
Packard DR-980 diesel 225 h.p.
Junior R
Lycoming R-680 215 h.p. and deeper fuselage. 28 Units built
Junior R-2
Lycomong R-680-BA 240 h.p. 3 Built.
Junior R-3
as R-2 with retractable undercarriage 3 Units built.[5]
Junior R-3-S
Lycoming R-680-6 245 h.p.
Junior S
Lycoming R-680 215 h.p. with fully cowled engine
Junior W
generally similar to the SM-7B, powered by a Wasp Junior engine

The Reliant is a high-wing, fixed-tailwheel land monoplane powered with a variety of radial engines.

1,327 Reliants of all types were made from 1933 to 1941, in different models, from SR-1 to SR-10. The final commercial model, the Stinson Reliant SR-10, was introduced in 1938. A militarized version was first flown in February 1942 and remained in production through several additional versions (all externally identical) until late 1943 for the US and British armed forces.

Reliant production can be broken into two distinct types – the straight-wing Reliants (all models up to SR-6) and the gull-wing Reliants (all models from SR-7 and after, including the militarized V-77/AT-19), with there being little in common between the two groups of types. The straight-wing Reliant has a wing of constant chord and thickness which is supported by two struts each side with additional bracing struts. In contrast the taper-wing Reliant has the broadest chord and thickness of the wing at mid-span, with the outer wing trailing edge heavily angled forward and a rounded cutout on the leading edge root, all supported by a single strut. The taper wing has a significant step up between the fuselage and the wing, and the changes in wing thickness gave it a distinct gull appearance from the front.

The Reliant was used by the United States Army Air Forces in World War II as a utility aircraft, designated UC-81, and as trainer designated AT-19. The Royal Navy and Royal Air Force also used Reliants, for light transport and communication duties. After the war they were sold on the civilian market as the Vultee V-77.

The V-77 is a spartan version of the SR-10 with the 300 hp Lycoming R680-E3B, a single door on the left side and the traditional "bump" cowl was replaced with a simpler smooth cowl. Internal structure was beefed up significantly over the commercial models, and a distinctive triangle-shaped counterbalance was added to the rudder.

For details of the 38 civilian and 24 military variants, click here.

Specifications below are for the SR10F variant.

The Stinson Voyager was a 1940s American light utility monoplane built by the Stinson Aircraft Company.

First developed as the Stinson Model 105 in 1939, the Voyager was a high-wing three-seat braced monoplane powered by either a 75-hp (63.4-Kw) Continental A-75 or an 80-hp (67.7-Kw) Continental A-80-6.[1] This was developed into the Model 10 powered by a Continental A-80 piston engine. The Model 10 introduced a wider cabin as well as an improved standard for the interior and finish. The Model 10 was followed by the Model 10A, powered by a Franklin 4AC-199 engine and the Model 10B with a Lycoming GO-145.

Six Model 10As were evaluated by the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) as the YO-54. The successful tests led to an order for the slightly larger and heavier O-62, later designated the L-5 Sentinel.

A number of Model 105s and Model 10As were impressed into USAAF service as the AT-19 (later L-9).

After World War II, the type was developed as the Model 108, the prototypes being converted Model 10As.

Variants.

Model 105
Production variant also known as the HW-75 with a Continental A-75 engine), or HW-80 with a Continental A-80 engine, 277 built.
Model 10
Improved production variant with an 80 hp Continental A-80 engine, 260 built.
Model 10A
Variant with a 90 hp Franklin 4AC-199 engine, 515 built (10A and 10B).
Model 10B
Variant with a 75 hp Lycoming GO-145 engine, 515 built (10A and 10B).
YO-54
United States Army designation for six Model 10s for evaluation.
AT-19A
Original military designation for eight Model 105s impressed in 1942, later changed to L-9A.
AT-19B
Original designation for 12 impressed Model 10A Voyagers, later changed to L-9B.
L-9A
Final designation for eight impressed Model 105 Voyagers, originally AT-19A.
L-9B
Final designation for 12 impressed Model 10A Voyagers, originally AT-19B.