| Tipsy Junior | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Tipsy Junior G-AMVP at a UK airshow in 1953 | |
| Role | Sports plane |
| Manufacturer | Avions Fairey |
| Designer | Ernest Oscar Tips |
| First flight | 30 June 1947 |
| Number built | 2 |
The Avions Fairey Junior, also known as the Tipsy Junior was a single-seat light aircraft built in Belgium following World War II.
The Junior was one of a series of light aircraft [1] 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, [2] though there was the option of a bubble hood. [3] 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. [2] [4]
The Junior, registered OO-TIT, flew for the first time on 30 June 1947 from Gosselies in Belgium. [3]
The first Junior was written off after a hard landing in 1948. [5]
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. [2] [4] 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, [5] it flew again late in 2006. [5] It had a minor landing accident in 2008 [6] but had a permit to fly until May 2009. [7]
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. [5]
Data fromBritish Civil Aircraft 1919-59 Vol.II. [2]
General characteristics
Performance
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