Company:The Airplane Factory
 | |
| Type | Privately held company |
|---|---|
| Industry | Aerospace |
| Headquarters | Eikenhof , |
| Products | Kit aircraft |
| Owner | Mike Blyth, James Pitman, Andrew Pitman |
| Website | www |
The Airplane factory (Pty) Ltd. is a South Africa n aircraft manufacturer based at Tedderfield Airpark, Eikenhof, Johannesburg South. The company specializes in the design and manufacture of light aircraft in the form of kits for amateur construction and ready-to-fly aircraft for the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale microlight and the American light-sport aircraft categories.[1][2]
The company has three shareholders: Mike Blyth, Director - Development, Marketing and Operations; James Pitman, Director - Corporate; and Andrew Pitman, Managing Director. Other key people include: Ivan Booysen, Production Director; and Branko Brkljac, Manager.[3]
The Airplane Factory utilizes numerical control manufacturing and computer-aided design in its aircraft design and production processes.[1][2][3]
The company produces the two-seat Sling 2, which was first flown in 2008 and the four-seat Sling 4, introduced in 2009[1][2][4] and the new Sling TSi which was first released in 2018[5].
In July 2013 a Sling 4 was flown by Mike Blyth and his son from South Africa to AirVenture in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, United States . The flight included a 14-hour over-water leg using the modified Sling 4's 20 hours of fuel endurance.[6]
Aircraft
_Sling_4_%E2%80%98ZU-AST%E2%80%99_(16927197646).jpg)
| Model name | First flight | Number built | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Airplane Factory Sling 2 | 18 November 2008 | 60 (2012)[7] | Two-seat, low wing microlight aircraft |
| The Airplane Factory Sling 4 | 2009 | Four-seat, low wing aircraft | |
| The Airplane Factory Sling TSi | 2018 | Four-seat, low wing aircraft |
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Bayerl, Robby; Martin Berkemeier; et al: World Directory of Leisure Aviation 2011-12, page 80. WDLA UK, Lancaster UK, 2011. ISSN 1368-485X
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Tacke, Willi; Marino Boric; et al: World Directory of Light Aviation 2015-16, page 83. Flying Pages Europe SARL, 2015. ISSN 1368-485X
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 The Airplane Factory (2019). "Innovators". https://airplanefactory.co.za/about-us/#innovators. Retrieved 26 September 2019.
- ↑ Paul Dye (June 2014). "Sling goes big". Kitplanes.
- ↑ "Sling TSi Makes World Debut". https://www.eaa.org/en/airventure/eaa-airventure-news-and-multimedia/eaa-airventure-news/eaa-airventure-oshkosh/07-27-2018-sling-tsi-makes-world-debut. Retrieved 28 January 2019.
- ↑ Pew, Glenn (2 August 2013). "South Africa To Oshkosh In The Sling 4". Avweb.com. http://www.avweb.com/avwebflash/news/South-Africa-To-Oshkosh-In-The-Sling4-airplanefactory-blyth220347-1.html. Retrieved 7 January 2015.
- ↑ Bernard, Mary and Suzanne B. Bopp: The Airplane Factory: Sling 2 (and Sling 4), Kitplanes, Volume 29, Number 12, December 2012, page 22. Belvoir Publications. ISSN 0891-1851
External links
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