The Beagle Pup and the GT angle

[anonymous-user]

This article from a 1968 design magazine highlights the extent to which the lovely Beagle Pup was modelled on a GT car. Peter Cambridge, the designer of the Pup, also worked on the Lotus Europa.

http://vads.ahds.ac.uk/diad/article.php?year=1968&...

[EDIT: Sadly, the link above no longer works]

Here is my groupoPup on a farm strip:-

Edited by anonymous-user on Saturday 2nd February 07:48

[Eric Mc]

Lovely little aeroplanes.

Why did they not sell that well?

[Penguinracer]

+1 - beautiful handling, airy light cockpit & sportscar like interior. It truely spoils you for a Piper or a Cessna.

[anonymous-user]

The aircraft were over engineered and cost more to make than to sell. Tony Benn as Aviation Minister supported the company for a year, but it could not match the prices of the mass produced rubbish churned out by Cessna and Piper.

[Eric Mc]

How come the company got their costings so wrong?

[anonymous-user]

British management of the late 60s - cf many British car manufacturers of the era. Also, the aircraft was built with military contracts in mind, which did not materialise until the Bulldog was developed from the Pup, but everything is lockwired, triple failsafed and so forth.

[Roop]

loved the look of the Beagle Bassett. Very pretty light twin.

[Eric Mc]

I've got a very rare Airfix kit of a Basset to build. Gorgeous looking thing.

[anonymous-user]

One of the last remaining Bassets is parked at North Weald, still in Transport Command colours. It was used to transport V bomber crews and Air Marshals.

[Eric Mc]

The prototype G-ARRM is preserved at Shoreham Airport as well.

When I was a teenage spotty spotter in the 1970s, G-ATYE was a regular visitor to Dublin. It was operated by Maidenhead Organ Studios and they used it to transport electronic organs to their customers (or used by the company director for jollies, more like).

[Roop]

I have been thinking about getting back into flying recently. Would love a Bassett but no doubt practically impossible to find, and even if you do find one, impossible to get spares for and hence impractically expensive to operate. Shame. I really do fancy a Carbon Cub SS though...

[anonymous-user]

Bassetts are rare, and the parts might be tricky. There are enough Pups and Bulldogs to go around, although the ex UAS Bulldogs tend to be knackered.

[Roop]

A mate of mine bought the design rights to the Bulldog along with about 75 ex RAF a/c. Great plane.

[Eric Mc]

Anyone remember the one-off Bullfinch?

[Dr Jekyll]

Remember it? I think it's still flying.

[Eric Mc]

It is, apparently, although it has been modified.

[TheMuffinMan]

The pups are lovely aircraft, I'm currently doing my PPL in one. Nice to be using something other than the usual Pipers and Cessnas.

[anonymous-user]

I flew solo in Pup G-TSKY, my Skills Test in G-IPUP, and bought a share in the latter some years later (having regretfully had to sell my Cap 10b share). Pups are marred by the lack of a canopy (a marketing error - the designer wanted gull wings, which are almost as good as a canopy), but they are good all round fun aeroplanes for touring and gentle aerobatics. The standard Cessnas and Pipers are so lifeless and stodgy, there's barely a comparison in handling terms.

[Penguinracer]

The Bullfinch is currently for sale if you have a spare £79.5K kicking around...
http://www.justplanetrading.com/Stock/CESSNA%20340...

[eharding]

Pup - <check>

Europa - <check>

Welcome aboard, chap - I didn't know you were over here as well.

Now, about that business with the Nomex thong.

I don't think the PH mob want to hear about that.

In fact, I'm ........

<tucks a couple of crisp £50 notes in BreadVan's shirt pocket>

.....sure they don't.