Europa Aircraft

Europa Aircraft is a British kitplane manufacturer that produces the Europa XS.

Europa Aircraft
TypeLimited company
IndustryAerospace
Founded1987
HeadquartersScottow Enterprise Park (formerly RAF Coltishall), Norwich
Productskitplanes
ParentSwift Technology Group [1]
Websitewww.europa-aircraft.co.uk
2004 Europa Classic kitplane, with retractable monowheel and retracting outriggers
Europa XS
Europa taildragger

The company was established to produce a small kit-built low-wing aircraft for personal use within Europe, with these design goals: high speed, low cost, able to be built and stored at home, easily transportable, using Mogas fuel, able to be rigged for flight in under five minutes, carrying two people in comfort, providing sufficient baggage for extended touring. Apart from "low cost", these design parameters were largely met.[2]

History

The original Europa, (the "Classic"), was designed by Ivan Shaw and the prototype, G-YURO, first flew in February 1992. Production of kit components was established at the company's factory in Kirkbymoorside, North Yorkshire.[2][3]

In the early 1990s the company won a £100,000 grant from the UK Department of Trade and Industry in recognition of its technical achievements. Europa Aircraft has grown to be one of the most successful British kit plane suppliers, with over 700 Europas flying in 33 countries. The Europa XS was named as one of the UK's Millennium Products by the then Prime Minister Tony Blair, and described by Pilot magazine as "the most significant light plane of the decade".[2][3][4]

Ivan Shaw left Europa to develop the Europa-derivative Liberty XL2 production aircraft at a new company, Liberty Aerospace, in Melbourne, Florida, United States. After Shaw left, the firm faced considerable difficulties; but in September 2008, company fortunes improved as Europa Aircraft was acquired by British company, Swift Technology Group.

Europa Aircraft has existed under several company names, and the current name is Europa Aircraft (2004) Ltd. The manufacturing of the Europa range of aircraft is carried out by a sister company, Aviation and Marine Engineering Ltd. Other companies within the Group include Swift Aircraft, Swift TG Maintenance, Swift TG Solutions and Aviation, Swift TG Energy and TWF Solutions.[5][6][7]

In 2020, Europa Aircraft announced the launch of a new kit aircraft design, the Europa Elite. The design will fit the into the EASA CS-VLA category and will be of all composite construction, with two seats in side-by-side configuration.[8][9][10]

References
  1. Sport Aviation: 17. January 2009. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  2. Europa Aircraft (2011). "About". Retrieved 3 August 2011.
  3. Yorkshire Air Museum. "Europa Prototype". Retrieved 3 August 2011.
  4. Jones, Geoffrey (November 1993). "Aircraft made from a kit offers freedom of the skies on a tank of petrol". The Independent. UK. Retrieved 3 August 2011.
  5. Pilot Friend. "Liberty XL-2 aircraft history, performance and specifications". Retrieved 3 August 2011.
  6. Swift Aircraft. "Swift Aircraft". Retrieved 28 October 2008.
  7. Swift TG Solutions. "Swift TG Solutions". Retrieved 28 October 2008.
  8. Europa Aircraft (2020). "Elite". europa-aircraft.co.uk. Archived from the original on 5 May 2020. Retrieved 5 May 2020.
  9. Light Aviation magazine - May 2020
  10. News Team (15 January 2020). "Europa Aircraft launches new kitplane, the Elite". "Flyer" magazine. Archived from the original on 16 January 2020. Retrieved 5 May 2020.
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