Air International 1992-12
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??? - Firefly: Slingsby's trainer hits the Big Time
Two of the four T67M200 Fireflies in use with the Royal Hong Kong Auxiliary Air Force pictured over Kowloon.
Prototype M260 G-EFSM in final assembly at Kirkbymoorside in early-August 1992. Slingsby will be producing moulded components for shipment to Northrop at Hondo, Texas, for final assembly, flight test and delivery. The Yorkshire workforce is expected to rise from its present 140 to 230 in 1993.
Slingsby Chief Test Pilot Norrie Grove makes a sprightly arrival in the T67M260 G-EFSM during this year's Farnborough air show. Completing the aircraft for its appearance at the event was ‘a close run thing’, first flight taking place on August 22, 1992, two weeks before the opening day.
Two of the T67Cs operated by the Netherlands government civil aviation Flying School at Eelde.
Long before the American order, early-production T67A Firefly G-BJGH sits in a winter setting at Kirkbymoorside in February 1986. This was the fourth of the initial ten production machines.
In USAF service, the latest M260 version will be designated T-3A Firefly, while the likely RAF order for at least 20 machines to replace Bulldogs will see the aircraft designated Firefly T.Mk 1.
The composite moulded construction of the Firefly is seen to advantage in this view of a fuselage awaiting transfer to the final assembly shop.
Instrument panel of a Hong Kong-operated M200 Firefly. On the later M260 for the USAF, the basic panel on the left will be repositioned on the right-hand side in accordance with American military training philosophy.
Slingsby T67C Firefly
General arrangement drawing of the Slingsby T67M Firefly with an additional view of the later 260hp model.