The Comper Mouse was a 1930s

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies. ** Britishness, the British identity and common culture * British English, ...

three-seat cabin

monoplane A monoplane is a fixed-wing aircraft configuration with a single mainplane, in contrast to a biplane or other types of multiplanes, which have multiple planes. A monoplane has inherently the highest efficiency and lowest drag of any wing confi ...

Nicholas Comper Nicholas Comper (29 April 1897 – 17 June 1939) was an English aviator and aircraft designer, whose most notable success was the 1930s Comper Swift monoplane racer. Early life Nicholas Comper was born in Lambeth, London, England, the son of c ...

, and built by the

Comper Aircraft Company The Comper Aircraft Company Ltd was a 1930s British light aircraft manufacturer. It was based at Hooton Aerodrome, Cheshire (1929-1933), and Heston Aerodrome, Middlesex (1933-1934). History In April 1929, after leaving the Royal Air Force, Nic ...

Heston Aerodrome Heston Aerodrome was an airfield located to the west of London, England, operational between 1929 and 1947. It was situated on the border of the Heston and Cranford areas of Hounslow, Middlesex. In September 1938, the British Prime Minister, Ne ...

in 1933.

Development

The Mouse was a low-wing monoplane touring aircraft, powered by a 130 hp (97 kW)

de Havilland Gipsy Major The de Havilland Gipsy Major or Gipsy IIIA is a four-cylinder, air-cooled, inverted inline engine used in a variety of light aircraft produced in the 1930s, including the famous Tiger Moth biplane. Many Gipsy Major engines still power vintag ...

piston engine. Construction was mainly of fabric-covered spruce wood frames, with some plywood-covered sections. It had folding wings, retractable main landing gear and fixed tailskid. Accommodation was for the pilot and two passengers, accessible via a sliding framed canopy, plus an additional luggage locker. The first flight of the Mouse was at Heston aerodrome on 11 September 1933, piloted by Nick Comper. In February 1934, it was assessed at

A&AEE The Aeroplane and Armament Experimental Establishment (A&AEE) was a research facility for British military aviation from 1918 to 1992. Established at Martlesham Heath, Suffolk, the unit moved in 1939 to Boscombe Down, Wiltshire, where its work ...

Martlesham Heath Martlesham Heath village is situated 6 miles (10 km) east of Ipswich, in Suffolk, England. This was an ancient area of heathland and latterly the site of Martlesham Heath Airfield. A "new village" was established there in the mid-1970s and th ...

, leading to various small design changes.Riding (1988)Nick Comper official website

Operational history

On 13–14 July 1934, the Mouse (registered G-ACIX) was flown by E.H. Newman in handicapped heats for the

King's Cup Race The King's Cup air race is a British handicapped cross-country event, which has taken place annually since 1922. It is run by the Royal Aero Club Records Racing and Rally Association. The King's Cup is one of the most prestigious prizes of the ...

Hatfield Aerodrome Hatfield Aerodrome was a private airfield and aircraft factory located in the English town of Hatfield in Hertfordshire from 1930 until its closure and redevelopment in the 1990s. Early history Geoffrey de Havilland, pioneering aircraft desig ...

in poor weather conditions. It failed to reach the final race, despite an average speed of 132.75 mph. In an already competitive market for touring aircraft, the Mouse failed to attract sales, and only the one was completed before the company ceased trading in August 1934.Lewis (1970)

Specifications

Notes

References

*Boughton, Terence. 1963. The Story of The British Light Aeroplane. John Murray * *Lewis, Peter. 1970. British Racing and Record-Breaking Aircraft. Putnam *Meaden, Jack & Fillmore, Malcolm. (Summer 2005). The Comper Lightplanes. Air-Britain Archive (quarterly). Air-Britain. *Riding, Richard T. 1987. Ultralights: The Early British Classics. Patrick Stephens *Riding, Richard T. June 1988. British Pre-war Lightplanes No.1: Comper Mouse. Aeroplane Monthly. IPC Media *Riding, Richard T. March 2003. Database: Comper Swift. Aeroplane Monthly. IPC Media *Smith, Ron. 2002. British Built Aircraft Vol.1: Greater London

External links

Nick Comper official websiteUK Civil Aviation Authority registration record for G-ACIX
{{Comper aircraft 1930s British civil utility aircraft

Mouse A mouse ( : mice) is a small rodent. Characteristically, mice are known to have a pointed snout, small rounded ears, a body-length scaly tail, and a high breeding rate. The best known mouse species is the common house mouse (''Mus musculus' ...

Aircraft first flown in 1933 Single-engined tractor aircraft Low-wing aircraft Conventional landing gear