The General Aircraft GAL.42 Cygnet II was a 1930s British single-engined training or touring aircraft built by
General Aircraft Limited
General Aircraft Limited was a British aircraft manufacturer from its formation in 1931 to amalgamation with Blackburn Aircraft in 1949 to become Blackburn and General. Its main products were military gliders and light transport aircraft.
His ...
at
London Air Park, Hanworth.
History
The Cygnet was designed at
Slough
Slough () is a town and unparished area in the unitary authority of the same name in Berkshire, England, bordering west London. It lies in the Thames Valley, west of central London and north-east of Reading, at the intersection of the M4 ...
by C.W. Aircraft Limited in 1936. It was the first all-metal stressed-skin lightplane to be built and flown in the United Kingdom. The prototype, powered by a
Cirrus Minor engine, and
registration ''G-AEMA'' was first flown in May 1937 at
London Air Park, Hanworth. It had a fixed
tailwheel undercarriage
Conventional landing gear, or tailwheel-type landing gear, is an aircraft
An aircraft is a vehicle that is able to fly by gaining support from the air. It counters the force of gravity by using either static lift or by using the dynami ...
and low cantilever wing with rounded wingtips and a split training edge flap that ran under the fuselage. Two persons sat side by side in an enclosed cabin with a reverse-sloped windscreen. The metal airframe had a very slim semi-monocoque tailcone which carried the tailplane and a single, triangular fin and rudder. The prototype soon underwent a number of modifications, with the Cirrus Minor engine being replaced by a
de Havilland Gipsy Major engine, the cockpit canopy being revised to have a more conventional forward-sloped windscreen and the centre section of flap underneath the aircraft's fuselage removed. Thus modified, it was entered into the 1937
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 ...
on 10–11 September that year, finishing 13th.
Airworthiness certification for the new type was slow, partially due to the Cygnet's extensive use of
pop riveting, so that C.W. Aircraft made no sales of the Cygnet, while the company had also invested heavily in another design, the C.W. Swan, a six-seater to be powered by two
de Havilland Gipsy Six engines. Overextended, C.W. aircraft became insolvent and was shut down in March 1938, with all rights for the Cygnet, together with the prototype, being sold to
General Aircraft Ltd (GAL).
Now known as the GAL 42, the Cygnet was again entered into the King's Cup race on 2 July 1938, but ran of oil late in the race when challenging for the lead and had to retire. In November 1938, GAL modified the prototype Cygnet with a new tail assembly, with twin fins and rudders, to improve the efficiency of the aircraft's
elevator
An elevator or lift is a wire rope, cable-assisted, hydraulic cylinder-assisted, or roller-track assisted machine that vertically transports people or freight between floors, levels, or deck (building), decks of a building, watercraft, ...
s. GAL further modified the prototype early in 1939 with a
nosewheel undercarriage, which had already been tested on a
Monospar ST-25, with the intention of making the aircraft as safe and easy to fly as possible. Tests proved successful, and production was launched of the GAL 42 Cygnet II. This had cantilever undercarriage legs with
oleo struts rather than the braced undercarriage legs of the prototype, a deeper cabin with a sliding cockpit canopy which could be opened in flight, and a more powerful ()
Cirrus Major engine, although the Gipsy Six remained an option and two Cygnet IIs were completed with this engine.
The first production aircraft, registration ''G-AFVR'', was flying by July 1939. While production of a large batch of aircraft was planned, only 10 are reported to have been built due to the start of the
Second World War
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
, although no records are available for two of them, and it is possible that they may not have been completed. Five aircraft were impressed into service with the
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the United Kingdom's air and space force. It was formed towards the end of the First World War on 1 April 1918, becoming the first independent air force in the world, by regrouping the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) and ...
as tricycle-undercarriage trainers for aircrews slated to man the American-made
Douglas Boston and later as communications aircraft, while another, which was not impressed, was used by GAL as a communications aircraft. Two aircraft were sold to South American customers (one in Brazil and one in Argentina) in 1941.
A trainer version of the Cygnet II was designed with an open cockpit as the
GAL.45 Owlet.
Surviving aircraft
![Museum of Flight GAL Cygnet II](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/9b/Museum_of_Flight_GAL_Cygnet_II.jpg)
There are two known survivors of the 11 examples produced. The last flying survivor, company number 111 and registered as ''G-AGBN'' (''ES915''), was retired in 1988 and is now on display at the
National Museum of Flight
The National Museum of Flight is Scotland's national aviation museum, at East Fortune Airfield, just south of the village of East Fortune, Scotland. It is one of the museums within National Museums Scotland. The museum is housed in the original ...
at
East Fortune
East Fortune is a village in East Lothian, Scotland, located 2 miles (3 km) north west of East Linton. The area is known for its airfield which was constructed in 1915 to help protect Britain from attack by German Zeppelin airships during t ...
, Scotland. It was a part of the Strathallan Collection owned by Sir William 'Willy' James Denby Roberts until the dissolution of the collection. The National Museum of Flight failed to acquire it but the bidding was taken over by
Victor Gauntlett
Malcolm Victor Gauntlett (20 May 1942 – 31 March 2003) was an English petrochemical entrepreneur and car enthusiast, best known for forming the largest independent petrol retail business in the United Kingdom, and for reviving Aston Martin.
B ...
who donated to the museum.
A civilian version was operated in south
Argentina
Argentina (), officially the Argentine Republic ( es, link=no, República Argentina), is a country in the southern half of South America. Argentina covers an area of , making it the second-largest country in South America after Brazil, th ...
, in
Tierra del Fuego
Tierra del Fuego (, ; Spanish for "Land of the Fire", rarely also Fireland in English) is an archipelago off the southernmost tip of the South American mainland, across the Strait of Magellan. The archipelago consists of the main island, Isla G ...
province where it was damaged in a landing incident. After being repaired and being flown for several years, it was landed at a short airstrip in
Colón and was unable to depart therefrom. It remained there and subsequently was converted into a monument at the Air Club entrance. In 2008 it was reported to be in poor condition.
Military operators
;
**
No. 418 Squadron RCAF
418 Search and Rescue Operational Training Squadron is a unit of the Royal Canadian Air Force, formed during World War II.
History
418 Squadron RCAF was Canada's highest-scoring squadron in World War II, in terms of both air-to-air and air-to-gr ...
;
*
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the United Kingdom's air and space force. It was formed towards the end of the First World War on 1 April 1918, becoming the first independent air force in the world, by regrouping the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) and ...
**
No. 23 Squadron RAF
("Always on the attack")
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**
No. 24 Squadron RAF
**
No. 85 Squadron RAF
**
No. 88 Squadron RAF
Number 88 Squadron was an aircraft squadron of the Royal Air Force. It was formed at Gosport, Hampshire in July 1917 as a Royal Flying Corps (RFC) squadron.
First World War
After forming at Gosport in July 1917, the squadron was moved to France ...
**
No. 510 Squadron RAF
No. 510 Squadron was a Royal Air Force transport and liaison aircraft squadron that operated during the Second World War.
History
During 1942 it was decided that 24 Squadron was too large and the internal communication flight became no. 510 Squ ...
**
No. 530 Squadron RAF
Specifications (Cygnet II with Cirrus Major)
See also
References
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Historic Aircraft Cygnet pageMuseum of Flight Cygnet page
{{GAL aircraft
1930s British military trainer aircraft
Low-wing aircraft
Single-engined tractor aircraft
Cygnet
Aircraft first flown in 1937
Twin-tail aircraft