__NOTOC__ The Hillson Helvellyn was a 1940s

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, ...

two-seat

training Training is teaching, or developing in oneself or others, any skills and knowledge or Physical fitness, fitness that relate to specific practicality, useful Competence (human resources), competencies. Training has specific goals of improving on ...

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 ...

F Hills & Sons F, or f, is the sixth letter in the Latin alphabet, used in the modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages and others worldwide. Its name in English is ''ef'' (pronounced ), and the plural is ''efs''. Hist ...

of Trafford Park.

Design and development

With the prospect of war and the requirement for 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 ...

to train pilots the company decided to design a small basic trainer that could be built quickly and cheaply. The Helvellyn was a mid-wing monoplane with two tandem open cockpits and powered by a Blackburn Cirrus Minor I piston engine. It had a

conventional landing gear Conventional landing gear, or tailwheel-type landing gear, is an aircraft undercarriage consisting of two main wheels forward of the center of gravity and a small wheel or skid to support the tail.Crane, Dale: ''Dictionary of Aeronautical Term ...

but was designed to be fitted with a tricycle landing gear. Designed by Norman Sykes and built at Trafford Park in Manchester in 1939, only the prototype registered ''G-AFKT'' was completed. With an ample supply of

de Havilland Tiger Moth The de Havilland DH.82 Tiger Moth is a 1930s British biplane designed by Geoffrey de Havilland and built by the de Havilland Aircraft Company. It was operated by the Royal Air Force (RAF) and other operators as a primary trainer aircraft. ...

s and

Miles Magister The Miles M.14 Magister is a two-seat monoplane basic trainer aircraft designed and built by the United Kingdom, British aircraft manufacturer Miles Aircraft. It was affectionately known as the ''Maggie''. It was authorised to perform aerobatics ...

s and a lack of interest from the RAF development was stopped in 1940 and the prototype was used by the company as a liaison aircraft particularly between Barton and Ispwich. It was dismantled in November 1942.

Specifications

References

Bibliography

* * {{refend 1930s British military trainer aircraft