P&M Aviation was a British aircraft manufacturer, specializing in

ultralight trike An ultralight trike is a type of powered hang glider where flight control is by weight-shift. These aircraft have a fabric flex-wing from which is suspended a tricycle fuselage pod driven by a pusher propeller. The pod accommodates either a ...

s, founded in 2003. The company was purchased by

Albatross Flying Systems Albatrosses, of the biological family Diomedeidae, are large seabirds related to the procellariids, storm petrels, and diving petrels in the order Procellariiformes (the tubenoses). They range widely in the Southern Ocean and the North Pacifi ...

in 2019.

History

The company was formed in 2003 by

Keith Duckworth David Keith Duckworth (10 August 1933 – 18 December 2005) was an English mechanical engineer. He is most famous for designing the Cosworth DFV (Double Four Valve) engine, an engine that revolutionised the sport of Formula One. Early life a ...

's purchase of two rival British trike manufacturers, Pegasus Aviation and Mainair Sports, hence the name of the new company.Cliche, Andre: ''Ultralight Aircraft Shopper's Guide'' 8th Edition, page C-14 and 16. Cybair Limited Publishing, 2001. Bertrand, Noel; Rene Coulon; et al: ''World Directory of Leisure Aviation 2003-04'', pages 47, 104 and 106. Pagefast Ltd, Lancaster OK, 2003. ISSN 1368-485X P&M retained both the Mainair factory at

Rochdale Rochdale ( ) is a large town in Greater Manchester, England, at the foothills of the South Pennines in the dale on the River Roch, northwest of Oldham and northeast of Manchester. It is the administrative centre of the Metropolitan Borough ...

and the Pegasus plant at Manton near

Marlborough, Wiltshire Marlborough ( , ) is a market town and civil parish in the English county of Wiltshire on the Old Bath Road, the old main road from London to Bath. The town is on the River Kennet, 24 miles (39 km) north of Salisbury and 10 miles (16& ...

, the former carrying out production and the latter research and development. The Rochdale factory was closed in March 2016. On 7 May 2019 the company was put into

administration Administration may refer to: Management of organizations * Management, the act of directing people towards accomplishing a goal ** Administrative Assistant, traditionally known as a Secretary, or also known as an administrative officer, admini ...

, with T A Close of Milsted Langdon LLP appointed as its Administrator. Subsequently, its assets were bought by Albatross Flying Systems of

Bangalore Bangalore (), List of renamed places in India, officially Bengaluru (), is the Capital city, capital and largest city of the Indian state of Karnataka. It has a population of more than and a metropolitan area, metropolitan population of a ...

, India.

Solar Wings

Solar Wings was the

hang glider Hang gliding is an air sport or recreational activity in which a pilot flies a light, non-motorised foot-launched heavier-than-air aircraft called a hang glider. Most modern hang gliders are made of an aluminium alloy or composite frame cover ...

division of Pegasus Aviation prior to its merger with Mainair. After the merger, Solar Wings gliders were produced in the new combined production facility for a short time. The division produced a wide range of hang gliders from 1980 until it was wound up some time after 2002. Gliders produced include the Solar Wings Breeze and the Solar Wings Scandal series.

Aircraft

P&M also imported and sold the John Pendry-Evans designed Ace Magic from India.Tacke, Willi; Marino Boric; et al: ''World Directory of Light Aviation 2015-16'', page 215. Flying Pages Europe SARL, 2015.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:PandM Aviation Aircraft manufacturers of the United Kingdom Companies based in Wiltshire Ultralight trikes