Join the Airplane Factory Newsletter
The Airplane Factory is a Johannesburg based business focussing on the development and manufacture of high quality, high utility aircraft. The Airplane Factory's first aircraft, the Sling, is a competitively priced high all round performance aluminium light sport aircraft which can be purchased ready to fly or as a homebuild kit.
For the adventure of it, and also to prove the aircraft to themselves and the world, during July and August 2009 Mike Blyth and James Pitman, the company’s founders, flew the production prototype Sling around the world, via EAA Oshkosh, the world’s largest airshow. The aircraft performed flawlessly, flying numerous legs over 2 000nm (3 600 km) over the world’s oceans, east to west and with the almost the entire route in the ITCZ. The only differences between the round the world aircraft and the standard production Sling were additional fuel tanks in the wings and an additional 15 layers of glass-fibre in the undercarriage. Read about the trip under the "Round the World" link below.
Since mid-February 2010 the Airplane Factory has repeated all load tests on the Sling in order to increase the approved maximum all up weight (MAUW) from 600kg to 700kg. This will allow the aircraft to be flown both as an LSA and as a light aircraft. In addition, the ballistic parachute fitment has been modified and the parachute deployment tested. Jean d’Assonville has acquired a shareholding in, and has been appointed a director, of the company. He has been engaged in developing the factory production line in accordance with a comprehensive manual of procedures. Thanks to his efforts the replacement Airplane Factory demonstration aircraft, this time a 100% standard production model, will fly during the second week of July 2010. Within the next two weeks the business plans deliver a further three completed aircraft to customers. Thereafter the business expects to deliver two aircraft each month until year end.
Click here to catch up on the latest news...
We flew around the world in the Sling
