Slingsby T-67 Firefly

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Slingsby T67M-620 Firefly of the British Defence Elementary Flying Training School

Slingsby T67M Firefly

Slingsby Firefly T67C cockpit

The Slingsby T-67 Firefly is a two-seat aerobatic training aircraft, built by Slingsby Aviation in Kirkbymoorside, Yorkshire, England. ^[1]

1 Development
2 Military Operators
3 Slingsby Fireflies in popular culture
4 Variants
5 External link
6 See also
7 References

[edit] Development

Slingsby purchased the production and development rights of the Fournier RF6B in 1981 and developed its own version calling it the 'Firefly'. Over 250 aircraft have been built mainly as a basic military trainier. Although operated successfully in the United Kingdom and Canada, the program would end in disaster in the United States because of fatal crashes, and problems with engine failures. The type was meant to replace the Cessna T-41 introductory trainer. It had produced no fatalities, but had no aerobatic capabilities. Many would question the need for such capability at this level. The US Air Force has no replacement for this type as it no longer provides training to non-fliers.

[edit] Military Operators

[edit] USAF

The largest Firefly operator was the United States Air Force where it was given the designation T-3A Firefly. The Firefly was selected in 1992 to replace the T-41 aircraft for the command's Enhanced Flight Screening Program, which would include aerobatic maneuvers. From 1993 to 1995, 113 aircraft were purchased and delivered to Hondo, Texas, and the U.S. Air Force Academy, Colorado.

The Air Education and Training Command commander stood down the entire T-3A fleet in July 1997 as a result of uncommanded engine stoppages during flight and ground operations. A major factor driving the decision were the three T-3 Class A mishaps in 1995, 1996 and 1997. Three Air Force Academy cadets and three instructors were killed in T-3A crashes attributed to spin recovery procedures and engine malfunctions. The British-built planes had been purchased for $32 million, and $10 million was spent on fixes to make them airworthy after grounding. Some believed that engine modifications for the US specification planes made the engines prone to failure. The fleet had been grounded for nine years when on September 9, 2006, the U.S. Air Force decided to scrap its entire fleet of T-3A Firefly trainers rather than being responsible for fixing the aircraft to FAA standards. [1]. It has been reported that the winning bid for scrapping the aircraft was twelve thousand dollars per plane.

[edit] Canadian Forces

The Firefly was used as a basic military training aircraft in Canada. The Canadian Fireflies entered service in 1992 replacing the CT 134 Musketeer. They were, in turn, replaced in 2006 by the Grob 120 when the contract ended. The aircraft were owned and operated by Bombardier Aerospace under contract to the Canadian Forces. Unlike the USAF experience, there were no serious operational or maintenance issues with the Fireflies in Canadian military service.

[edit] Royal Air Force

The Firefly is also used as a basic military trainer in the United Kingdom. The aircraft are owned and operated under contract by a civilian company on behalf of the military. In the UK it was under a scheme known as "Contractor Owned Contractor Operated" (CoCo).

[edit] Slingsby Fireflies in popular culture

The Firefly is the aircraft used in the Children's series Come Outside.

[edit] Variants

[edit] T-67A Firefly

The first batch of nine aircraft were copies of the Fournier RF6B.

[edit] T-67B Firefly

The T-67B was the first of the Slingsby designed aircraft, the main difference was the use of glassfibre reinforced plastics.

[edit] T-67C Firefly

The T-67C was a variant with a more powerful 120 kW Lycoming engine.

[edit] T-67M Firefly/T-3A Firefly

The T-67M is the military variant, including the T-67M260 with a more powerful engine. 113 T-67M260s were delivered to the United States Air Force as the T-3A Firefly.