Hillson Helvellyn

With the prospect of war and the requirement for the Royal Air Force to train pilots the company decided to design a small basic trainer that could be built quickly and cheaply.^[3] The Helvellyn was a mid-wing monoplane with two tandem open cockpits and powered by a 90 hp (67 kW) Blackburn Cirrus Minor I piston engine.^[2] It had a conventional landing gear but was designed to be fitted with a tricycle landing gear.^[3]

Designed by Norman Sykes and built at Trafford Park in Manchester in 1939, only the prototype registered G-AFKT^[4] was completed. With an ample supply of de Havilland Tiger Moths and Miles Magisters 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 Ipswich.^[2] It was dismantled in November 1942.^[2]

Data from ^[2]British Civil Aircraft since 1919 Volume 3

General characteristics

• Crew: 2
• Length: 22 ft 0 in (6.71 m)
• Wingspan: 33 ft 0 in (10.06 m)
• Empty weight: 900 lb (408 kg)
• Gross weight: 1,500 lb (680 kg)
• Powerplant: 1 × Blackburn Cirrus Minor I , 90 hp (67 kW)

Performance

• Cruise speed: 110 mph (176 km/h, 96 kn)