Constructions aeronautiques du Béarn
Constructions Aéronautiques du Béarn (short: CAB) was a French aircraft manufacturer headquartered in Pau . The factories were located at the Aéroport de Pau-Pyrénées .
history
CAB was founded in 1948 by Max Laporte and Yves Gardan in Pau . The main product was the CAB GY-20 minicab , a small aircraft designed by Yves Gardan. The first flight of the minicab prototype took place on January 1, 1949, the pilot was Max Fischl (1922-2006), who also worked as a test pilot at Airbus .
Around 30 of this type were built in Pau from 1950 under the designation GY-20 and GY-201. In 1952, a GY-20 broke the previous world record in its aircraft class, flying non-stop 1,825 km. The following year the minicab set the world record over a distance of 2000 km with an average speed of 183 km / h.
The CAB Supercab , a modified GY 20 minicab with a more powerful engine and retractable landing gear, flew for the first time on February 5, 1954. A total of seven units were manufactured in Pau. Production in Pau was given up in the late 1950s.
DIY
The blueprints were then sold to do-it-yourself aircraft builders. The minicab has been rebuilt around 130 individual pieces worldwide. It is also operated under the names Falconar Hawk, Falconar MiniHawk or Barritault JB.01.
Ten planes are still in operation in Switzerland, seven are expected to fly in France and around nine in England. Licenses were sold to Canada and England and the USA after the end of series production . Plans for a construction based on the minicab are sold by the American company Mac Fam in Montana under the name “Cavalier” . The Falconar company in the USA sells plans for a minicab with a three-legged landing gear under the name Minihawk.
literature
- Bill Gunston: World Encyclopedia of Aircraft Manufacturers. Sutton Publishing 2006, ISBN 0-750-93981-8 .
Web links
Individual evidence
- ^ Leonard Bridgman: in Jane's All The World's Aircraft 1956-57. The McGraw-Hill Book Company, New York 1956.