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Aeroplane, Cygnet

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Aeroplane, Cygnet
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This aeroplane, a Cygnet, was built by General Aircraft Limited in 1941 at Hanworth in Middlesex in England. It was impressed into the RAF in July 1941 and later had a number of private owners until acquired by the Strathallan Collection in 1975. It was bought by the Museum at the Strathallan sale in July 1981, and flown to the Museum of Flight at East Fortune in East Lothian.

The low-wing two-seater monoplane has a tricycle undercarriage and twin fin and rudders. It is powered by a single Blackburn 'Cirrus Major' II of 150 horsepower. It had a maximum speed of 135 mph and a cruising speed of 115 mph. Its range was 445 miles. It is still painted in its wartime colours of camouflage upper surfaces and training yellow undersurfaces.

Initially known as the 'Cygnet Minor', this type of stressed-skin, all-metal aircraft was designed in 1936. The designs were sold to the General Aircraft Company who modified the aircraft by the addition of twin fins and a tricycle undercarriage. Development continued and ten aircraft were produced for civilian use. During the early years of World War II, the Royal Air Force impressed five of them and used them initially to train bomber pilots, and later as communications aircraft.

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