Piel CP.80 Zephir

Homebuilt (Claude Piel design) · France · first flew 1974 · light aircraft

The Piel CP.80 Zephir and its CP.801 and CP.802 derivatives are French racing aircraft of the 1970s, marketed for homebuilding.

Recognition (WEFT)

W — WingsLow-mounted, straight
E — Engines1 × piston, nose-mounted
F — Fuselage5.3 m fuselage
T — TailConventional

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Spot it by:

A very small single-seat monoplane with a low cantilever wing, a fully enclosed cockpit and a fixed tailwheel undercarriage.

Specifications

Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.

History

Claude Piel designed the type, which first flew around 1974. The first CP.80 to fly, named Zef, was built in composite materials by Pierre Calvel.

Variants

The family comprises the CP.80, typically powered by a 100 hp Continental O-200, and the CP.801 and CP.802.

Where you'll see it

Calvel entered his aircraft in the French Formula One air races in 1976 but it failed to qualify.

Related aircraft

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