Speedtwin E2E Comet 1
Speedtwin Developments · United Kingdom · first flew 1991 · light aircraft
The Speedtwin E2E Comet 1, originally named the Phillips ST1 Speedtwin, is a two-seat twin-engined aircraft designed in the UK to be capable of aerobatics. It is the only civil twin certified for intentional spinning.
Recognition (WEFT)
| W — Wings | Low-mounted, tapered |
|---|---|
| E — Engines | 2 × piston, wing-mounted |
| F — Fuselage | 6.96 m fuselage |
| T — Tail | Conventional |
WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.
Spot it by:
- Low cantilever wing, trapezoidal in plan, with a wing-mounted engine on each side
- Tandem two-seat cockpit under a single-piece canopy
- Fixed tailwheel undercarriage with the mainwheels on oleo legs below the engines
The ST2 is a low-wing monoplane with the engines mounted on the wing and a straight-edged tail with the horizontal tail on the upper fuselage. Its fixed conventional undercarriage has a 2.44 m track.
Specifications
- The Speedtwin E2E Comet 1 has a length of 6.96 m (23 ft).
- It has a wingspan of 7.92 m (26 ft).
- Its maximum speed is 386 km/h (240 mph).
- Typical crew: 2.
Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.
History
Peter Phillips began work on the design in 1981. The first prototype, the ST1, flew on 30 September 1991, and the second prototype, the ST2 pre-production aircraft, first flew on 27 March 2007 with Avia M 332 engines. Speedtwin Developments took over the aircraft in 2000 and announced the new name Comet 1 in 2012.
Variants
The ST1 was the first prototype, with non-standard construction and Continental O-200-A engines. The ST2 was the second prototype and first pre-production aircraft, fitted first with Avia M 332 and later with Titan/Lycoming IO-390 engines.
Where you'll see it
Only two have been built. The Speedtwin has flown at three Farnborough Airshows, in 1994, 1996 and 2012.
Related aircraft
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