Slingsby T67M Firefly

Slingsby Aviation · United Kingdom · first flew 1982 · light aircraft

The Slingsby T67M Firefly is a British two-seat aerobatic trainer built of fibreglass, widely used by military flying schools and civilian operators for primary and aerobatic instruction.

Recognition (WEFT)

W — Wings	Low-mounted, tapered
E — Engines	1 × piston, nose-mounted
F — Fuselage	7.32 m fuselage
T — Tail	Conventional

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Spot it by:

side-by-side two-seat low-wing trainer with prominent bubble canopy
clean fibreglass construction with rounded wingtips
aerobatic-capable with symmetrical wing section

The Firefly resembles other low-wing fibreglass two-seaters such as the Grob 115, but its rounded wingtips, side-by-side seating with a wide bubble canopy, and clean cowling distinguish it. Compared with the Grob it appears slightly heavier-built.

Specifications

The Slingsby T67M Firefly has a length of 7.32 m (24 ft).
It has a wingspan of 10.59 m (35 ft).
Its maximum speed is 213 km/h (132 mph).
Typical crew: 2 (side by side).

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

History

Slingsby developed the Firefly from the French Fournier RF-6B design, substantially re-engineering it in fibreglass composite and fitting a more powerful Lycoming engine. The T67M variant introduced a fully aerobatic airframe, and the militarized T67M260 became the standard elementary flying trainer for the UK's JEFTS programme.

Variants

The family spans from the T67A trainer to the T67M200 and T67M260 military variants with progressively more powerful Lycoming engines.

Where you'll see it

Used extensively by the British military's JEFTS elementary training scheme as well as US Air Force pilot screening and numerous civil flying clubs worldwide.

Related aircraft

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