Tipsy S.2

Avions Fairey · Belgium · first flew 1935 · light aircraft

The Tipsy S.2 was the production version of the Tipsy S, a single-seat low-wing sports monoplane designed by Ernest Oscar Tips in Belgium in the mid-1930s. It was built in Belgium and in the United Kingdom.

Recognition (WEFT)

W — Wings	Low-mounted, elliptical
E — Engines	1 × piston, nose-mounted
F — Fuselage	Elliptical tailplane and elevators on top of the fuselage, braced to the fin by external struts
T — Tail	Conventional

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Spot it by:

Single-seat low-wing monoplane with an elliptical wing similar to the later Spitfire but with a straighter leading edge
Elliptical tailplane and elevators on top of the fuselage, braced to the fin by external struts
Spatted main wheels on cantilever forks, with a small tailskid

A tiny single-seater with an elliptical wing and tailplane, spatted wheels and a rounded horn-balanced rudder.

Specifications

The Tipsy S.2 has a length of 5.72 m (19 ft).
It has a wingspan of 7.5 m (25 ft).
Its maximum speed is 165 km/h (103 mph).
Typical crew: 1.

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

History

The Tipsy S prototype, registered OO-TIP, made its first flight on 11 May 1935 at Gosselies, powered by an 11 hp Douglas Sprite. The airframe was a wooden-framed machine covered in plywood and canvas.

Variants

Most Belgian-built S.2s used the 32 hp Sarolea Epervier flat twin, and English-built ones the 24 hp Douglas Sprite II. One used a 40 hp Train 4T inline engine.

Where you'll see it

Nineteen were built in Belgium, most with open cockpits and five with an enclosed cabin. Several were exported, including to France, Poland, Spain, South Africa, Sweden, Switzerland and the UK, and only four survived the Second World War.

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