Arpin
M. B. Arpin and Co.
Arpin Aircraft Manufacturing Co. Ltd.
Contents
History
Morris Barkley Arpin was born in Barnes, Surrey, on 27 February 1897, the son of John Edward Arpin and Mary Catherine Arpin (née Smith). A draughtsman by trade, he entered the in the RAF from October 1918, but transferred to the Reserve in January 1919. As a design draughtsman with the Fairey Company at Hayes, he originally started design of the A-1 in 1932, but did not begin in earnest until 1934.
The low-wing pusher monoplane had a fixed tricycle undercarriage at a time when most aircraft used the tailwheel configuration, possibly the first British aircraft to be designed for tricycle landing gear. Built at Arpin's works at Longford, London, it was not until 7 May 1938 that the sole A-1 first flew from Hanworth Aerodrome piloted by by Gwynne Eaton. During 1938 the unusual McClaren undercarriage was fitted, which allowed all three wheels to be turned parallel to each other but not to the aircraft, so that cross wind landings could be made with the aircraft pointing into wind. The front wheel could be left to caster or could be steered by the pilot.
In 1939 the A-1 was re-engined with an inverted inline 90 h.p. Blackburn Cirrus Minor I, which raised the maximum speed to 115 m.p.h. With this engine it was known as the Arpin A-1 Mk.2. In May 1939 that Arpin formed the Arpin Aircraft Manufacturing Co. Ltd at West Drayton, Middlesex to develop the aircraft, with Arpin and M J Cox as directors, but any plans for production were ended by the outbreak of war. Arpin suggested that the aircraft would be suitable for army cooperation work and was delivered to the School of Army Cooperation, Old Sarum on 11 December 1939 for trials as a flying Observation Post, but found unsuitable. It was scrapped in 1946, a sad end to a promising design.
Morris Arpin died on 19 April 1976 in Dover, Kent.
Company References
- British Light Aeroplanes 1920-1940, Arthur W.J.G. Ord-Hume (GMS Enterprises, 2000)
- Aeroplane Monthly Sep 1976
- Air Britain Archive, 1999/3 (Air-Britain Publications)
Project Data
| Project No | Type No | Name | Alternative Name(s) | Year | Spec (Requirement) | Status | Qty | Description | References |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A-1 | (Safety Pin) | 1938 | Proto | 1 | 2S, 1E low wing tricycle light plane | 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8 |
Project References
- British Civil Aircraft since 1919 Volume 1, A.J. Jackson (Putnam, 2nd Ed., 1973)
- British Light Aeroplanes 1920-1940, Arthur W.J.G. Ord-Hume (GMS Enterprises, 2000)
- Air Britain Archive, 1999/3 (Air-Britain Publications)
- Air Britain Archive, 2000/2 (Air-Britain Publications)
- Aeroplane Monthly Sep 1976
- Flight 12 May 1938
- British Homebuilt Aircraft since 1920, Ken Ellis (Merseyside Aviation Society, 1975)
- Jane's All The Worlds Aircraft 1938, ed. C.G. Grey and Leonard Bridgeman (Sampson Low, 1938)
Production Details and Type Description
A low-wing twin-boom monoplane of all wooden construction. The fuselage nacelle was a plywood covered structure, with a two seat, side by side enclosed cabin. The wing was built in three sections; a centre section built integral with the fuselage nacelle, and two tapering outer sections. The wing was constructed of single "I" spar with spruce flanges and plywood web, with a false spar fore and aft, spruce and plywood ribs and plywood covering. Ailerons were fitted on the outer sections, with trailing-edge flaps between them. The empennage was carried on a pair of diamond cross section booms, with spruce longerons and spruce walls and diaphragms, bolted directly to the centre section wing spar at the edge of the centre section. The fins were tall, with a slight extension below the boom and carrying unbalanced rudders. The uncowled 68 h.p. British Salmson AD.9R radial was immediately behind the cockpit, with its centre line well above the booms and tailplane. The pusher arrangement and a short nose provided good visibility from the cabin. A tricycle type undercarriage was fitted, with the main legs mounted at the extremities of the centre section, and one below the nose of the nacelle.
In 1938 the aircraft was fitted with an experimental Maclaren undercarriage, in which all three wheels could be turned together so that their axes were at an angle to that of the aircraft, enabling the aircraft to be landed withdrift across wind, with the wheels running into the actual direction of travel. The main wheels were coupled together and could be turned in unison by the pilot, while the front wheel castored but had an over-riding steering control. The A-1 had a fixed tricycle undercarriage at a time when most aircraft used the tailwheel configuration, possibly the first British aircraft to be designed for tricycle landing gear. In 1939 the A-1 was re-engined with an inverted inline 90 h.p. Blackburn Cirrus Minor I, which raised the maximum speed to 115 m.p.h. With this engine it was known as the Arpin A-1 Mk.2.
| Arpin A-1 Mk.1 Specification | |||||||||
| Span | Length | Height | Wing Area | Empty Wt | Max AUW | Cruise Speed | Maximum Speed | Endurance | Service Ceiling |
| 31 ft 6 in | 23 ft 2 in | 7 ft 1 in | 165 sq ft | 740 lb | 1261 lb | 95 mph/ 83 kn | 108 mph/ 94 kn | 5 hr | |
| 9.6 m | 7.06 m | 2.16 m | 15.33 m2 | 336 kg | 572 kg | 153 km/h | 174 km/h | ||
One aircraft only : G-AFGB, c/n 1, ff 7 May 1938 as the Mk.I and in 1939 as the Mk.II.
Total Arpin Production1
Page Revision History
Revised at Version 2.1.1- Improved Type description.
- Company History expanded.
- Added Type Description and Specification details.