Sling Aircraft
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Type | Privately held company |
---|---|
Industry | Aerospace |
Headquarters | , |
Products | Kit aircraft |
Owner | Mike Blyth, James Pitman, Andrew Pitman |
Website | www |
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/c/c7/The_Airplane_Factory_Logo_2015.png/220px-The_Airplane_Factory_Logo_2015.png)
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/cd/TAF_Sling2_pairZUTAEandZUNRC.jpg/220px-TAF_Sling2_pairZUTAEandZUNRC.jpg)
Sling Aircraft (Pty) Ltd, formerly called The Airplane Factory (Pty) Ltd., is a South African aircraft manufacturer based at , , Johannesburg South. The company specializes in the design and manufacture of light aircraft in the form of kits for amateur construction and ready-to-fly aircraft for the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale microlight and the American light-sport aircraft categories.[1][2][3][4]
The enterprise is a proprietary company under South African law.[3]
The company has three shareholders: Mike Blyth, Director; James Pitman, Chairman; Andrew Pitman, Managing Director.
Sling Aircraft utilizes numerical control manufacturing and computer-aided design in its aircraft design and production processes.[1][2][5]
The company produces the two-seat Sling 2, which was first flown in 2008 and the four-seat Sling 4, introduced in 2011[1][2][6] and Sling TSi which was first released in 2018.[7] The latest model being developed is a new high-wing model called the Sling HW that made its first flight in 2020.[8]
In July 2013, a Sling 4 was flown by Mike Blyth and his son from South Africa to AirVenture in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, United States. The flight included a 14-hour over-water leg using the modified Sling 4's 20 hours of fuel endurance.[9]
Aircraft[]
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f0/The_Airplane_Factory_%28TAF%29_Sling_4_%E2%80%98ZU-AST%E2%80%99_%2816927197646%29.jpg/220px-The_Airplane_Factory_%28TAF%29_Sling_4_%E2%80%98ZU-AST%E2%80%99_%2816927197646%29.jpg)
Model name | First flight | Number built | Type |
---|---|---|---|
Sling Aircraft Sling 2 | 2008 | 328 (2020).[10] | Two-seat, low wing microlight aircraft |
Sling Aircraft Sling 4 | 2011 | 281 (2020, combined with Sling TSi sales)[10] | Four-seat, low wing aircraft |
Sling Aircraft Sling TSi | 2018 | 281 (2020, combined with Sling 4 sales)[10] | Four-seat, low wing aircraft |
Sling Aircraft Sling HW | 2020 | Four-seat, high wing aircraft |
References[]
- ^ a b c Bayerl, Robby; Martin Berkemeier; et al: World Directory of Leisure Aviation 2011-12, page 80. WDLA UK, Lancaster UK, 2011. ISSN 1368-485X
- ^ a b c Tacke, Willi; Marino Boric; et al: World Directory of Light Aviation 2015-16, page 83. Flying Pages Europe SARL, 2015. ISSN 1368-485X
- ^ a b Sling Aircraft. "Sling Aircraft". slingaircraft.com. Retrieved 26 February 2020.
- ^ Sling Aircraft. "History". slingaircraft.com. Retrieved 26 February 2020.
- ^ The Airplane Factory (2019). "Innovators". Retrieved 26 September 2019.
- ^ Paul Dye (June 2014). "Sling goes big". Kitplanes.
- ^ "Sling TSi Makes World Debut". eaa.org. Retrieved 28 January 2019.
- ^ Sling Aircraft. "Sling HW Official Website". slingaircraft.com. Archived from the original on 9 January 2021. Retrieved 9 January 2021.
- ^ Pew, Glenn (2 August 2013). "South Africa To Oshkosh In The Sling 4". Avweb.com. Retrieved 7 January 2015.
- ^ a b c . "Sling 2020 Breakfast Fly-in". pilotspost.com. Archived from the original on 9 January 2021. Retrieved 9 January 2021.
External links[]
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Sling Aircraft. |
- Aircraft manufacturers of South Africa
- Manufacturing companies based in Johannesburg
- Ultralight aircraft
- Homebuilt aircraft