General Aircraft (ST. and GAL.) designations

[Cy-27]

There is a potted pictorial history of GAL and the Monospar designs in "The Monospar: from tailless gliders to vast transport" by Arthur Ord-Hume (mentioned in earlier posts) published by Stenlake , ISBN: 9781840336368.

There appears to be not too much narrative meat on the bones of the ST and GAL designs, but some interesting photographs (just recived it yesterday as an early Christmas present).

 

[Stargazer]

NOTE: The GAL.42 Cygnet (and Cygnet II — the difference being, as Apophenia rightly said, that the latter had a tricycle gear) was not actually a General Aircraft design or product at first. It was conceived and built by the C-W company from 1937 and became a "GAL" product almost immediately.

 

[Stargazer]

The purpose of this topic was to come up with a complete, accurate and detailed list of General Aircraft designs.


I believe this goal has been reached, and I'm therefore glad to introduce the all-new topic:


General Aircraft from ST.1 to GAL.65 — THE DEFINITIVE INDEX

 

[Schneiderman]

Nicely done Stargazer, and good to see CW in there too!

There is a 3-view of the Cagnet drawn by Leonard Bridgman in his book Aircraft of the British Empire that is similar to that in your compilation although it lacks a canopy. Of course neither view matches the photos of the aircraft particularly well. The Cagnet was designed by Roger Dickson who had also designed the CW Swan and his signature is on the drawings of the GAL 40, so he was one of the lead designers for that aircraft too.

 

[Stargazer]

Nicely done Stargazer, and good to see CW in there too!

Thanks Schneiderman. I know what a discerning and capable author/researcher you are, so this is truly appreciated.

The Cagnet was designed by Roger Dickson who had also designed the CW Swan and his signature is on the drawings of the GAL 40, so he was one of the lead designers for that aircraft too.

I'm glad to hear that! On creating the entry for the Swan I was kind of puzzled by the likeness between the Swan and the GAL.39 (sort of a smaller GAL.40 in shape) so now to hear that the same guy was behind the Swan and the GAL.40 (and likely the GAL.39 too) makes sense. Thanks for this worthy addition.

There is a 3-view of the Cagnet drawn by Leonard Bridgman in his book Aircraft of the British Empire that is similar to that in your compilation although it lacks a canopy. Of course neither view matches the photos of the aircraft particularly well.

Didn't know this view, and I'll add it to the entry in question. I do agree with you though that neither is very accurate!

 

[Maveric]

Thanks Star, very good work !!!

 

[toura]

Bonjour Stephane

I have this drawing libelled " gal medium glider"
I don't remember I've found it !!
Is it's could be the Gal 62
Thanks

 

[lark]

A formidable contribution you have produced Star.. !
Thanks a lot.

 

[ursrius]

GAL.26

Type: light twin-engine 4/5-seat transport aircraft
Powerplants: two 90 hp Blackburn Cirrus Minor I engines
Date: 1936

The GAL.26 was a one-off aircraft, an ST.25 with different engines and trousered main undercarriage. It is said that it was converted from an ST.25 but what airframe was used for the modifications is not known.
NOTE: this was the first aircraft to carry the "GAL" prefix instead of "ST" as founder H. J. Steiger had just left the company.


Number built: 1 conversion [registration unknown]


Specifications
No data

Performance
No data

Ah, that old red herring!
I have only seen two photographs that purport to be it, one in Aeroplane Spotter for June 26, 1948 and the other in Air Enthusiast May/June 2001.
However, comparison with photos in Aeroplane for 2-Jan-1935 show that the Aeroplane Spotter photo was most certainly that of the prototype ST-12. The Air Enthusiast photo (the one you show) would also appear to be from the same time and the hanger behind seems almost certainly to be GAL's at Croydon, the GAL.26 being built at Hanworth.
The GAL.26 was the ST-25 Jubilee G-ADWI modified with Cirrus Minor engines in 1936. The only photograph I have seen that I believe to be the GAL.26 was in a Cirrus Aero Engines advert in Flight, November 19.
http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1936/1936%20-%203161.html?search=cirrus minor
Note that at this time Cirrus was still operating under its own name, so the term Blackburn Cirrus would be incorrect.

 

[ursrius]

GAL.62

Unknown allocation.

It has been suggested that this might have been a medium glider design submitted to Spec. X.30/46.

Here is a 3-View of the GAL submission to X.30/46 from Air Britain Aeromilitaria Spring 2007. It confirms that the image posted by toura was of the X.30/46. This Specification was for a medium assault glider to replace the Airspeed Horsa.
GAL received contract 6/Acft/2581/CB.9(a) for two prototypes, so it is very reasonable to assume that it would have received a full GAL designation, and GAL.62 fits. Unfortunately, better evidence than supposition is needed!

 

[hesham]

Great find Ursrius,


and we can put it here.

 

[toura]

thanks Ursrius

 

[Retrofit]

[quote author=Stargazer on: January 20, 2014, 03:59:50 pm Topic: General Aircraft from ST.1 to GAL.65 — THE DEFINITIVE INDEX ]
GAL.61

Type: experimental glider
Date: circa 1946-47

Originally ordered as the fourth GAL.56 research glider, this was a pure tailless flying wing devoid of the endplate fins that existed on the GAL.56 series of gliders. The pilot was to lie in a prone position inside a raised cockpit and the undercarriage was fully retractable. Directional control was achieved by the use of sliding "drag-rudders" mounted in the wingtips. However, the GAL.61 never flew, and after an appearance in the SBAC static display at Farnborough in 1948, the program was cancelled.
[/quote]

Humm, I think the pilot was in seated position inside a rised cockpit on the LH side and the flight engineer was to lie in a prone position within the wing on the RH side.

 

[Stargazer]

The GAL.26 was a one-off aircraft, an ST.25 with different engines and trousered main undercarriage. It is said that it was converted from an ST.25 but what airframe was used for the modifications is not known.

Ah, that old red herring!
I have only seen two photographs that purport to be it, one in Aeroplane Spotter for June 26, 1948 and the other in Air Enthusiast May/June 2001.
However, comparison with photos in Aeroplane for 2-Jan-1935 show that the Aeroplane Spotter photo was most certainly that of the prototype ST-12. The Air Enthusiast photo (the one you show) would also appear to be from the same time and the hanger behind seems almost certainly to be GAL's at Croydon, the GAL.26 being built at Hanworth.
The GAL.26 was the ST-25 Jubilee G-ADWI modified with Cirrus Minor engines in 1936. The only photograph I have seen that I believe to be the GAL.26 was in a Cirrus Aero Engines advert in Flight, November 19.
http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1936/1936%20-%203161.html?search=cirrus minor
Note that at this time Cirrus was still operating under its own name, so the term Blackburn Cirrus would be incorrect.

I have finally purchased the excellent book entitled The Monospar — From tailless gliders to vast transport: the story of General Aircraft Ltd. of Hanworth, by Arthur W. J. G. Ord-Hume (Stenlake Publishing, 2013). Here is what the book has to say about the GAL.26 (as separate bits of information, since no picture of it or dedicated paragraph is featured): it was indeed the former ST.25J Monospar G-ADWI (c/n 64), modified in 1936 with two 90 hp Cirrus Minor engines and operated under 'B' Licence Conditions as "T 6". It later got its original marks back and was sold in June 1937 to France, where it was registered as F-AQCL before being sent to Spain for use in the Spanish Civil War.

 

[hesham]

Good news my dear Stargazer,


and of course no sing to GAL-62 and GAL-64,right ?.

 

[Stargazer]

and of course no sing to GAL-62 and GAL-64,right ?.

There is an ST./GAL. designations list but it's apparently a reprint from an old publication. This is what it says about GAL.62 and GAL.64:

• GAL.62 - 1946 [unlisted but believed attributed to portable building project]
• GAL.64 - 1946 [unlisted but believed attributed to automotive project being considered]

A portable building and a car. Now that's surprising to say the least!!

 

[hesham]

Thank you my dear Stargazer.

 

[Schneiderman]

Stephane,

Some additions/corrections for the GAL.29

I found a copy of the original tender document that General Aircraft sent to Imperial Airways in 1937 and this shows a slightly different design of the GAL.29 (wing plan) compared to the aircraft shown in the Definitive Index. Also the a, b and c versions have different engine types.

Cheers

 

[Stargazer]

Splendid! Thanks a lot for this. And if you happen to come across more such rarities, I'm all ears/eyes... ;D

 

[hesham]

Hi,


here is a drawings to GAL-30,GAL-34 & GAL-40


Fugsport 1939

 

[Schneiderman]

Stephane,

Another addition. This comes from Flight 18th Feb 1943.
It is a shortened 24-seat version of the 35-seat GAL 40

 

[Schneiderman]

GAL 40, Merlin engine version, and the interior layout for 35 seats, taken from the original tender document

 

[Stargazer]

Thanks for the additions.

Unfortunately I had locked the other topic so that only I could add everyone's additions to it, but being no longer a moderator, it's now out of my reach.

I can ask a moderator to unlock it of course, but the "danger" is that people would now post their additions and comments there and take away the "definitive" aspect of that topic, the way it was meant to be... (just as a reminder: this here topic was to discuss GAL designations, add comments, suggestions, questions, etc. and the other topic was meant as a "stable" resource that could be updated from new info provided here but not expanded by new posts...).

 

[Schneiderman]

Perhaps they could unlock it for a few hours to give you the opportunity to make updates, or make the updates for you.

 

[Schneiderman]

GAL53 single-seat naval fighter

 

[hesham]

GAL53 single-seat naval fighter

I got this beast from long time ago,but Schneiderman,if you have a 3-view to it,that will be nice,and we forgot this Project to the GAL.

 

[Schneiderman]

I don't understand, the aircraft you show is completely different

 

[hesham]

I don't understand, the aircraft you show is completely different

Yes,I asked about GAL-53,and the anther aircraft I forgot to post Info about it here.

 

[Schneiderman]

Well an illustration of the GAL.53 was missing from the Definitive Index, which is why I posted it here

The design you show is from a patent, I am not sure it was ever a full, and is in the joint names of Hill and Blackburn and General Aircraft. There are three or four other patents. I don't think it should be included in the GAL list

 

[hesham]

From Air Pictorial 1961.

 

[GTX]

 

[hesham]

Nice find dear GTX,

We can solve this problem,

if we know the General Aircraft Ltd. proposals for X30/46 medium glider Spec.
and T16/48 basic trainer Spec. exactly.

That means as I suggested before,

GAL-62 maybe it was X30/46 medium glider proposal
GAL-64 maybe it was T16/48 basic trainer proposal

 

[cluttonfred]

Old thread but I am looking for a 3-view of the General Aircraft Ltd GAL.47 AOP if anyone has one.

 

[Stargazer]

Old thread but I am looking for a 3-view of the General Aircraft Ltd GAL.47 AOP if anyone has one.

Hard to come by!! Sorry, I've checked in my General Aircraft book but it's not there either...

 

[cluttonfred]

Hard to come by!! Sorry, I've checked in my General Aircraft book but it's not there either...

Thanks, Stéphane, I'll keep looking. If you're wondering why I asked, it's because I am kicking around ideas for homebuilt aircraft to be built and stored in small spaces and the short fuselage pod and potential to fold the twin booms and tails up and over the pod make the GAL.33 and GAL.47 layouts quite interesting. If you have any other GAL.47 images (under construction, cockpit, instrument panel) or any other info, I'd love to see it. Cheers, Matthew

 

[TsrJoe]

I recall a ga drawing was in an old issue of BAPC. 'Control Column' il have to dig through the boxes