Trago Mills SAH-1 and FLS "Sprint"

[Stargazer]

The English Trago Mills SAH-1 light aircraft is a conventional low-wing monoplane with a fixed tricycle undercarriage, primarily of light alloy construction. It is powered by a Avco Lycoming O-235-L2A engine developing 135 hp. Wing and tailplane structures were stabilized by PVC foam. Flying controls comprise slotted ailerons, horn-balanced elevators and rudder, with a trim tab in the starboard elevator; single-slotted flaps were also fitted. Development began in October 1977, under the direction of Sydney A. Holloway, with Frank H. Robertson acting as design consultant, and construction was handled by the aircraft division of Trago Mills Ltd. at Bodmin, Cornwall. The prototype first flew with Air Vice-Marshal Geoffrey Cairns at the controls on 23 August 1983.



In 1987, the plans were sold onto Orca Aircraft, but a slump in the world's economy left Orca Aircraft bankrupt in 1989. The plans for the SAH-1 again changed hands, this time to FLS Aerospace, which produced the fully aerobatic trainer in two versions, the Club Sprint (essentially the SAH-1) and the Sprint 160, the latter being powered with a 160 hp aerobatic Textron Lycoming AEIO-320-D1B engine.

In 2006, the design was sold again, this time to The British Light Aircraft Company Ltd. who subsequently had to sell the design (along with the Edgley Optica surveillance aircraft). The two designs were bought in 2007 by John Edgley, the Optica's designer. The Sprint was planned to be manufactured as a kit aircraft for the British homebuilders' market, but the project didn't materialize.

All in all, only three individual aircraft were produced (with three more incomplete airframes):

• The SAH-1 prototype, appropriately registered [G-SAHI]; it is still actively flying, as evidenced in the third link.
• One Club Sprint, registered [G-BVNU] (plus one incomplete in storage);
• One Sprint 160 (plus two incomplete in storage).

Sources:

• Flight International
• Wikipedia
• Flysahi