Last totally British designed and built aircraft

[Less Hair]

IIRC the FBW core unit at both A and B -and the Segway- is still of Marconi fame.

[Capt Ecureuil]

Originally Posted by dixi188

What about the electrical/radio/navigation equipment. I doubt there is much UK made stuff around now.
The last Vickers Viscounts built for China 1963/4, had all Brit stuff due to USA sanctions.
All the Islanders I worked on had Narco, King or Bendix radios.

I meant the airframe, who knows where the rubber for the tyres comes from if one wants to go ……

[chevvron]

Originally Posted by dangermouse

Wildcat is uk designed, with no foreign input to the best of my knowledge

But wasn't the Lynx a joint Anglo French project?

[DaveReidUK]

Originally Posted by chevvron

But wasn't the Lynx a joint Anglo French project?

Yes, along with the Puma and Gazelle, albeit the UK had leadership on the Lynx and the French on the other two.

[Pypard]

Originally Posted by JagRigger

https://www.swiftaircraft.com/the-swift.html being built at Coltishall

Looks promising: certainly a contender, which most of the other suggestions aren't. Incidentally, I recall that GKN are/were making a helicopter at Filton but I don't know if it's designed for production.

[dangermouse]

A wildcat is not a lynx....

There may be some legacy items that had French design leadership on wildcat but there is no French input now, it depend on what passes for totally British designed, does that include EVERY component or just the airframe? Does the engine have to be british, or the radios etc....?​​​

[treadigraph]

Still a way from being completed and flown but the Hill HX50 may become a contender...

Regarding the Wildcat, are they brand new airframes or seriously rebuilt Lynx airframes?

[dangermouse]

All new

Wildcat airframe is completely new and different to Lynx.

[treadigraph]

Thanks Dangermouse.

[DaveReidUK]

That's good to know.

The fact that the Wildcat looks like a Lynx on steroids is clearly pure coincidence. And it's early "Future Lynx" designation was simply to confuse the enemy.

[Pypard]

Originally Posted by mikeoneflying

I was lucky enough to see an Optica at a airshow.

You didn't need to be lucky to see one at an air show: I recall seeing the 1st prototype (unfinished at that point) at the Cranfield PFA Rally circa 1978, and the last time I saw one at an airshow was (I think) Farnborough circa 2018. They had in the meantime been marketed at various trade shows initially as by Edgeley, then Optica (I think), plus maybe others in between. Though a good number were lost in the Old Sarum fire, I think a number still exist, though how many are airworthy I don't know.

[N707ZS]

There were a number at North Weald in the film company hangar.

[chevvron]

Originally Posted by Pypard

You didn't need to be lucky to see one at an air show: I recall seeing the 1st prototype (unfinished at that point) at the Cranfield PFA Rally circa 1978, and the last time I saw one at an airshow was (I think) Farnborough circa 2018. They had in the meantime been marketed at various trade shows initially as by Edgeley, then Optica (I think), plus maybe others in between. Though a good number were lost in the Old Sarum fire, I think a number still exist, though how many are airworthy I don't know.

My Optica flight was 3 Sep 1980.
During a later airshow display, Neville Duke flew an Opfica and embarassingly was instructed to land by the Flying Control Committee as he had drifted south of the runway; strictly verboten.