P&M Aviation was a British aircraft manufacturer, specializing in

ultralight trike An ultralight trike or paratrike is a type of powered hang glider where flight control is by weight-shift control, weight-shift. These light-sport aircraft, aircraft have a fabric Rogallo wing, flex-wing from which is suspended a tricycle fusel ...

s, founded in 2003. The company was purchased by

Albatross Flying Systems Albatrosses, of the biological family Diomedeidae, are large seabirds related to the procellariids, storm petrels, and diving petrels in the order Procellariiformes (the tubenoses). They range widely in the Southern Ocean and the North Pacifi ...

in 2019.

History

The company was formed in 2003 by

Keith Duckworth David Keith Duckworth (10 August 1933 – 18 December 2005) was an English mechanical engineer. He is most famous for designing the Cosworth DFV (Double Four Valve) engine, an engine that revolutionised the sport of Formula One. Early life ...

's purchase of two rival British trike manufacturers, Pegasus Aviation and Mainair Sports, hence the name of the new company.Cliche, Andre: ''Ultralight Aircraft Shopper's Guide'' 8th Edition, page C-14 and 16. Cybair Limited Publishing, 2001. Bertrand, Noel; Rene Coulon; et al: ''World Directory of Leisure Aviation 2003-04'', pages 47, 104 and 106. Pagefast Ltd, Lancaster OK, 2003. ISSN 1368-485X P&M retained both the Mainair factory at

Rochdale Rochdale ( ) is a town in Greater Manchester, England, and the administrative centre of the Metropolitan Borough of Rochdale. In the United Kingdom 2021 Census, 2021 Census, the town had a population of 111,261, compared to 223,773 for the wid ...

and the Pegasus plant at Manton near

Marlborough, Wiltshire Marlborough ( , ) is a market town and Civil parishes in England, civil parish in the England, English Counties of England, county of Wiltshire on the A4 road (England), Old Bath Road, the old main road from London to Bath, Somerset, Bath. Th ...

, the former carrying out production and the latter research and development. The Rochdale factory was closed in March 2016. On 7 May 2019 the company was put into

administration Administration may refer to: Management of organizations * Management, the act of directing people towards accomplishing a goal: the process of dealing with or controlling things or people. ** Administrative assistant, traditionally known as a se ...

, with T A Close of Milsted Langdon LLP appointed as its Administrator. Subsequently, its assets were bought by Albatross Flying Systems of

Bangalore Bengaluru, also known as Bangalore (List of renamed places in India#Karnataka, its official name until 1 November 2014), is the Capital city, capital and largest city of the southern States and union territories of India, Indian state of Kar ...

, India.

Solar Wings

Solar Wings was the

hang glider Hang gliding is an air sport or recreational activity in which a pilot flies a light, non-motorised, fixed-wing heavier-than-air aircraft called a hang glider. Most modern hang gliders are made of an aluminium alloy or composite frame covered ...

division of Pegasus Aviation prior to its merger with Mainair. After the merger, Solar Wings gliders were produced in the new combined production facility for a short time. The division produced a wide range of hang gliders from 1980 until it was wound up some time after 2002. Gliders produced include the Solar Wings Breeze and the

Solar Wings Scandal The Solar Wings Scandal is a family of British high-wing, single-place, hang gliders that was designed and produced by Solar Wings of Manton, Wiltshire. Introduced in 1995 it is now out of production. When it was available the aircraft was supp ...

series.

Aircraft

P&M also imported and sold the John Pendry-Evans designed

Ace Magic The Ace Magic is an Indian ultralight trike, designed by John Penry-Evans and produced by Ace Aviation of Tamil Nadu. The aircraft is supplied as a complete ready-to-fly-aircraft.Bayerl, Robby; Martin Berkemeier; et al: ''World Directory of Leisu ...

from India.Tacke, Willi; Marino Boric; et al: ''World Directory of Light Aviation 2015-16'', page 215. Flying Pages Europe SARL, 2015.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:PandM Aviation Aircraft manufacturers of the United Kingdom Companies based in Wiltshire Ultralight trikes Companies that have entered administration in the United Kingdom British companies established in 2003 British companies disestablished in 2019