I was in Prague for a few days last week and on the Saturday whilst walking around the wonderful sights an aircraft wandered overhead that I could not identify.
It looked at sounded fairly old, it was a twin with twin tails, my immediate thought was twin pin as it was that size and souded similar, but then I saw the tails thus eliminating that type.It was a scorching hot day and difficult to see any markings , I only had a wide angle lens on the camera and it was at about 1000ft, so no photos either. I would guess something from the 50’s maybe later given that its an ex eastern bloc country which tends not to blaze a technology trail.
Not sure how well, if at all ,historic aviation is supported in the Czech Republic.
I unfortunately did not get to the modern history museum which apparently has some aircraft exhibits, although I don’t know what.
Great place for a short break though.
By: ZRX61 - 21st November 2008 at 18:50
The US one was at VNY a few years back, they pit a bigger engine in it & it had a “camo pattern” paint job in white & Ferrari red.. I think lower part of it was lilac…
I think the bright paint was to stop people tripping over it in the dark…
By: bazv - 21st November 2008 at 17:20
I have posted this link for the Minijets website before…really interesting…
The jet Salto really appeals to me,I owned a standard Libelle for 3 years and the Salto is a fully aerobatic development of the Libelle 😀
cheers baz
By: bri - 21st November 2008 at 11:14
Only one Palas engine in the SIPA – that’s amazing. Think what could be done in those days with only about three hundred pounds thrust! The hand dryers in my local ASDA could probably be used as an alternative power plant…
The Sparrowjet, I remember (it well…), had two Palas. Also the Yugoslavian aircraft mentioned above, and it had a really good performance.
Of course, the Sparrowjet was just a re-engined piston-engined plane, not specifically designed for high-speed flight, but I think it could still do about 250 mph.
Bri 😀
By: Bager1968 - 21st November 2008 at 01:59
Here is the ~1957 Janes entry on the Sipa:
And a Yugoslavian entry…
By: avion ancien - 20th November 2008 at 17:43
That’s a neat little thing. What date was it?
I want one
Bri 😉
First flight 14.01.52. Two survive (I believe). Nº 5 started life as F-BGZI, was sold to Argentina and from there migrated to the USA as N917HJ. Is it still in the USA? Is it airworthy? Nº 7 is still in France as F-PDHE. It is based at Persan Beaumont, Paris. I don’t know if it is currently airworthy. I’ll have to check.
By: bri - 20th November 2008 at 11:28
That’s a neat little thing. What date was it?
I want one
Bri 😉
By: avion ancien - 19th November 2008 at 14:58
I think that I have one or more photos of the Sipa Minijet back in France. When I get back home, later in the week, I’ll take a look and post again. Other than its identity, is there anything more specific that you want to know about it, MerlinPete?
Sorry it has taken so long. But as the image I have differs from the others posted here, I’ll post it nonetheless.
By: MerlinPete - 10th November 2008 at 23:54
Thanks for all the quick responses everyone, and welcome to the forum canuck!
I have forwarded a link to this page onto the relevant parties as I am not sure exactly how much information this chap was looking for.
Pete
By: longshot - 10th November 2008 at 22:40
Definitely.
http://www.machdiamonds.com/s200.html
Now if you’d used the picture of the American one in RAF markings that would really have thrown everyone!
Never heard of the neat little SIPA 300 on ‘machdiamonds’ before…but landing speed 56mph, stalling speed 65mph?? 🙂
By: Canuck - 10th November 2008 at 21:58
SIPA Minijet indeed. 
The Thunderbolt is Armee de l’Air, sans doutes!
By: avion ancien - 10th November 2008 at 18:30
I think that I have one or more photos of the Sipa Minijet back in France. When I get back home, later in the week, I’ll take a look and post again. Other than its identity, is there anything more specific that you want to know about it, MerlinPete?
By: longshot - 10th November 2008 at 18:19
SIPA Minijet
Theres one here, a photo I was given as a schoolboy… http://www.abpic.co.uk/photo/1019991/
By: John Aeroclub - 10th November 2008 at 18:09
Boscombe Down did evaluate one at Villacoublay.
John
By: Scouse - 10th November 2008 at 17:17
Definitely.
http://www.machdiamonds.com/s200.html
Now if you’d used the picture of the American one in RAF markings that would really have thrown everyone!
By: OHOPE - 10th November 2008 at 17:15
I think it is the SIPA 200 prototype , and yes I think it is French .
By: Jon H - 14th February 2008 at 09:22
Interesting………. Appears to be in a display case. Is it in a museum?
Planemike
Silverjets’ departure lounge at Luton if I am not mistaken 🙂 Did wonder myself what is was when I last went through there and now i know!
Jon
By: Mondariz - 14th February 2008 at 07:24
The owner of the site mentioned above just send me this collage.
For more information, you might want to track down those books.
BTW i can’t take credit for the answer. I simply forwarded the picture to the above owner.
By: RadarArchive - 13th February 2008 at 19:57
Thanks everyone for your contributions which are much appreciated. Thansk especially to Mondariz. The model has Scottish Airlines on the side, so you would appear to be correct with your identification. Thanks again.
By: Arabella-Cox - 13th February 2008 at 17:24
Interesting………. Appears to be in a display case. Is it in a museum?
Planemike
By: Mondariz - 13th February 2008 at 17:02
A very rare bird you found there.
Its a Scottish Aviation Transatlantic Airliner (160 passenger).
I found a quote about it:
“With a view to expanding the Company’s manufacturing capability David McIntyre in 1942, recruited a Chief Designer from Hawker Aircraft, Robert McIntyre (only latterly discovered to be related three generations past) to lead a new design team and establish an approved Aircraft Design office at Prestwick. One of the early designs to make an appearance was a twin fuselage six engined aircraft, which could operate either as a landplane or seaplane. It was designed to carry 160 passengers with a maximum take off weight of 300,000 lbs and was planned for the post war Scottish Airlines North Atlantic air route…”
For a time it seemed that aircraft designers were possessed by the idea of twin hull birds. Unfortunatly very few ever got of the drawing board. I for one, would have loved to see all those huge 6 to 16 engined multi-frame aircraft.
Here is a great site about those off-beat designs:
http://cmeunier.chez-alice.fr/index.htm
I have been told, thats there are some information in Flypast December 2007 page 122.
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September 9, 2004 at 10:25 pm