Talk:Gazuit-Valladeau GV-1020

Development, types

I've come across a good reference for this series of aircraft, Jane's AWA 1972/3 pp. 62-3. Their account suggests our narrative needs tweaking. I've also done a bit of digging. I thought I'd air the differences and agreements here before making any changes, to ensure a consensus.

It seems the 1st prototype (F-WPZI) was known as the 103L (Lycoming O-235 powered, 115 hp). [This and all later engine type numbers come from a 1973 Flight piston engine survey]. Avia France {AF) and JAWA agree on this, though AF add that it had 3 seats. Can't find it on the French reg, so don't know c/n. for sure, though an image from May 1969 shows this aircraft at le Bourget, with what looks like a shorter nosewheel leg, suggests the c/n was 01.

According to JAWA, the next prototype was the 4-seat 1031 (Lycoming O-320 powered, 150 hp) and identify it as F-BSQE. The French civil reg agrees that this was a 1031 and had c/n 03. AF think this was the 1032. According to an air-britain photo it ended up in Canada - see Mondair, below.

JAWA and AF agree on the 1020, with 2 seats (Lycoming O-235 powered, 115 hp), reg F-BSQF, as our article's photo. The French civil reg agrees that this was a 1020 with c/n 01. JAWA labels an almost identical photo, but with wing-hidden reg, "prototype GV 1020".

JAWA has the 1032 as a 3-seater (Rolls-Royce/Continental O240, 130 hp). No record of c/n or reg. AF does not mention this seating or engine; but JAWA's increasing power, weight and capacity through the series 1020 ->1032 ->1031 makes sense.

JAWA notes that Mondair Avaition (Montreal, Canada) had world production rights and orders/options on 605 of what they were going to call the Mondair 115/130/150, but it seems the Canadian government did not provide the hoped for capital. Presumably these hopes took F-BSQE to Canada engineless and not re-registered.

So JAWA's story seems to make the best sense, though

• the c/ns (01 for the third (?) in the series, 'QF and 03 for 'QE, the second according to JAWA, don't. A Flight article Flight 30 Nov 1972, pp. 777-8 says that the 4 seat 1031 150 hp (designation in agreement with JAWA) was the first to be certificated (April 1972), with certification of the 1020 expected in Jan 1973, in agreement with JAWA's order. They also refer to the aircraft family as the 'Gazelle.

• it occurred that the 103(L) prototype might have changed its experimental F-Wxxx reg for something more normal? If so, could a re-reg have changed it to F-BSQF, the c/n 01 1020 prototype? That would be in line with the transportphotos.com c/n for F-WPZI. It could have had a nosewheel job and a bit of a repaint at the same time. However, the Flight article describes the prototype as being a 150 hp, 4 seater, in disagreement with both AF and JAWA's description of the 103, but like a 1031. Now the French reg lists F-PPZI (minimal repaint?) as a 1031, c/n 01. Makes sense, but we now have two c/n 01: F-BSQF and F-PPZI.

• One other (at least) 1031, F-PSSX, c/n 02 appears on the French reg, flying up to at least July 2002 when it suffered some damage in a accident. The 1972 Flight article says that 7 prototypes were flying then and 5 pre-production aircraft under construction. The aircraft pictured in it has a spatted nosewheel.

• the 1032 remains a bit of a mystery, with no photos I could find. Was it built? If so, was it c/n 04 perhaps?

Anyone know more or better?TSRL (talk) 20:08, 5 September 2010 (UTC)

Article name

Having put in some info on the variants, I wonder if we should have a less specific title (with a redirect for the current one). Perhaps move it to Gazuit-Valladeau GV-103 Gazelle or even Gazuit-Valladeau Gazelle? By 1974 Jane's was using the second form; in 1972 they used Gazuit-Valladeau GV-103 and did not mention Gazelle, though by November 1972 Flight were using Gazuit Gazelle.TSRL (talk) 11:40, 30 December 2011 (UTC)