Blue Yonder Aviation
 | |
| Private company | |
| Industry | Aerospace |
| Founder | Wayne Winters |
| Headquarters | Indus, Alberta, Canada |
Key people | President: Wayne Winters |
| Products | Kit plane manufacturing |
Number of employees | 3 (2005) |
| Website | www.ezflyer.com |
Blue Yonder Aviation is a Canadian aircraft manufacturer, specializing in kit aircraft for the North American amateur-built aircraft and ultralight markets.
Origins
The company was originally formed by Wayne Winters in 1986 as a flying school teaching students on a single Spectrum Beaver RX550 at Indus/Winters Aire Park south of Calgary, Alberta.[1][2]
The airport had originally been purchased in 1914 by Miltor L. Winters from the Canadian Pacific Railway for Cdn$24 per acre. In 1946 upon returning home from the Second World War Ralph C. Winters purchased the land from the older Winters. In 1970 he graded the first runway on the property. Ralph Winters son, Wayne Winters assumed operation of the airport when his father retired. The airport is home to a large community of pilots and aircraft, including a large number of ultralights.[1]
Present history
In 1996, Blue Yonder purchased the rights to the Merlin from Merlin Aircraft and started manufacturing the aircraft in a converted pig barn on the property. Winters designed the open-cockpit EZ Flyer in 1991 and the Twin Engine EZ Flyer in 1999. The EZ Flyer proved successful and 30 have been completed alongside approximately 50 Merlins. Blue Yonder constructs kits or completed aircraft on a made-to-order basis. For several years US manufacturer Comp Air marketed Blue Yonder-produced Merlin kits in the USA under the name "Aero Comp Merlin", although this arrangement is no longer in effect.[2][3][4]
In 2011 Winters completed work on a single seat, twin-engined design with an inverted V-tail, inspired by the Ultraflight Lazair. The new aircraft is marketed as the Blue Yonder EZ Fun Flyer.[5]
Aircraft
| Model name | First flight | Number built | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Merlin | 1986 | 50 | cabin monoplane |
| EZ Flyer | 1991 | 30 | open cockpit monoplane |
| EZ King Cobra | 1998 | 1 | P-63 Kingcobra replica |
| Twin Engine EZ Flyer | 1999 | 1 | Twin engine observation aircraft |
| EZ Harvard | 2002 | 1 | Harvard replica |
| EZ Fun Flyer | 2011 | 1 | Inspired by the Ultraflight Lazair |
Merlin Manufacturers
Blue Yonder is the fourth manufacturer of the Merlin design. Companies who have built the Merlin were:[2][6]
| Company | Location | Dates | Ownership |
|---|---|---|---|
| Macair Industries | Baldwin, Ontario, Canada | 1988-91 | John Burch |
| Malcolm Aircraft | Michigan, USA | 1991-92 | John Burch |
| Merlin Aircraft | Michigan, USA | 1993-96 | |
| Blue Yonder | Indus, Alberta | 1996–present | Wayne Winters |
References
- 1 2 Winters, Wayne. Airport History, 2001. Retrieved: 3 March 2009.
- 1 2 3 Hunt, Adam. Merlin Magic. COPA Flight, February 2005, p. C-1.
- ↑ Hunt, Adam. Merlin Magic Revisited. COPA Flight, October 2005, page C-1.
- ↑ Hunt, Adam. Pilot Report: EZ Flyer. COPA Flight, May 2001, p. C-1.
- ↑ Vandermeullen, Richard: 2012 Kit Aircraft Buyer's Guide, Kitplanes, Volume 28, Number 12, December 2011, page 46. Belvoir Publications. ISSN 0891-1851
- ↑ Armstrong, Kenneth. Choosing Your Homebuilt - the one you will finish and fly! Second Edition. Goleta, CA: Butterfield Press, 1993, pp. 195–201. ISBN 0-932579-26-4.
External links
Media related to Blue Yonder Aviation at Wikimedia Commons