Slingsby Aviation
Kirkbymoorside, York. YO62 6EZ, England

Slingsby Aviation is an aircraft company based in Kirbymoorside, Yorkshire, England. The company was founded in nearby Scarborough by Frederick Nicholas Slingsby, a furniture manufacturer, World War One aviator and gliding enthusiast. Its first aircraft was a German designed Falke which flew in 1931. In 1934 the company moved to Kirbymoorside. Slingsby’s last glider, the T65 Vega, ceased production in 1982.

The company is a subsidiary of Cobham PLC. Cobham has 3 main groups of companies; FR Aviation, Aerospace Systems (formerly Flight Refuelling Group) and the Chelton Group of companies (of which Slingsby Aviation is a member).

Slingsby designs and manufactures composite structures, ranging from large marine structures, such as submarine rudders, to lightweight helmets for helmet mounted display systems, mainly for the aerospace and defence industries.

Slingsby Aviation’s SAH2200 hovercraft has operated in such varied regions as the Arctic Circle and Africa. Two are seen in the James Bond movie, Die Another Day.

The company builds the T67 Firefly, a two seater military training aircraft.

Slingsby Aviation employs around 130 people on its 12,220 square metres (131,000 square feet ) site.

The company has its own airfield with a 750 metre reinforced grass runway.