Luton Minor (G-AFUG/BAPC-97)
NAHR category - Noteworthy
Aircraft History
The Luton Minor is a parasol monoplane that was designed to be built by amateurs.
G-AFUG History
Our example was built between 1937 and 1944 by Mr Frederick Brown of Stanley, Co Durham using plans published in the monthly magazine 'Newnes Practical Mechanics'. Mr Brown built the aircraft in his miners cottage in Front Street Stanley with the fuselage stretching along his passage into the kitchen and wings stored upstairs when not being worked on! The first engine fitted was a Sumet 'v' twin (from a Morgan three wheeler car). This was not powerful enough so was replaced by an ABC Scorpion and later an Aeronca Jap flat twin engine. The aircraft was later modified to allow the wings to be folded. There is no record of the aircraft actually flying and in 1975 the aircraft was donated to the museum along with other examples of Mr Browns attempts at flight (Benson B7 and Brown Helicopter) after being discovered in an old barn near Stanley. Unfortunately the engine had already been removed.
