Tipsy Nipper Wanted - Any condition

[BARThompson]

Dear All,

I am a reasonably new pilot and have never owned an aircraft before but I am keen to get my foot on the ladder so to speak. I have been looking for something that would allow me to potter about and do a few aeros in! After much research, I have decided the plane for me is a Tipsy Nipper - they are meant to be great fun, cheap to buy and run and also can do aeros to a reasonable level. Perfect!

I have deperately been trying to locate a Tipsy Nipper for sale for months now, but my searches has fallen flat. I am looking for any nippers for sale, regardless of condition, even half built and abandoned kits. In the perfect world, I would buy G-ONCS (Neil, if you decide to sell, please contact me, I would love to buy it!), but if I find one which needs a little work (or a lot for that matter), I would have no problem refurbing as necessary.

If any of you are interested in selling, or know of anyone else who may be interested in selling, please...please...please...contact me as I would definitely be interested!

My contact details are below:

Mob: 07734 701 173
E-mail: b.a.r.thompson@mac.com

Many thanks for your time

Ben Thompson

[Mr.Tipsy]

in belgium OO-MLD is for sale.

It has an Ardem engine and isn't in that good condition.
I think the owner asks around 14.000 euros

[BARThompson]

interesting...it didnt occur to me to look abroad. Are planes easy to import?

I dont suppose you happen to have any contact details do you?

When you say it isnt in partcularly good condition...is it airworthy?

Many thanks for your help

[Tipsy Flyer]

Hi BARThompson,
In terms of small aircraft, the Nipper is one of the stongest and safest. It all has to do with a good design. We have only 2 Nippers in South Africa and unfortunately for you, not one is for sale, sorry mate. Maybe look on Willem's site, every Nipper built has been documented. You could use this to trace a Nipper via it's registration. Keep us posted and good luck!!

http://www.tipsy-histories.com/

Regards
Glen

[G-NIPR]

I was in Breighton for a couple of hours at the weekend and saw G-ARBP (or whats left of it) was for sale on the notice board.
It has had a landing accident, but fuselage is said to be 'ok'. I heard it could go for a low price. I don't have the number, but if you phone Breighton airfield and ask someone to read it of the ad you might be in luck.

Good luck

Paul.
G-NIPR

[Mr.Tipsy]

G-ARBP is already sold and is now overhere in Antwerpen.

[BARThompson]

Hi Guys,

Firstly, thank you very much for all your help. I have now located a nipper which I would like to buy, however, I would like an aerobatic engine for it (Im demanding - I know!!). Does anyone know of either a second hand aerobatic engine for sale or perhaps a type of engine I could buy new that is aerobatic or can have inverted systems added to it etc...

The perfect solution would be for someone to know of an acro engine for sale somewhere!

Any advise or help on new or second hand engines would be greatly appreciated!

Many thanks

[Tipsy Flyer]

Hi BAR,
This is good news, some pic's would be appreciated
My Nipper has a standard issue veedubs conversion with NO inverted oil or fuel and i successfully looped, rolled, stall turned, four point rolled, sloww rolled with no trace of the engine miss firing or loss of oil.
Even managed a few seconds of "inverted flight" by pulling up from straight and level, roll 180 and gently pull positive G's while inverted and rolling out as the nose drops through the horison . By the way, i had to teach myself all of the about as aerobatic instructors were hens teeth years back!!
The trick is to keep positive G's all the time.
Regards
Glen
ZS-UAD

[G-NIPR]

I do the same as Glen, just a little positive and a lot can be done. It also teaches you to be accurate,
when you get it a little wrong and the engine coughs the attention gets focussed somewhat; but I am led to believe that it will pick up again as soon as positive is reapplied (a la Chipmunk).
You might struggle to find a decent, available 'true' ACRO engine with fuel injection. I tried for a while and had no luck.
But no harm in trying, good luck.

Paul
G-NIPR

[David H]

Shame the UL260i is probably a tad too powerful for the Nipper (and expensive!) - I heard Barry Smith has a hand in the development of it though. Sounds a nice unit.

[BARThompson]

I did look at that but it didnt seem to have inverted fuel and oil systems. Please feel free to tell me otherwise!!

[David H]

Sorry, I think the UL engine I'm thinking of is not mentioned on the official site. It's the one being used in the aerobatic Twister, I'll try to find the link about it, but it was talking of developments that Barry Smith has done on the basic UL engine for this new Twister.

[BARThompson]

so you think there is a UL260i variant that is fully aerobatic? so that would be inverted fuel & oil systems, electric starter, fuel injected, 85 hp? Surely that is the perfect solution for the Nipper....or am I missing something obvious?

[Tipsy Flyer]

I'm not an engineer but i think one has to keep in mind, the Nipper fuse is very short therefore one will have to be careful with the weight in front of the c of g. The Jab motor is not equipped for serious aero's (negitive) but it's weight and power make it a winner .
I would love to stick a Jabbie motor in my Nipper but i'll have to rob a bank first as these are pricey down here (just like everything else here )
As Paul correctly said, one develops a fine touch on the stick when performing aero's sitting behind a non aero's motor. One must keep in mind, the Nipper is NOT a Pitts, therefore flown in the design limits, it is fine with a modified veedubs or jabbie.

regards
Glen
PS:Have you progressed with the purchase, Bar ?

[BARThompson]

no i am afraid i havent progressed with the purchase. The purpose of buying the nipper is to practice aeros. I compete in aerobatic competitions and to do competition style aeros, I definitely need inverted systems. That is all that is stopping me. If I can find an aerobatic engine for it, I will go ahead and buy the nipper.