Grumman AA1 Yankee, G-SEXY

Jim Bede, the prolific designer of American innovative light aircraft designed the BD-1 as a straightforward low wing, tricycle undercarriage, single-engined light aircraft seating two people in a side-by-side cockpit. This low cost trainer was intended to compete with the Cessna 150 and Piper Cherokee 140. Bede flew prototype N6248D on 11th July, 1963, but failed to coplete the project.

During 1964, the American Aviation Corporation was formed to bring new life to the promising BD-1 design. The prototype AA-1 Yankee N888M first flew on March 2nd, 1967. The AA-1 was a little larger than the original BD-1 with a more powerful 115hp Lycoming 0-235-C2C engine. It made use of metal-to-metal bonding of components, which was a technique not previously used to and great degree in general aviation aircraft. Also, the construction used a large amount of high-strength aluminium honeycomb material within the fuselage structure and fibreglass in the undercarriage legs.

The type went into production at Cuyahoga County Airport, Cleveland, Ohio. In all production of the AA-1 Yankee totalled 461 units plus the prototype. A further 680 trainers and 211 Lynx were built.

The AA-1 Yankee design was progressively developed into the AA-1B Trainer and the AA-1C Lynx. The initial 4-seater variant was the AA-2 Patriot flowin in February 1970. However, the production 4-seaters were the AA-5 Traveller introduced in 1971, the AA-5A Cheetah and AA-5B Tiger.

The Grumman American Aviation Corp bought 80% of American Aviation in January 1973. In 1976 Grumman Aviation moved production south to Savanna, Georgia. During 1978 Grummans interest was bought out by American Jet Industries to form Gulfstream America Corp who continued production until late 1979, by which time 4879 aircraft had been produced: 1822 AA-1 series, 3054 AA-5 series and 3 prototypes.

G-SEXY Airframe History
The American Aviation Corporation at Cuyahoga County Airport, Cleveland, Ohio, built this particular aircraft in 1970. It was construction number 0442, indicating the 442nd AA-1 Yankee of the 461 of this mark built. One of a bath of three aircraft shipped to a dealer in the UK during the summer of 1970.

Registered G-AYLM with the CAA on 21.10.70 to General Aviation Sales Ltd, based at Leavesden near London and at Jersey Airport. First certificate of airworthiness issued 5.7.71. Ownership changed to A.C.Cansick 28.10.71, with the aircraft based at Bodmin. However it did not remain long in Devon; on 28.10.72 ownership was changed to Eastern Aviation Ltd at Sherburn-in-Elmet near Leeds. After several years operating in Yorkshire it moved south, during 1976 with T.A.Birtles at Sturgate, Lincolnshire. Ownership changing 19.10.79 to a Stoke-on-Trent based partnership of G.W.Thompson, M.J.White & J.Hancox, with the aircraft based at East Midlands Airport.

With a change of owners, the aircraft was re-registered on 30.6.81 with an out-of-sequence registration, G-SEXY to W.Davies of Cardiff. After a number of years in South Wales, its next owner was H.Morris, who brought the aircraft to the North-West and based it at RAF Woodvale aerodrome. After purchase by I.C.Kenyon, G-SEXY was delivered from Woodvale to Liverpool Airport 5.12.93.

Flying from Liverpool was short-lived, as on 10th February 1994 the aircraft was writtenoff in a forced landing at Burscough, while en-route from Liverpool to Woodvale. The forced landing tore off the undercarriage and everything forward of the firewall. The wreck was brought back to Liverpool and stored, dismantled in the Keenair hangar there. Beyond economic repair to fly again, during 1996 the airframe was adapted with a new very abbreviated nose and a tail wheel fitted to cater for the changed centre of gravity. Painted in the blue and white colours of Liverpool Flying School with a Liverbird Logo on the tail, it served as an occasional travelling publicity exhibit.

Around 10.05 the airframe was kindly donated to the Jetstream Club by Martin Keen of Liverpool Flying School for display on the apron of the original Speke Aerodrome.

With sincerest thanks to local Aviation Historian Brian Jones who compiled much of the information presented here.