Tipsy Belfair

About the Tipsy Belfair

The Avions Fairey Tipsy Belfair is a fixed-wing light aircraft built in Belgium. It is designed as a low-wing cantilever monoplane with a conventional configuration and a tailwheel undercarriage featuring spatted mainwheels. The aircraft provides seating for two occupants inside a fully enclosed cabin, and it is powered by a single air-cooled four-cylinder inverted inline engine.

Created by designer Ernest Oscar Tips, the Belfair evolved from a prewar model and achieved notable success by twice breaking the world distance record for its weight class. Despite its impressive performance, commercial viability suffered due to heavy competition from post-war surplus aircraft. Although additional airframes were planned, production was halted, and remaining units were sold to buyers in the UK for completion. Some examples have remained active or undergone restoration decades later.