CMC Leopard…Personal jets have appealed to pilots and enthusiasts since the dawn of the jet age, fulfilling the fantasies of James Bond wannabes. Unfortunately, that pesky little thing called “economics” always gets in the way and ruins the party for everyone. When paired with small airframes, jet engines are inefficient, and the high costs outweigh any benefits. ⁣
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In the early 80s, an Englishman took his stab at the minijet market with the CMC Leopard. Designed by BAE Systems engineer Ian ChichesterMiles, the Leopard was all composite, a novelty for its time. The design in general was quite radical, taking cues from fighter jet designs. The supercritical, laminar flow wings were highly swept, with a wingspan of only 25ft!⁣
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Contrary to traditional executive jets, the Leopard passengers sat in a tight cabin reminiscent of a sports car. The most striking feature was a singlepiece canopy that hinged up (again, like a fighter jet).
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The achilles heal of the Leopard were its tiny Noel Penny NPT301 turbojets, with only 300lb of thrust each (originally used to power drones and missiles). Development started in 1983, with the first flight taking place in 1988…and in that same year, Noel Penny went bankrupt. Considering they produced a bit more thrust than a blowdryer, this might have been a good omen for the Leopard. ⁣⁣
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CMC then developed the Leopard 2 with an improved airframe and systems, and sporting 2 Williams turbofans, with a whopping 600 lbs thrust each. Development of the 2 dragged through the 90s, and by the time the Leopard was ready for production, price had ballooned to $1.3M and the dot.com bust crashed the market. Only 2 prototypes were produced, and one remains at the Midland Air Museum at Coventry Airport.⁣⁣⁣
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CMC Leopard Takeoff (Inside)
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CMC Leopard Corporate
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CMC Leopard Engine Start
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